White Matter Lesion Severity in Mild Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients and Functional Outcome After 1 Year

Background and Purpose—To determine if severity of visually assessed white matter disease is associated with disability after ischemic stroke. Methods—In this Berlin “Cream & Sugar” substudy, all first ischemic stroke patients who received magnetic resonance imaging and completed follow-up between January 2009 and December 2010, were enrolled. Severity of white matter disease was assessed on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery or T2-weighted sequences using the Wahlund and Fazekas visual scales. Functional outcome was assessed after 1 year using the modified Rankin Scale (follow-up [FU] modified Rankin Scale [mRS]). Results—Of 101 patients (37% female; median age, 67 years; interquartile range, 54–75; National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, 1; interquartile range, 0–2), median FU mRS was 1 (interquartile range, 0–2). Binary logistical regression adjusted for age (at 5-year intervals), acute National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores, fasting glucose, insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, crea...