Heghine Khachatryan: New evidance – Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Ischemic Stroke
Heghine Khachatryan, Editor-in-Chief of Hemostasis Today, Head of Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center at Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center, shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article by Nathan W Watson et al., published in Stroke, adding:
“New evidance | Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Ischemic Stroke
A new systematic review and meta-analysis including 52 studies examined the association between antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) and ischemic stroke.
Approximately 19.1% of patients with ischemic stroke were aPL-positive.
The presence of aPL was associated with a higher likelihood of a first ischemic stroke (OR 2.93), with the strongest association observed for lupus anticoagulant (OR 6.69).
Importantly, the analysis did not demonstrate a significant increase in recurrent stroke risk among aPL-positive patients.
Clinical perspective
These findings support targeted aPL testing in appropriately selected patients, particularly in:
- Younger patients with ischemic stroke
- Cryptogenic stroke
- Unusual arterial thrombosis
- Patients with a relevant autoimmune background
At the same time, a single positive aPL result should not be equated with a diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).
Transient or incidental aPL positivity may occur, including in the setting of an acute thrombotic event.
Diagnosis of APS requires the appropriate clinical context, a relevant antibody profile, and confirmation of persistent positivity according to established criteria.
The study reinforces an important principle: aPL positivity is common enough to matter, but interpretation must remain clinically disciplined.”
Title: Prevalence and Clinical Relevance of Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Nathan W Watson, Syed Bukhari, Sina Rashedi, Mariana Pfeferman, Francisco Ujueta, Bassil Bacare, Brittany N Weber, Mehrdad Zarghami, Yogendra Kanthi, Eric A Secemsky, Jean M Connors, Geoffrey D Barnes, Sacha Uljon, Samuel Z Goldhaber, Jeffrey I Weitz, Karen H Costenbader, Harlan M Krumholz, Gregory Piazza, Mary Cushman, Christopher D Anderson, Mitchell S V Elkind, Behnood Bikdeli
Other posts featuring Heghine Khachatryan on Hemostasis Today.
-
Nov 2, 2026, 22:12Annie Bauzon: How the Body Produces Millions of Blood Cells Every Day
-
Nov 2, 2026, 22:11Anna Supernat: Does Leukocyte-Associated RNA Retention Affect Platelet-Based Cancer Classification?
-
Nov 2, 2026, 22:07Aabha Divya: Late Biatrial Thrombosis 31 Years After Heart Transplantation
-
Nov 2, 2026, 22:01Sakditad Saowapa: Anticoagulant Pharmacology and the Pursuit of Effective Therapy With Less Bleeding
-
Nov 2, 2026, 21:55Lucio D’Anna: Can Inflammatory Biomarkers Identify Residual Risk in Atrial Fibrillation?
-
Nov 2, 2026, 21:54Dawood Findakly: VTE Prophylaxis during Pregnancy
-
Nov 2, 2026, 21:52N. Mariana S. Vasquez: Five Rules That Help Identify the Cause of Hemolytic Anemia
-
Nov 2, 2026, 21:52Rob Maloney: Working Together to Strengthen Bleeding Disorders Care in the Dominican Republic
-
Nov 2, 2026, 18:08Jonathan Penm: Antithrombotic Stewardship Optimizes VTE Prophylaxis in ICU Patients