PLASMA NOREPINEPHRINE AND EPINEPHRINE CONCENTRATIONS IN THE ACUTE-PHASE OF ISCHEMIC STROKE IN AN ELDERLY GROUP OF PATIENTS

Plasma levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine were observed in 22 pa tients with acute ischemic stroke within the first 24 h, on the 3rd, 5 th and 7th day and compared with the recovery after the stroke. Elevat ed plasma norepinephrine was observed in 68% of patients. Changes from initially elevated to normal norepinephrine levels were observed only in those patients who had had a slightly elevated plasma concentratio n of norepinephrine on day 1. Plasma epinephrine concentrations were o nly slightly elevated in 27% of our patients on the 7th day and even i n a smaller number of patients earlier in the course of stroke. No sig nificant correlation was found between neurologic deficit and plasma n orepinephrine. However, a correlation between neurologic deficit and p lasma epinephrine (r = 0.359, p < 0.001) was found. As the elevated pl asma epinephrine levels never exceeded twice the value of reference va lue, this correlation has in our opinion no clinical importance. It is possible that elevated plasma norepinephrine or epinephrine reflect a n increase of sympathetic activity in acute stroke which may be due to the accompanying diseases (hypertension, heart failure) or stress and not the ischemic stroke itself.