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Cerebrovascular Complications of Anemia

  • Neurology of Systemic Diseases (J. Biller, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of the Review

Anemia has been called the fifth cardiovascular risk factor. It is one of the most prevalent pathologies worldwide. In this article, we aimed to perform a narrative review of the main cerebrovascular complications of anemia and its influence on stroke prognosis.

Recent Findings

Both hypoproliferative anemia (thalassemia, iron deficiency anemia, etc.) and hyperproliferative anemia (sickle cell disease, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, hereditary spherocytosis, etc.) are associated to cerebrovascular disease ranging from transient ischemic attack to ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke with both intraparenchymal hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage or cerebral venous thrombosis. Anemia is associated to a worse prognosis in patients with cerebrovascular disease

Summary

In some cases, like sickle cell disease, pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutic guidelines are well established, while in others, due to their rarity, there are still lack of robust data. More studies are needed to clarify how the prognosis of stroke patients with anemia could be improved.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Serviço de Neurologia, Departamento de Neurociências e Saúde Mental, Hospital de Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, 1640-035, Lisbon, Portugal

    Ana Catarina Fonseca, Daniela P. Silva & José M. Ferro

  2. Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Ana Catarina Fonseca & José M. Ferro

  3. Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal

    Ana Catarina Fonseca & José M. Ferro

  4. Serviço de Hematologia e Transplantação de Medula, Hospital de Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, Lisbon, Portugal

    Joana Infante

Authors
  1. Ana Catarina Fonseca
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  2. Daniela P. Silva
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  3. Joana Infante
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  4. José M. Ferro
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Correspondence to Ana Catarina Fonseca.

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Conflict of interest

Ana Catarina Fonseca, Daniela P. Silva, and Joana Infante each declare no potential conflicts of interest. José M. Ferro reports grants and personal fees from Bayer, personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, and personal fees from Daiichi Sankyo.

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Fonseca, A.C., Silva, D.P., Infante, J. et al. Cerebrovascular Complications of Anemia. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 21, 51 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-021-01141-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-021-01141-y

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