Serum TG/HDL-C level at the acute phase of ischemic stroke is associated with post-stroke cognitive impairment

Background The ratio of triglycerides (TG) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) bears a relation with poor outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), but the impact of serum TG/HDL-C level on post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) remains unknown. We conducted this prospective study to explore the association between TG/HDL-C and PSCI. Methods Consecutive AIS patients from the Stroke Units of our hospital were prospectively enrolled between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. Blood samples were collected within 24 h after admission. Cognition function was evaluated by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at 3 months after stroke. We used logistic regression analyses to explore the relationship between TG/HDL-C and PSCI, and then used a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to assess the ability of acute TG/HDL-C for predicting PSCI. Results A total of 227 AIS patients were recruited. Compared with patients without PSCI, those with PSCI had a higher level of TG/HDL-C at admission (P < 0.01). The multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that TG/HDL-C level was independently associated with PSCI (P < 0.01). The area under the curve of the ROC for TG/HDL-C as predictor of PSCI was 0.701 (95%CI 0.635-0.768). The optimal cutoff value of TG/HDL-C to indicate PSCI was 1.564, which gave a sensitivity of 55.2% and specificity of 80.6%. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that a higher level of TG/HDL-C at the acute phase of ischemic stroke predicted the presence of PSCI at 3 months after stroke.