Correlation between Plasma D-dimer Levels and Infarction Volume in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients

D-dimer has been described as a prognostic predictor in ischemic stroke and an indicator of the severity of traumatic brain injury.9,10 Unfortunately, fewer studies have been conducted on the correlations between plasma D-dimer concentration and AIS in South Indian patients.Thus, this research aimed at examining the correlation between plasma D-dimer levels and infarction volume in individuals with acute ischemic stroke. Materials a n d MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital after approval from the ethics committee.It included 100 patients clinically diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke from February 2023 to December 2023. introductionGlobally, acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is one of the leading causes of mortality.Timely intervention significantly enhances outcomes and minimizes impairment.Because one-third of stroke survivors rely on others for daily activities, stroke imposes a substantial monetary burden.Similarly, stroke exerts a significant strain on India's healthcare resources.1,2 D-dimer has developed into a straightforward blood test that is utilized in diagnostic algorithms to exclude venous thromboembolism.It is the result of plasma-mediated breakdown of fibrin-rich thrombi.Because D-dimer levels are resistant to ex vivo activation, relatively stable, and have a long half-life, they offer certain benefits over other measurements of thrombin production.Due to the presence of this marker in several degradation products after the cleavage of cross-linked fibrin by plasmin, the concentration of D-dimer represents the amount of fibrin turnover in the circulation.3,4 It has been suggested that moderately elevated circulating D-dimer levels reflect slight increases in blood coagulation, thrombin generation, and turnover of cross-linked intravascular fibrin (partially of intra-arterial origin), and that these increases are associated with coronary heart disease.5 D-dimer is positively associated with the incidence and recurrence of coronary heart disease, essentially independent of traditional risk factors.6 In addition, increased D-dimer concentrations have been associated with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, acute pulmonary embolism, spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage, and long-term neurologic sequelae in childhood-onset arterial ischemic stroke.7,8 Previous research has also shown that D-dimer levels are associated with stroke subtypes, prognosis, and worse outcomes in patients with ischemic stroke.