To investigate the value of ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV) combined with hemodynamic parameters in the prognostic assessment of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

A total of 65 patients with AIS admitted to our institution from August 2023 to August 2025 were enrolled as study subjects. The ufPWV technique was employed to assess the carotid artery pulse wave velocity during the beginning of systole (BS) and end of systole (ES). These measurements were combined with evaluations of intima-media thickness (IMT) and hemodynamic parameters, including peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end diastolic velocity (EDV). Clinical baseline data were also collected. Based on prognosis, the patients were categorized into a favorable prognosis group and a poor prognosis group. The value of each indicator in the diagnosis and prognostic prediction of AIS was analyzed.

The IMT, BS, ES, PSV and EDV were significantly higher in the unfavorable prognosis group compared to the favorable prognosis group (P<0.05). Age, fasting blood glucose and National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score at admission were also significantly higher in the unfavorable prognosis group (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated levels of fasting blood glucose, BS, ES, PSV, and NIHSS score were risk factors for poor prognosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of BS, ES and PSV for an unfavorable prognosis in AIS patients, with AUC values of 0.767, 0.810 and 0.641, respectively. The combined detection of these three parameters yielded an AUC of 0.885 for predicting an unfavorable prognosis.

The ufPWV parameters BS and ES, along with the hemodynamic parameter PSV are risk factors for poor prognosis in AIS and hold certain value in prognostic assessment of AIS.