Stroke risk in arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies

by Wei Liu, Wei Ma, Hua Liu, Chunyan Li, Yangwei Zhang, Jie Liu, Yu Liang, Sijia Zhang, Zhen Wu, Chenghao Zang, Jianhui Guo, Liyan Li Background and objectiveStroke is a major contributor to the global burden of disease. Although numerous modifiable risk factors (RF) for stroke have been identified, some remain unexplained. Increasing studies have investigated stroke risk in arthritis, but their results are inconsistent. We aimed to synthesize, quantify, and compare the risk of stroke for the major types of arthritis in cohort studies by using a systematic review and meta-analysis approach. MethodsWe searched Chinese and English databases to identify relevant studies from inception to April 30, 2020. Only studies adjusting at least for age and sex were included. We calculated pooled effect estimates for relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) and identified potential sources of heterogeneity and publication bias. ResultsA total of 1,348 articles were retrieved, and after an preliminary screening of titles and abstracts, 69 were reviewed for full text, and finally, 32 met the criteria for meta-analysis. Stroke risk in arthritis was significantly increased in studies adjusting for age and sex (RR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.27 –1.46) and for at least one traditional risk factor (RR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.28–1.54). The results of studies stratified by stroke subtype were consistent with the main finding (ischemic stroke: RR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.32–1.78; hemorrhagic stroke: RR = ...
Source: PLoS One - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Source Type: research