Low thrombin inactivation capacity associated with increased recurrent ischemic stroke risk in young adults
This prospective cohort study of 332 young stroke survivors (median 7.6 years post-index event) identified that lower antithrombin levels, higher fibrinogen, and reduced thrombin decay (indicating lower inactivation capacity) were associated with higher recurrent ischemic event risk over 6.5 years of follow-up. The findings suggest that impaired thrombin regulation may contribute to recurrent stroke pathology in younger patients and warrant further investigation as a potential therapeutic target.