Risk factors for constipation in patients with acute and subacute ischemic stroke: A retrospective cohort study

The objective of this study was to examine the incidence of constipation and the risk factors for patients with ischemic stroke in acute and subacute stage.In this retrospective cohort study, patients with acute and subacute ischemic stroke in the Department of Rehabilitation, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine between 2019 and 2021 were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted using demographic characteristics, clinical evaluations, and stroke related complications, to explore the risk factors of constipation after stroke.Of the 222 patients with acute and subacute ischemic stroke, 128 (57.7 %) developed constipation. Univariate analysis revealed that pulmonary infection, NIHSS, ADL, KWST scores and nutritional status were significantly associated with post-stroke constipation (p < 0.05). Binomial logistic regression showed that NIHSS score is the independent risk factors of the poststroke constipation, and patients with NIHSS score >8.5 had higher risk for constipation.Current findings suggested a significant interaction between constipation and NIHSS score in stroke patients, providing new insights into therapeutic target for neural functional recovery among patients with acute and sub-acute ischemic stroke.