Zheng X, et al. - Researchers examined the link between homocysteine and prognosis of ischemic stroke as well as how platelet count can impact homocysteine in this prognosis. They analyzed 3,229 patients with acute ischemic stroke from the China Antihypertensive Trial in Acute Ischemic Stroke (CATIS), and had their homocysteine and platelets measured. Participants were observed prospectively for 1 year following acute ischemic stroke with regard to death, recurrent stroke and vascular events. In patients with a low platelet level, increased risk of 1-year mortality was observed in relation to high homocysteine level, after multivariate adjustment, however, no such link was evident in those with high platelet level. Overall, high homocysteine could be only an independent risk factor of mortality in ischemic stroke patients with low platelet levels.