Review articleThe risk of ischemic stroke in major rheumatic disorders

- Traditional vascular risk factors seem to be more prevalent in patients with certain types of rheumatic disorders.
- Traditional vascular risk factors do not fully explain the enhanced vascular risk in patients with rheumatic disorders.
- Ischemic stroke has been linked to some of the major rheumatic disorders, but not unequivocally to all.

Rheumatic disorders (RD) are a range of conditions associated with inflammation of joints and connective tissue. They can manifest beyond the musculoskeletal system. Recent focus has been placed on the association of ischemic stroke with these conditions. Traditional vascular risk factors seem to be more prevalent in patients with certain types of RD than in the general population, but these factors do not fully explain the enhanced vascular risk in this population. Four major RD will be discussed in terms of their relationship with ischemic stroke: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis.