O. Ya. Mykhalojko, V. A. Hryb, I. Ya. Mykhalojko

Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.
*e-mail: myhalojko@i.ua

Received: 21 November 2025; Revised: 23 February 2026;
Accepted: 03 April 2026; Available on-line: April 2026

Atherothrombotic ischemic stroke remains a leading cause of disability and mortality. The search for biomarkers of its recurrence is a key task of modern vascular neurology. Von Willebrand factor (vWF), a multimeric glycoprotein that binds platelets to damaged vessel, is considered a marker of endothelial dysfunction and platelet activity. The aim of the study was to assess the level of von Willebrand factor in the blood plasma of patients in the early stages of recovery after atherothrombotic stroke. 200 patients aged 60.42 ± 7.40 with atherothrombotic ischemic stroke and 50 people from the control group were examined. The prospective observation was conducted for 12 months to record recurrent strokes. Neurological deficit was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and results were interpreted according to the generally accepted stroke grading. The level of vWF was determined by the light-transmission analysis on a laser aggregometer. The data obtained showed that the level of vWF in the early recovery period increased in parallel with the increase in disorder severity to 137.7, 155.7 and 169.7% in the groups with easy, average, and severe stroke, respectively, compared with the control indicator of 95.3%. In patients with the highest vWF level (>170%), the recurrent ischemic strokes were recorded in half of the cases. These results indicate the сlinical significance and prognostic value of von Willebrand factor, in particular, for identifying the patients at high risk of recurrent vascular accidents requiring enhanced secondary prevention measures.