The relationship of tuberculosis with the development and progression of atherosclerosis has long been known, but it was thought that stroke in patients with tuberculosis without central nervous system (CNS) injury is rare.

To determine the risk of stroke in TB patients, the Taiwanese researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study of the national population. Patients with an established diagnosis of tuberculosis (without CNS injury) have been observed for 3 years from the date of diagnosis (2000-2003). The study cohort included 2283 patients with tuberculosis and the control group consisted of 6849 people selected by random sampling. To analyze the results, a Cox proportional hazard regression model was used, in which the incidence of ischemic stroke for 3 years in the two cohorts was compared.

During the 3-year follow-up period, ischemic stroke was observed in 392 (4.3%) of the 9,132 subjects included in the study. In addition, in the cohort of tuberculosis patients, this indicator was 6.0% (136 cases), and in the control group without tuberculosis - 3.7% (256 cases). After correcting the data on age and sex, the presence of concomitant diseases (high blood pressure, coronary artery disease - HDI, diabetes, dyslipidemia, malignant neoplasms), monthly income indicators, geographic region and level of urbanization of the place of residence, Risk ratio (RR) for ischemic stroke in patients with tuberculosis was 1.52 (95% confidence interval - CI 1.21 to 1.91; p less than 0.001).

In patients with tuberculosis, the probability of ischemic stroke within 3 years of diagnosis of tuberculosis is 52% higher than in the general population. In addition, TB infection does not affect the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (0.61% and 0.54%, respectively). In addition, patients with tuberculosis also showed an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease during the 3-year follow-up period (RR = 1.21, p = 0.016).

Thus, researchers have shown for the first time that patients with tuberculosis are at risk of ischemic stroke, which should be taken into account when caring for patients with this socially significant infectious disease, in particular particularly in regions with a high prevalence of tuberculosis. Further studies on the relationship between tuberculosis and cardiovascular events in other countries where tuberculosis is endemic are needed.