Increased risk for stroke in patients with familial Mediterranean fever: results from a large population-based study.

This article investigates the risk of stroke in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), a chronic auto-inflammatory disease linked to mutations in the MEFV gene. Using a retrospective cohort study of 9,769 FMF patients and matched controls from Clalit Health Services in Israel, the study found that FMF patients have a significantly higher incidence of stroke and experience stroke at a younger age compared to the general population. This increased risk persists regardless of FMF-related complications such as amyloidosis and renal failure, though it is notably higher in patients with these comorbidities. Additionally, stroke risk within FMF patients was associated with factors including older age, male gender, North African and Middle Eastern origin, and longer colchicine treatment duration, the latter likely reflecting disease chronicity rather than causality. The findings highlight the need for heightened clinical awareness and further research on preventive strategies for stroke in FMF populations.