SERUM CORTISOLAS A PROGNOSTIC FACTOR OF EARLY STROKE

Stroke is a common neurological disorder in clinical practice causing death in the developing countries as well as developed countries. Stroke is defined as an acute neurological injury occurring due to vascular pathological processes which manifest either as brain infarction or hemorrhage. Risk factors can never explain the timing and activity of the occurrence of stroke. But we can prevent the onset of stroke by reducing the risk factors. A stress response occurs after stroke which causes increased levels of cortisol and catecholamines1 .This has been known since the 1950s. There is also a dysregulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system which is shown by a failure of the dexamethasone suppression of cortisol levels in stroke. This cortisol response to stroke has been identified in both cerebral infarction as well as in intracerebral hemorrhage2 of any cause.