Individuals with COVID-19 Who Have Stroke May Have More Bleeding in Brain 

According to a new study published in Neurology, people with COVID-19 who have an ischemic stroke may be more likely to have bleeding in their brain and worse outcomes during treatments to restore blood flow than people without COVID-19.

When comparing people with COVID-19 to those without, 9% had intracerebral hemorrhage compared to 5%; 4% had subarachnoid hemorrhage compared to 2%; and 10% had both complications compared to 6%. 

After adjusting for factors such as age, sex, and blood glucose levels, researchers found that people with COVID-19 had a 53% higher risk of intracerebral hemorrhage compared to people without COVID-19. 

Those who had COVID-19 also had an 80% higher risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage compared to those without. When looking at both complications combined, people with COVID-19 had a 56% higher risk compared to people without COVID-19. 

“While our study found a higher rate of brain bleeds in people with COVID-19, the number of people who experienced complications was still small,” said Joao Pedro Marto, MD, Hospital Egas Moniz, Portugal. "We believe treatments to restore blood flow remain beneficial to people with ischemic stroke and COVID-19 and suggest that they continue to be given as quickly as possible using current treatment recommendations. Our findings can be taken into consideration for treatment decisions and monitoring people after stroke.”