Exploratory Cohort Study of Associations between Serum C - Reactive Protein and Fatigue after Stroke

Post-stroke fatigue is a common and distressing problem but little is known about its biological mechanisms. This cohort study was to investigate associations between C-reactive protein (CRP) and fatigue after stroke.Patients were assessed at one, six and 12 months after their stroke onset, with the Fatigue Assessment Scale, a case definition of post-stroke fatigue, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and daily step counts. Blood samples were collected at each assessment and the CRP level was determined by a standard CRP immunoassay. Cross-sectional associations between CRP and fatigue at each time point were determined by Pearson correlation coefficient and independent-samples t-test. Whether CRP levels at one month predict fatigue scores at six and 12 months was explored by multiple linear regression, with anxiety, depression, and daily step counts as covariates. = 0.78).There is insufficient evidence for the association between CRP and PSF in stroke patients. Future studies with larger sample sizes and controlling for potential confounders are needed to investigate whether this association exists