Risk factors associated with stroke recurrence and mortality in ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based cohort studies

People with stroke face a significant risk of recurrence. However, consensus on the risk factors for recurrence is lacking, and existing systematic reviews are outdated or restricted in scope. This review aimed to identify clinical and lifestyle risk factors associated with stroke recurrence and recurrent stroke mortality (PROSPERO: CRD42024610123). PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and clinical trial registries were searched in March 2025 and updated in February 2026. Population-based prospective cohort studies examining clinical or lifestyle risk factors for stroke recurrence and/or recurrent stroke mortality in adults were included. Two independent reviewers completed screening, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment using ROBINS-E. Hazard ratios (HRs) and risk ratios (RRs) were pooled separately using random-effects meta-analysis. Herein lies the data used for meta-analysis and narrative synthesis