Leukocyte aggregation in patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease

It has been previously shown that an increase in leukocyte aggregation may represent a risk factor for the development of acute ischemic stroke. Little is known about the role of this parameter in patients with recurrent stroke. For this purpose, we evaluated monthly for two years the level of leukocyte aggregation in patients with a first episode of acute ischemic stroke, in order to assess if this factor may predict further cerebral ischemic events. Patients with recurrent stroke had significantly higher values of leukocyte aggregation than those free of recurrences. We conclude that the regular evaluation of leukocyte aggregation after ischemic stroke may hel in the identification of patients at risk of recurrence