Acute ischemic stroke.

Background and Purpose Although iron-mediated mechanisms are important in experimental brain injury after carotid occlusion, their clinical role in acute ischemic stroke has not been determined. We evaluated the influence of iron stores, measured as serum ferritin, on the outcome of acute cerebral infarct. Methods Admission and fasting glycemia, glycosylated hemoglobin, serum cortisol, serum ferritin, and 24-hour urinary free cortisol levels were measured on the first day of hospitalization in 67 patients admitted with an acute ischemic stroke of less than 24 hours' duration. Patients were classified into two groups according to their Canadian Stroke Scale (CSS) score on day 30; good outcome group (alive and CSS score >7 points) and poor outcome group (dead or CSS score <, 1 points). Results Thirty-three patients (49%) had good outcome and 34 (51%) poor outcome. Fasting glycemia (P=.001), serum cortisol (P<.001), and urinary free cortisol (P=.OO1) but not