Higher prognostic nutritional index associated with lower all-cause mortality in ischemic stroke cohort

A retrospective cohort study examined the association between prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and all-cause mortality in 1,152 consecutive ischemic stroke patients discharged from Dandong Central Hospital between January and December 2024. The study followed patients for a median of 14.23 months, with 96 patients (8.3%) experiencing all-cause mortality during follow-up.

Each 1-unit increase in PNI was associated with an 8.5% reduction in all-cause mortality risk (hazard ratio=0.915, 95% confidence interval: 0.883–0.947). The study did not report specific safety or tolerability data related to PNI assessment, as this was an observational analysis of an existing index rather than an intervention trial.

Key limitations include the retrospective observational design, which establishes association rather than causation, and the single-center setting at Dandong Central Hospital. The study did not report funding sources or conflicts of interest. While these findings suggest PNI may have prognostic value in ischemic stroke patients, they should be interpreted cautiously due to the observational nature of the evidence and need for prospective validation in diverse populations.