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Abstract Number: 0653

Association Between Systemic Sclerosis and Increased Risk of Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis

Christina Flourou1, Andreas Liampas1 and Konstantinos Parperis2, 1Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus, 2University of Cyprus Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus

Meeting: ACR Convergence 2023

Keywords: Brain, Cardiovascular, Systemic sclerosis

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Session Information

Date: Sunday, November 12, 2023

Title: (0609–0672) Systemic Sclerosis & Related Disorders – Clinical Poster I: Research

Session Type: Poster Session A

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose: Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune rheumatic disease characterized by significant vascular abnormalities due to microvascular damage and intimal proliferation in the small arterioles. Additionally, SSc has been associated with macrovascular complications, including cardiovascular disease (CVDs) and peripheral vascular disease. Cerebrovascular accident, also known as stroke, is a macrovascular condition that can occur among patients with SSc. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to corroborate previous studies on the risk of ischemic stroke in SSc patients.

Methods: Two investigators searched published articles on Medline database using two subject heading (MeSH) terms. Term A was “SSc OR Systemic Sclerosis OR Scleroderma OR CREST syndrome”. Term B was “Stroke OR cerebrovascular accident OR cerebrovascular event”. Inclusion criteria were studies describing the association between SSc and ischemic and/or hemorrhagic stroke. Statistical calculation of pooled proportions was conducted in R language. The outcome of interest was the proportion of patients with SSc that developed stroke. The heterogeneity between studies was assessed by the I2 test.

Results: Four studies (4 cohort studies) were met our criteria with 7871 patients with SSc. Our analysis demonstrated a statistically significant higher risk of ischemic stroke in patients with SSc compared with controls yielding a pooled risk estimate of 1.36 (95% CI, 1.16 to 1.61). The level of statistical heterogeneity was moderately low with an I2 of 39.9%. As shown in the respective forest plot, no significant asymmetry was observed between the included studies (Figure).

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this meta-analysis includes the largest number of SSc patients and provides robust evidence supporting an increased risk of ischemic stroke in SSc patients. These results underscore the importance of recognizing SSc as a potential risk factor for cerebrovascular complications and highlight the need for prevention and close monitoring in this patient population.

Supporting image 1

Figure: Forest plot illustrating the risk of ischemic stroke in patients with systemic sclerosis


Disclosures: C. Flourou: None; A. Liampas: None; K. Parperis: None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Flourou C, Liampas A, Parperis K. Association Between Systemic Sclerosis and Increased Risk of Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 9). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/association-between-systemic-sclerosis-and-increased-risk-of-ischemic-stroke-a-meta-analysis/. Accessed .
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All abstracts accepted to ACR Convergence are under media embargo once the ACR has notified presenters of their abstract’s acceptance. They may be presented at other meetings or published as manuscripts after this time but should not be discussed in non-scholarly venues or outlets. The following embargo policies are strictly enforced by the ACR.

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