HMGB1 and Cognitive impairment: Even after accounting for potential confounding influences of age, gender, years of formal education, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin, and leukocyte counts in Model 1, elevated serum HMGB1 levels emerged as an independent risk predictor for post-stroke cognitive impairment (regression coefficient = 0.314, p < 0.001).