The Relationship Between Muscle Metabolic Index (Cr/CysC) Levels and Short-Term Prognosis with Acute Ischemic Stroke: Findings from a Cohort Study

Objective: Sarcopenia significantly impacts prognosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study investigates the relationship between serum creatinine/serum cystatin C (Cr/CysC) levels and short-term prognosis in AIS patients, aiming to inform post-treatment strategies.

Methods: We analyzed AIS patients at the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China from January 2022 to January 2024. Baseline data were collected through interviews and medical records, with a 3-month follow-up for prognosis assessment. 265 were included in the final analysis. Cr/CysC levels were categorized into quartiles (Q1-Q4). Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analysis were employed to evaluate the association between Cr/CysC and prognosis.

Results: Among the 265 patients, the average age was 66.18 ± 12.41 years, and 129 (48.68%) had poor short-term prognosis. Multivariate logistic regression showed that patients in the lowest quartile of Cr/CysC (Q1) had a significantly lower risk of poor prognosis compared to those in the highest quartile (Q4) (odds ratio = 0.287, 95% confidence interval: 0.090-0.917, P = 0.035). A linear relationship was identified between Cr/CysC and prognosis (P overall<0.001, P nonlinear = 0.571).

Conclusions: This study establishes a significant linear correlation between Cr/CysC levels and poor short-term prognosis in AIS patients. Encouraging muscle function exercises may enhance patient outcomes.