Antiplatelet Treatment After Transient Ischemic Attack and Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Cerebral Microbleeds in 2 Large Cohorts and an Updated Systematic Review.

PubMed

Lau, Kui Kai; Lovelock, Caroline E; Li, Linxin; Simoni, Michela; Gutnikov, Sergei; Küker, Wilhelm; Mak, Henry Ka Fung; Rothwell, Peter M

2018-06-01

In patients with transient ischemic attack/ischemic stroke, microbleed burden predicts intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and ischemic stroke, but implications for antiplatelet treatment are uncertain. Previous cohort studies have had insufficient follow-up to assess the time course of risks, have not stratified risks by antithrombotic use, and have not reported extracranial bleeds or functional outcome of ICH versus ischemic stroke. In 2 independent prospective cohorts with transient ischemic attack/ischemic stroke (Oxford Vascular Study/mainly white; University of Hong Kong/mainly Chinese), antiplatelet treatment was started routinely irrespective of microbleed burden. Risks, time course and outcome of ICH, extracranial bleeds, and recurrent ischemic events were determined and stratified by microbleed burden (0 versus 1, 2-4, and ≥5), adjusting for age, sex, and vascular risk factors. Microbleeds were more frequent in the Chinese cohort (450 of 1003 versus 165 of 1080; P <0.0001), but risk associations were similar during 7433 patient-years of follow-up. Among 1811 patients on antiplatelet drugs, risk of major extracranial bleeds was unrelated to microbleed burden ( P trend =0.87), but the 5-year risk of ICH was steeply related ( P trend <0.0001), with 11 of 15 (73%) of ICH in 140 of 1811 (7.7%) patients with ≥5 microbleeds. However, risk of ischemic stroke also increased with microbleed burden ( P trend =0.013), such that risk of ischemic stroke and coronary events exceeded ICH and major extracranial bleeds during the first year, even among patients with ≥5 microbleeds (11.6% versus 3.9%). However, this ratio changed over time, with risk of hemorrhage (11.2%) matching that of ischemic events (12.0%) after 1 year. Moreover, whereas the association between microbleed burden and risk of ischemic stroke was due mainly to nondisabling events ( P trend =0.007), the association with ICH was accounted for ( P trend <0.0001) by disabling/fatal events (≥5 microbleeds: 82% disabling/fatal ICH versus 40% disabling/fatal ischemic stroke; P =0.035). In white and Chinese patients with ≥5 microbleeds, withholding antiplatelet drugs during the first year after transient ischemic attack/ischemic stroke may be inappropriate. However, the risk of ICH may outweigh any benefit thereafter. © 2018 The Authors.

Population-based case-control study of white matter changes on brain imaging in transient ischemic attack and ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Li, Linxin; Simoni, Michela; Küker, Wilhelm; Schulz, Ursula G; Christie, Sharon; Wilcock, Gordon K; Rothwell, Peter M

2013-11-01

White matter changes (WMC) are a common finding on brain imaging and are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. They are most frequent in small vessel stroke; however, in the absence of comparisons with normal controls, it is uncertain whether WMC are also more frequent than expected in other stroke subtypes. Therefore, we compared WMC in pathogenic subtypes of ischemic stroke versus controls in a population-based study. We evaluated the presence and severity of WMC on computed tomography and on magnetic resonance brain imaging using modified Blennow/Fazekas scale and age-related white matter changes scale, respectively, in a population-based study of patients with incident transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke (Oxford Vascular Study) and in a study of local controls (Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing) without history of transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke, with stratification by stroke pathogenesis (Trial of Org10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment classification). Among 1601 consecutive eligible patients with first-ever ischemic events, 1453 patients had computed tomography brain imaging, 562 had magnetic resonance imaging, and 414 patients had both. Compared with 313 controls (all with computed tomography and 131 with magnetic resonance imaging) and after adjustment for age, sex, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, moderate/severe WMC (age-related white matter changes scale) were more frequent in patients with small vessel events (odds ratio, 3.51 [95% confidence interval, 2.13-5.76]; P<0.0001) but not in large artery (odds ratio, 1.03 [95% confidence interval, 0.64-1.67]), cardioembolic (odds ratio, 0.87 [95% confidence interval, 0.56-1.34]), or undetermined (odds ratio, 0.90 [95% confidence interval, 0.62-1.30]) subtypes. Results were consistent for ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack, for other scales, and for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography separately. In contrast to small vessel ischemic events, WMC were not independently associated with other pathogenic subtypes, suggesting that WMC are unlikely to be an independent risk factor for nonsmall vessel events.

TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack)

MedlinePlus

... a TIA . The symptoms are similar to an ischemic stroke, but TIA symptoms usually last less than five ... treated for a blockage-related stroke (called an ischemic stroke), between 7 and 40% report experiencing a TIA ...

[Mortality from heart attack in Belgrade population during the period 1990-2004].

PubMed

Ratkov, Isidora; Sipetić, Sandra; Vlajinac, Hristina; Sekeres, Bojan

2008-01-01

In most countries, cardiovascular diseases are the leading disorders, with ischemic heart diseases being the leading cause of death. According to WHO data, every year about 17 million people die of cardiovascular diseases, which is 30% of all deaths. Ischemic heart diseases contribute from one-third to one-half of all deaths due to cardiovascular diseases. Three point eight million men and 3.4 million women in the world die every year from ischemic heart diseases, and in Europe about 2 million. The highest mortality rate from ischemic heart diseases occurs in India, China and Russia. The aim of this descriptive epidemiological study was to determine heart attack mortality in Belgrade population during the period 1990-2004. In the study, we conducted investigation of Belgrade population during the period 1990-2004. Mortality data were obtained from the city institution for statistics. The mortality rates were calculated based on the total Belgrade population obtained from the mean values for the last two register years (1991 and 2002). The mortality rates were standardized using the direct method of standardization according to the world (Segi) standard population. In the Belgrade population during the period 1990-2004, the participation of mortality rate due to heart attack among deaths from cardiovascular diseases was 17% in males and 10% in females. In Belgrade male population, mean standardized mortality rates (per 100,000 habitants) were 50.5 for heart attack, 8.3 for chronic ischemic heart diseases and 4.6 for angina pectoris, while in females the rates were 30.8, 6.7 and 4.2, respectively. Mortality from ischemic heart diseases and from heart attack was higher in males than in females. During the studied 15-year period, on average 755 males and 483 females died due to heart attack every year. Mean standardized mortality rates per 100,000 habitants were 50.0 in male and 31.1 in female population. Males died 1.6 times more frequently from heart attack than females. During the studied period, mean standardized mortality rates from heart attack, in the population aged over 30 increased with age both in male and female population. However, males tended to die from heart attack at an earlier age than females, with death rates for males approximately the same as those for women who were 10 years older. In Belgrade during the period from 1990-2004, we found that there was an increasing trend in mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases, while the trend of mortality rate from heart attack was constant with insignificant oscillations.

Risk for Major Bleeding in Patients Receiving Ticagrelor Compared With Aspirin After Transient Ischemic Attack or Acute Ischemic Stroke in the SOCRATES Study (Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated With Aspirin or Ticagrelor and Patient Outcomes).

PubMed

Easton, J Donald; Aunes, Maria; Albers, Gregory W; Amarenco, Pierre; Bokelund-Singh, Sara; Denison, Hans; Evans, Scott R; Held, Peter; Jahreskog, Marianne; Jonasson, Jenny; Minematsu, Kazuo; Molina, Carlos A; Wang, Yongjun; Wong, K S Lawrence; Johnston, S Claiborne

2017-09-05

Patients with minor acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack are at high risk for subsequent stroke, and more potent antiplatelet therapy in the acute setting is needed. However, the potential benefit of more intense antiplatelet therapy must be assessed in relation to the risk for major bleeding. The SOCRATES trial (Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated With Aspirin or Ticagrelor and Patient Outcomes) was the first trial with ticagrelor in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack in which the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor were compared with those of aspirin. The main safety objective was assessment of PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes)-defined major bleeds on treatment, with special focus on intracranial hemorrhage (ICrH). An independent adjudication committee blinded to study treatment classified bleeds according to the PLATO, TIMI (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction), and GUSTO (Global Use of Strategies to Open Occluded Coronary Arteries) definitions. The definitions of ICrH and major bleeding excluded cerebral microbleeds and asymptomatic hemorrhagic transformations of cerebral infarctions so that the definitions better discriminated important events in the acute stroke population. A total of 13 130 of 13 199 randomized patients received at least 1 dose of study drug and were included in the safety analysis set. PLATO major bleeds occurred in 31 patients (0.5%) on ticagrelor and 38 patients (0.6%) on aspirin (hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-1.34). The most common locations of major bleeds were intracranial and gastrointestinal. ICrH was reported in 12 patients (0.2%) on ticagrelor and 18 patients (0.3%) on aspirin. Thirteen of all 30 ICrHs (4 on ticagrelor and 9 on aspirin) were hemorrhagic strokes, and 4 (2 in each group) were symptomatic hemorrhagic transformations of brain infarctions. The ICrHs were spontaneous in 6 and 13, traumatic in 3 and 3, and procedural in 3 and 2 patients on ticagrelor and aspirin, respectively. In total, 9 fatal bleeds occurred on ticagrelor and 4 on aspirin. The composite of ICrH or fatal bleeding included 15 patients on ticagrelor and 18 on aspirin. Independently of bleeding classification, PLATO, TIMI, or GUSTO, the relative difference between treatments for major/severe bleeds was similar. Nonmajor bleeds were more common on ticagrelor. Antiplatelet therapy with ticagrelor in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack showed a bleeding profile similar to that of aspirin for major bleeds. There were few ICrHs. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01994720. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

One-Year Outcomes After Minor Stroke or High-Risk Transient Ischemic Attack: Korean Multicenter Stroke Registry Analysis.

PubMed

Park, Hong-Kyun; Kim, Beom Joon; Han, Moon-Ku; Park, Jong-Moo; Kang, Kyusik; Lee, Soo Joo; Kim, Jae Guk; Cha, Jae-Kwan; Kim, Dae-Hyun; Nah, Hyun-Wook; Park, Tai Hwan; Park, Sang-Soon; Lee, Kyung Bok; Lee, Jun; Hong, Keun-Sik; Cho, Yong-Jin; Lee, Byung-Chul; Yu, Kyung-Ho; Oh, Mi-Sun; Kim, Joon-Tae; Choi, Kang-Ho; Kim, Dong-Eog; Ryu, Wi-Sun; Choi, Jay Chol; Johansson, Saga; Lee, Su Jin; Lee, Won Hee; Lee, Ji Sung; Lee, Juneyoung; Bae, Hee-Joon

2017-11-01

Patients with minor ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack are at high risk of recurrent stroke and vascular events, which are potentially disabling or fatal. This study aimed to evaluate contemporary subsequent vascular event risk after minor ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack in Korea. Patients with minor ischemic stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack admitted within 7 days of symptom onset were identified from a Korean multicenter stroke registry database. We estimated 3-month and 1-year event rates of the primary outcome (composite of stroke recurrence, myocardial infarction, or all-cause death), stroke recurrence, a major vascular event (composite of stroke recurrence, myocardial infarction, or vascular death), and all-cause death and explored differences in clinical characteristics and event rates according to antithrombotic strategies at discharge. Of 9506 patients enrolled in this study, 93.8% underwent angiographic assessment and 72.7% underwent cardiac evaluations; 25.1% had symptomatic stenosis or occlusion of intracranial arteries. At discharge, 95.2% of patients received antithrombotics (antiplatelet polytherapy, 37.1%; anticoagulation, 15.3%) and 86.2% received statins. The 3-month cumulative event rate was 5.9% for the primary outcome, 4.3% for stroke recurrence, 4.6% for a major vascular event, and 2.0% for all-cause death. Corresponding values at 1 year were 9.3%, 6.1%, 6.7%, and 4.1%, respectively. Patients receiving nonaspirin antithrombotic strategies or no antithrombotic agent had higher baseline risk profiles and at least 1.5× higher event rates for clinical event outcomes than those with aspirin monotherapy. Contemporary secondary stroke prevention strategies based on thorough diagnostic evaluation may contribute to the low subsequent vascular event rates observed in real-world clinical practice in Korea. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

External Validation of Risk Scores for Major Bleeding in a Population-Based Cohort of Transient Ischemic Attack and Ischemic Stroke Patients.

PubMed

Hilkens, Nina A; Li, Linxin; Rothwell, Peter M; Algra, Ale; Greving, Jacoba P

2018-03-01

The S 2 TOP-BLEED score may help to identify patients at high risk of bleeding on antiplatelet drugs after a transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke. The score was derived on trial populations, and its performance in a real-world setting is unknown. We aimed to externally validate the S 2 TOP-BLEED score for major bleeding in a population-based cohort and to compare its performance with other risk scores for bleeding. We studied risk of bleeding in 2072 patients with a transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke on antiplatelet agents in the population-based OXVASC (Oxford Vascular Study) according to 3 scores: S 2 TOP-BLEED, REACH, and Intracranial-B 2 LEED 3 S. Performance was assessed with C statistics and calibration plots. During 8302 patient-years of follow-up, 117 patients had a major bleed. The S 2 TOP-BLEED score showed a C statistic of 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.73) and accurate calibration for 3-year risk of major bleeding. The S 2 TOP-BLEED score was much more predictive of fatal bleeding than nonmajor bleeding (C statistics 0.77; 95% CI, 0.69-0.85 and 0.50; 95% CI, 0.44-0.58). The REACH score had a C statistic of 0.63 (95% CI, 0.58-0.69) for major bleeding and the Intracranial-B 2 LEED 3 S score a C statistic of 0.60 (95% CI, 0.51-0.70) for intracranial bleeding. The ratio of ischemic events versus bleeds decreased across risk groups of bleeding from 6.6:1 in the low-risk group to 1.8:1 in the high-risk group. The S 2 TOP-BLEED score shows modest performance in a population-based cohort of patients with a transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke. Although bleeding risks were associated with risks of ischemic events, risk stratification may still be useful to identify a subgroup of patients at particularly high risk of bleeding, in whom preventive measures are indicated. © 2018 The Authors.

Security enhanced anonymous multiserver authenticated key agreement scheme using smart cards and biometrics.

PubMed

Choi, Younsung; Nam, Junghyun; Lee, Donghoon; Kim, Jiye; Jung, Jaewook; Won, Dongho

2014-01-01

An anonymous user authentication scheme allows a user, who wants to access a remote application server, to achieve mutual authentication and session key establishment with the server in an anonymous manner. To enhance the security of such authentication schemes, recent researches combined user's biometrics with a password. However, these authentication schemes are designed for single server environment. So when a user wants to access different application servers, the user has to register many times. To solve this problem, Chuang and Chen proposed an anonymous multiserver authenticated key agreement scheme using smart cards together with passwords and biometrics. Chuang and Chen claimed that their scheme not only supports multiple servers but also achieves various security requirements. However, we show that this scheme is vulnerable to a masquerade attack, a smart card attack, a user impersonation attack, and a DoS attack and does not achieve perfect forward secrecy. We also propose a security enhanced anonymous multiserver authenticated key agreement scheme which addresses all the weaknesses identified in Chuang and Chen's scheme.

Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases Registry

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-09-11

Stroke; Acute Stroke; Acute Brain Injury; Ischemic Stroke; Hemorrhagic Stroke; Transient Ischemic Attack; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage; Cerebral Ischemia; Cerebral Infarction; Cerebral Stroke; Venous Sinus Thrombosis, Cranial

Rationale and design of a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study of terutroban 30 mg/day versus aspirin 100 mg/day in stroke patients: the prevention of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events of ischemic origin with terutroban in patients with a history of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (PERFORM) study.

PubMed

Bousser, M G; Amarenco, P; Chamorro, A; Fisher, M; Ford, I; Fox, K; Hennerici, M G; Mattle, H P; Rothwell, P M

2009-01-01

Ischemic stroke is the leading cause of mortality worldwide and a major contributor to neurological disability and dementia. Terutroban is a specific TP receptor antagonist with antithrombotic, antivasoconstrictive, and antiatherosclerotic properties, which may be of interest for the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke. This article describes the rationale and design of the Prevention of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular Events of ischemic origin with teRutroban in patients with a history oF ischemic strOke or tRansient ischeMic Attack (PERFORM) Study, which aims to demonstrate the superiority of the efficacy of terutroban versus aspirin in secondary prevention of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events. The PERFORM Study is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study being carried out in 802 centers in 46 countries. The study population includes patients aged > or =55 years, having suffered an ischemic stroke (< or =3 months) or a transient ischemic attack (< or =8 days). Participants are randomly allocated to terutroban (30 mg/day) or aspirin (100 mg/day). The primary efficacy endpoint is a composite of ischemic stroke (fatal or nonfatal), myocardial infarction (fatal or nonfatal), or other vascular death (excluding hemorrhagic death of any origin). Safety is being evaluated by assessing hemorrhagic events. Follow-up is expected to last for 2-4 years. Assuming a relative risk reduction of 13%, the expected number of primary events is 2,340. To obtain statistical power of 90%, this requires inclusion of at least 18,000 patients in this event-driven trial. The first patient was randomized in February 2006. The PERFORM Study will explore the benefits and safety of terutroban in secondary cardiovascular prevention after a cerebral ischemic event. Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Systemic Hypertension and Transient Ischemic Attack in a 6-Year-Old Girl with Fibromuscular Dysplasia Treated with Percutaneous Angioplasty

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Foa-Torres, Gustavo; Ganame, Javier, E-mail: javier.ganame@uzleuven.b; Juaneda, Ernesto

We describe a 6-year-old girl with arterial hypertension secondary to fibromuscular dysplasia with stenoses of both renal arteries and transient ischemic attack due to extracranial right internal carotid artery subtotal occlusion as well as left internal carotid artery stenosis. She was treated with percutaneous angioplasty of both renal and both carotid arteries.

The CHADS2 Score to Predict Stroke Risk in the Absence of Atrial Fibrillation in Hypertensive Patients Aged 65 Years or Older.

PubMed

Morillas, Pedro; Pallarés, Vicente; Fácila, Lorenzo; Llisterri, Jose Luis; Sebastián, María Eugenia; Gómez, Manuel; Castilla, Elena; Camarasa, Raquel; Sandin, Miriam; García-Honrubia, Antonio

2015-06-01

The CHADS2 score is a proven, essential tool for estimating cardioembolic risk (mainly stroke) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, with the purpose of determining the indication for anticoagulant therapy. In this study we analyzed the use of CHADS2 in hypertensive patients without known atrial fibrillation in a Mediterranean population. The study included 887 hypertensive patients aged 65 years or older without atrial fibrillation or anticoagulant therapy, who attended a medical consultation. Data on the patients' main risk factors, cardiovascular history, and medication were collected, basic laboratory analyses and electrocardiography were performed, and the CHADS2 score (heart failure, hypertension, age ≥ 75 years, diabetes mellitus, and previous stroke or transient ischemic attack) was calculated. A clinical follow-up was carried out, recording hospital admissions for a stroke or transient ischemic attack. The median duration of follow-up was 804 days. Mean age was 72.5 (SD,5.7) years, 46.6% were men, 27.8% had diabetes, and 8.6% were smokers. During follow-up, 40 patients were hospitalized for a stroke or transient ischemic attack (4.5%). The event-free survival analysis showed significant differences according to the CHADS2 score (log rank test, P < .001). On multivariate analysis, smoking and CHADS2 ≥3 were independent predictors of stroke or transient ischemic attack. The CHADS2 may be useful for estimating the risk of stroke or transient ischemic attack in hypertensive patients without known atrial fibrillation. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Early Rivaroxaban Use After Cardioembolic Stroke May Not Result in Hemorrhagic Transformation: A Prospective Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

PubMed

Gioia, Laura C; Kate, Mahesh; Sivakumar, Leka; Hussain, Dulara; Kalashyan, Hayrapet; Buck, Brian; Bussiere, Miguel; Jeerakathil, Thomas; Shuaib, Ashfaq; Emery, Derek; Butcher, Ken

2016-07-01

Early anticoagulation after cardioembolic stroke remains controversial because of the potential for hemorrhagic transformation (HT). We tested the safety and feasibility of initiating rivaroxaban ≤14 days after cardioembolic stroke/transient ischemic attack. A prospective, open-label study of patients with atrial fibrillation treated with rivaroxaban ≤14 days of transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale <9). All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging <24 hours of rivaroxaban initiation and day 7. The primary end point was symptomatic HT at day 7. Sixty patients (mean±SD age 71±19 years, 82% stroke/18% transient ischemic attack) were enrolled. Median (interquartile range) time from onset to rivaroxaban was 3 (5) days. At treatment initiation, median National Institute of Health Stroke Scale was 2 (4), and median diffusion-weighted imaging volume was 7.9 (13.7) mL. At baseline, HT was present in 25 (42%) patients (hemorrhagic infarct [HI]1=19, HI2=6). On follow-up magnetic resonance imaging, no patients developed symptomatic HT. New asymptomatic HI1 developed in 3 patients, and asymptomatic progression from HI1 to HI2 occurred in 5 patients; otherwise, HT remained unchanged at day 7. These data support the safety of rivaroxaban initiation ≤14 days of mild-moderate cardioembolic stroke/transient ischemic attack. Magnetic resonance imaging evidence of petechial HT, which is common, does not appear to increase the risk of symptomatic HT. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Aspirin

MedlinePlus

... aches. Nonprescription aspirin is also used to prevent heart attacks in people who have had a heart attack in the past or who have angina (chest ... are experiencing or who have recently experienced a heart attack. Nonprescription aspirin is also used to prevent ischemic ...

Dolichoectasia and Small Vessel Disease in Young Patients With Transient Ischemic Attack and Stroke.

PubMed

Thijs, Vincent; Grittner, Ulrike; Fazekas, Franz; McCabe, Dominick J H; Giese, Anne-Katrin; Kessler, Christof; Martus, Peter; Norrving, Bo; Ringelstein, Erich Bernd; Schmidt, Reinhold; Tanislav, Christian; Putaala, Jukka; Tatlisumak, Turgut; von Sarnowski, Bettina; Rolfs, Arndt; Enzinger, Christian

2017-09-01

We evaluated whether basilar dolichoectasia is associated with markers of cerebral small vessel disease in younger transient ischemic attack and ischemic stroke patients. We used data from the SIFAP1 study (Stroke in Young Fabry Patients), a large prospective, hospital-based, screening study for Fabry disease in young (<55 years) transient ischemic attack/stroke patients in whom detailed clinical data and brain MRI were obtained, and stroke subtyping with TOAST classification (Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment) was performed. Dolichoectasia was found in 508 of 3850 (13.2%) of patients. Dolichoectasia was associated with older age (odds ratio per decade, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.44), male sex (odds ratio, 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-2.42), and hypertension (odds ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.70). Dolichoectasia was more common in patients with small infarctions (33.9% versus 29.8% for acute lesions, P =0.065; 29.1% versus 16.5% for old lesions, P <0.001), infarct location in the brain stem (12.4% versus 6.9%, P <0.001), and in white matter (27.8% versus 21.1%, P =0.001). Microbleeds (16.3% versus 4.7%, P =0.001), higher grades of white matter hyperintensities ( P <0.001), and small vessel disease subtype (18.1% versus 12.4%, overall P for differences in TOAST ( P =0.018) were more often present in patients with dolichoectasia. Dolichoectasia is associated with imaging markers of small vessel disease and brain stem localization of acute and old infarcts in younger patients with transient ischemic attack and ischemic stroke. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00414583. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Understanding the Role of Autoimmune Disorders on the Initial Presentation of Cardiovascular Disease

ClinicalTrials.gov

2015-04-20

Myocardial Infarction; Ischemic Stroke; Stroke; Subarachnoid Haemorrhage; Venous Thrombosis; Transient Ischemic Attack; Stable Angina Pectoris; Unstable Angina; Heart Failure; Peripheral Arterial Disease; Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Security Enhanced Anonymous Multiserver Authenticated Key Agreement Scheme Using Smart Cards and Biometrics

PubMed Central

Choi, Younsung; Nam, Junghyun; Lee, Donghoon; Kim, Jiye; Jung, Jaewook; Won, Dongho

2014-01-01

An anonymous user authentication scheme allows a user, who wants to access a remote application server, to achieve mutual authentication and session key establishment with the server in an anonymous manner. To enhance the security of such authentication schemes, recent researches combined user's biometrics with a password. However, these authentication schemes are designed for single server environment. So when a user wants to access different application servers, the user has to register many times. To solve this problem, Chuang and Chen proposed an anonymous multiserver authenticated key agreement scheme using smart cards together with passwords and biometrics. Chuang and Chen claimed that their scheme not only supports multiple servers but also achieves various security requirements. However, we show that this scheme is vulnerable to a masquerade attack, a smart card attack, a user impersonation attack, and a DoS attack and does not achieve perfect forward secrecy. We also propose a security enhanced anonymous multiserver authenticated key agreement scheme which addresses all the weaknesses identified in Chuang and Chen's scheme. PMID:25276847

Detection of atrial fibrillation after ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Kishore, Amit; Vail, Andy; Majid, Arshad; Dawson, Jesse; Lees, Kennedy R; Tyrrell, Pippa J; Smith, Craig J

2014-02-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) confers a high risk of recurrent stroke, although detection methods and definitions of paroxysmal AF during screening vary. We therefore undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the frequency of newly detected AF using noninvasive or invasive cardiac monitoring after ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. Prospective observational studies or randomized controlled trials of patients with ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, or both, who underwent any cardiac monitoring for a minimum of 12 hours, were included after electronic searches of multiple databases. The primary outcome was detection of any new AF during the monitoring period. We prespecified subgroup analysis of selected (prescreened or cryptogenic) versus unselected patients and according to duration of monitoring. A total of 32 studies were analyzed. The overall detection rate of any AF was 11.5% (95% confidence interval, 8.9%-14.3%), although the timing, duration, method of monitoring, and reporting of diagnostic criteria used for paroxysmal AF varied. Detection rates were higher in selected (13.4%; 95% confidence interval, 9.0%-18.4%) than in unselected patients (6.2%; 95% confidence interval, 4.4%-8.3%). There was substantial heterogeneity even within specified subgroups. Detection of AF was highly variable, and the review was limited by small sample sizes and marked heterogeneity. Further studies are required to inform patient selection, optimal timing, methods, and duration of monitoring for detection of AF/paroxysmal AF.

Central nervous system infections masquerading as cerebrovascular accidents: Case series and review of literature.

PubMed

Hayes, Lisa; Malhotra, Prashant

2014-01-01

Central nervous system (CNS) infections can have various presentations including Cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) which may go unrecognized as a presentation of infection. We describe three cases of different CNS infections complicated by CVA. Case 1 describes a 27-year-old man, presenting with symptoms consistent with a transient ischemic attack found to have racemose neurocysticercosis. Case 2 describes a 55-year-old man with low grade fevers for 4 weeks accompanied by visual and gait disturbances and delayed speech diagnosed with multiple small left thalamocapsular and superior cerebellar infarcts secondary to cryptococcal meningitis. The third case describes a man with pneumococcal meningitis complicated by cerebellar infarcts. CNS vascular compromise secondary to infections may be due to vasculitis, an immune-mediated parainfectious process causing vasospasm or thrombosis, or a hypercoagulable state with endothelial dysfunction. Patients with CVAs are at risk for aspiration pneumonia, urinary tract infections (especially catheter related) and other nosocomial infections and their clinical presentation may be very similar to CNS infections. The cases described demonstrate that CNS infections need to be considered in the differential diagnosis of CVAs presenting with fevers. The signs and symptoms of non-CNS infections associated with CVAs may be clinically indistinguishable from those of CNS infections. The outcomes of untreated CNS infections are extremely poor. It is thus imperative to have a high index of suspicion for CNS infection when evaluating CVAs with fevers or other signs of infection.

Central nervous system infections masquerading as cerebrovascular accidents: Case series and review of literature

PubMed Central

Hayes, Lisa; Malhotra, Prashant

2014-01-01

Introduction Central nervous system (CNS) infections can have various presentations including Cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) which may go unrecognized as a presentation of infection. We describe three cases of different CNS infections complicated by CVA. Presentation Case 1 describes a 27-year-old man, presenting with symptoms consistent with a transient ischemic attack found to have racemose neurocysticercosis. Case 2 describes a 55-year-old man with low grade fevers for 4 weeks accompanied by visual and gait disturbances and delayed speech diagnosed with multiple small left thalamocapsular and superior cerebellar infarcts secondary to cryptococcal meningitis. The third case describes a man with pneumococcal meningitis complicated by cerebellar infarcts. Discussion CNS vascular compromise secondary to infections may be due to vasculitis, an immune-mediated parainfectious process causing vasospasm or thrombosis, or a hypercoagulable state with endothelial dysfunction. Patients with CVAs are at risk for aspiration pneumonia, urinary tract infections (especially catheter related) and other nosocomial infections and their clinical presentation may be very similar to CNS infections. Conclusion The cases described demonstrate that CNS infections need to be considered in the differential diagnosis of CVAs presenting with fevers. The signs and symptoms of non-CNS infections associated with CVAs may be clinically indistinguishable from those of CNS infections. The outcomes of untreated CNS infections are extremely poor. It is thus imperative to have a high index of suspicion for CNS infection when evaluating CVAs with fevers or other signs of infection. PMID:26839779

Computed tomography identifies patients at high risk for stroke after transient ischemic attack/nondisabling stroke: prospective, multicenter cohort study.

PubMed

Wasserman, Jason K; Perry, Jeffrey J; Sivilotti, Marco L A; Sutherland, Jane; Worster, Andrew; Émond, Marcel; Jin, Albert Y; Oczkowski, Wieslaw J; Sahlas, Demetrios J; Murray, Heather; MacKey, Ariane; Verreault, Steve; Wells, George A; Dowlatshahi, Dar; Stotts, Grant; Stiell, Ian G; Sharma, Mukul

2015-01-01

Ischemia on computed tomography (CT) is associated with subsequent stroke after transient ischemic attack. This study assessed CT findings of acute ischemia, chronic ischemia, or microangiopathy for predicting subsequent stroke after transient ischemic attack. This prospective cohort study enrolled patients with transient ischemic attack or nondisabling stroke that had CT scanning within 24 hours. Primary outcome was subsequent stroke within 90 days. Secondary outcomes were stroke at ≤2 or >2 days. CT findings were classified as ischemia present or absent and acute or chronic or microangiopathy. Analysis used Fisher exact test and multivariate logistic regression. A total of 2028 patients were included; 814 had ischemic changes on CT. Subsequent stroke rate was 3.4% at 90 days and 1.5% at ≤2 days. Stroke risk was greater if baseline CT showed acute ischemia alone (10.6%; P=0.002), acute+chronic ischemia (17.4%; P=0.007), acute ischemia+microangiopathy (17.6%; P=0.019), or acute+chronic ischemia+microangiopathy (25.0%; P=0.029). Logistic regression found acute ischemia alone (odds ratio [OR], 2.61; 95% confidence interval [CI[, 1.22-5.57), acute+chronic ischemia (OR, 5.35; 95% CI, 1.71-16.70), acute ischemia+microangiopathy (OR, 4.90; 95% CI, 1.33-18.07), or acute+chronic ischemia+microangiopathy (OR, 8.04; 95% CI, 1.52-42.63) was associated with a greater risk at 90 days, whereas acute+chronic ischemia (OR, 10.78; 95% CI, 2.93-36.68), acute ischemia+microangiopathy (OR, 8.90; 95% CI, 1.90-41.60), and acute+chronic ischemia+microangiopathy (OR, 23.66; 95% CI, 4.34-129.03) had greater risk at ≤2 days. Only acute ischemia (OR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.01-7.18; P=0.047) was associated with a greater risk at >2 days. In patients with transient ischemic attack/nondisabling stroke, CT evidence of acute ischemia alone or acute ischemia with chronic ischemia or microangiopathy was associated with increased subsequent stroke risk within 90 days. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Autonomic Nervous System and Stress to Predict Secondary Ischemic Events after Transient Ischemic Attack or Minor Stroke: Possible Implications of Heart Rate Variability.

PubMed

Guan, Ling; Collet, Jean-Paul; Mazowita, Garey; Claydon, Victoria E

2018-01-01

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) and minor stroke have high risks of recurrence and deterioration into severe ischemic strokes. Risk stratification of TIA and minor stroke is essential for early effective treatment. Traditional tools have only moderate predictive value, likely due to their inclusion of the limited number of stroke risk factors. Our review follows Hans Selye's fundamental work on stress theory and the progressive shift of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) from adaptation to disease when stress becomes chronic. We will first show that traditional risk factors and acute triggers of ischemic stroke are chronic and acute stress factors or "stressors," respectively. Our first review shows solid evidence of the relationship between chronic stress and stroke occurrence. The stress response is tightly regulated by the ANS whose function can be assessed with heart rate variability (HRV). Our second review demonstrates that stress-related risk factors of ischemic stroke are correlated with ANS dysfunction and impaired HRV. Our conclusions support the idea that HRV parameters may represent the combined effects of all body stressors that are risk factors for ischemic stroke and, thus, may be of important predictive value for the risk of subsequent ischemic events after TIA or minor stroke.

Autonomic Nervous System and Stress to Predict Secondary Ischemic Events after Transient Ischemic Attack or Minor Stroke: Possible Implications of Heart Rate Variability

PubMed Central

Guan, Ling; Collet, Jean-Paul; Mazowita, Garey; Claydon, Victoria E.

2018-01-01

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) and minor stroke have high risks of recurrence and deterioration into severe ischemic strokes. Risk stratification of TIA and minor stroke is essential for early effective treatment. Traditional tools have only moderate predictive value, likely due to their inclusion of the limited number of stroke risk factors. Our review follows Hans Selye’s fundamental work on stress theory and the progressive shift of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) from adaptation to disease when stress becomes chronic. We will first show that traditional risk factors and acute triggers of ischemic stroke are chronic and acute stress factors or “stressors,” respectively. Our first review shows solid evidence of the relationship between chronic stress and stroke occurrence. The stress response is tightly regulated by the ANS whose function can be assessed with heart rate variability (HRV). Our second review demonstrates that stress-related risk factors of ischemic stroke are correlated with ANS dysfunction and impaired HRV. Our conclusions support the idea that HRV parameters may represent the combined effects of all body stressors that are risk factors for ischemic stroke and, thus, may be of important predictive value for the risk of subsequent ischemic events after TIA or minor stroke. PMID:29556209

Patent Foramen Ovale Closure for Secondary Prevention of Cryptogenic Stroke: Updated Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

PubMed

Vaduganathan, Muthiah; Qamar, Arman; Gupta, Ankur; Bajaj, Navkaranbir; Golwala, Harsh B; Pandey, Ambarish; Bhatt, Deepak L

2018-05-01

Patent foramen ovale closure represents a potential secondary prevention strategy for cryptogenic stroke, but available trials have varied by size, device studied, and follow-up. We conducted a systematic search of published randomized clinical trials evaluating patent foramen ovale closure versus medical therapy in patients with recent stroke or transient ischemic attack using PubMED, EMBASE, and Cochrane through September 2017. Weighting was by random effects models. Of 480 studies screened, we included 5 randomized clinical trials in the meta-analysis in which 3440 patients were randomized to patent foramen ovale closure (n = 1829) or medical therapy (n = 1611) and followed for an average of 2.0 to 5.9 years. Index stroke/transient ischemic attack occurred within 6 to 9 months of randomization. The primary end point was composite stroke/transient ischemic attack and death (in 3 trials) or stroke alone (in 2 trials). Patent foramen ovale closure reduced the primary end point (0.70 vs 1.48 events per 100 patient-years; risk ratio [RR], 0.52 [0.29-0.91]; I 2  = 55.0%) and stroke/transient ischemic attack (1.04 vs 2.00 events per 100 patient-years; RR, 0.55 [0.37-0.82]; I 2  = 42.2%) with modest heterogeneity compared with medical therapy. Procedural bleeding was not different between study arms (1.8% vs 1.8%; RR, 0.94 [0.49-1.83]; I 2  = 29.2%), but new-onset atrial fibrillation/flutter was increased with patent foramen ovale closure (6.6% vs 0.7%; RR, 4.69 [2.17-10.12]; I 2  = 29.3%). In patients with recent cryptogenic stroke, patent foramen ovale closure reduces recurrent stroke/transient ischemic attack compared with medical therapy, but is associated with a higher risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation/flutter. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Methodological factors in determining rates of dementia in transient ischemic attack and stroke: (I) impact of baseline selection bias.

PubMed

Pendlebury, Sarah T; Chen, Ping-Jen; Bull, Linda; Silver, Louise; Mehta, Ziyah; Rothwell, Peter M

2015-03-01

Many previous studies on dementia in stroke have restrictive inclusion criteria, which may result in underestimation of dementia rates. We undertook a large prospective population-based study of all transient ischemic attack and stroke to determine the impact of study entry criteria on measured rates of pre- and postevent dementia. All patients with acute transient ischemic attack or stroke from a defined population of 92 728 are referred from primary care or at hospital admission to the Oxford Vascular Study (2002-2007) and have baseline clinical and cognitive assessment and follow-up. We examined the impact of early death, other nonavailability, and commonly used selection criteria, on measured rates of dementia. Among 1236 patients (mean age/SD 75.2/12.1 years, 582 men, 403 transient ischemic attack), 139 died or were otherwise unavailable for baseline assessment, 319 had prior dependency, 425 had comorbidity, 512 were aged ≥80 years, 85 were dysphasic, and 502 were hospitalized. Pre-event dementia was 3-fold higher in patients dying preascertainment (10/47, 21%) and twice as high in other nonassessed (14/92, 15%) versus assessed patients (69/1097, 6%; P=0.0006 and P=0.002) and was several-fold higher in those with prior functional impairment (24% versus 3%; P<0.0001), age >80 years (13% versus 3%; P<0.0001), dysphasia (11% versus 7%; P<0.0001), and comorbidity (10% versus 6%; P=0.04). Findings for postevent dementia were similar: prior functional impairment (40% versus 13%; P<0.0001), age >80 years (28% versus 10%; P<0.0001), dysphasia (39% versus 15%; P<0.0001), and comorbidity (20% versus 15%; P=0.04). Exclusion of patients unavailable for assessment, and other widely used selection criteria, results in underestimation of the measured rate of dementia associated with transient ischemic attack and stroke. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Ethnicity and Onset of Cardiovascular Disease: A CALIBER Study

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-06-07

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm; Coronary Heart Disease; Sudden Cardiac Death; Intracerebral Haemorrhage; Heart Failure; Ischemic Stroke; Myocardial Infarction; Stroke; Peripheral Arterial Disease; Stable Angina Pectoris; Subarachnoid Haemorrhage; Transient Ischemic Attack; Unstable Angina; Cardiac Arrest

Transient ischemic attack and minor stroke are the most common manifestations of acute cerebrovascular disease: a prospective, population-based study--the Aarhus TIA study.

PubMed

von Weitzel-Mudersbach, Paul; Andersen, Grethe; Hundborg, Heidi H; Johnsen, Søren P

2013-01-01

Severity of acute vascular illness may have changed in the last decades due to improvements in primary and secondary prevention. Population-based data on the severity of acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease are sparse. We aimed to examine incidence, characteristics and severity of acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease in a well-defined population. All patients admitted with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or acute ischemic stroke from March 1, 2007, to February 29, 2008, with residence in the Aarhus area, were included. Incidence rates and characteristics of TIA and ischemic stroke were compared. TIA accounted for 30%, TIA and minor stroke combined for 65% of all acute ischemic cerebrovascular events. Age-adjusted incidence rates of TIA and ischemic stroke were 72.2/100,000 and 129.5/100,000 person-years, respectively. TIA patients were younger than stroke patients (66.3 vs. 72.7 years; p < 0.001). Atrial fibrillation, previous myocardial infarction and previous stroke were significantly more frequent in stroke patients; no differences in other baseline characteristics were found. Minor events are the most common in ischemic cerebrovascular disease, and may constitute a larger proportion than previously reported. TIA and stroke patients share many characteristics; however, TIA patients are younger and have fewer manifestations of atherosclerotic diseases, indicating a high potential for secondary prevention. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Stress Hyperglycemia and Prognosis of Minor Ischemic Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack: The CHANCE Study (Clopidogrel in High-Risk Patients With Acute Nondisabling Cerebrovascular Events).

PubMed

Pan, Yuesong; Cai, Xueli; Jing, Jing; Meng, Xia; Li, Hao; Wang, Yongjun; Zhao, Xingquan; Liu, Liping; Wang, David; Johnston, S Claiborne; Wei, Tiemin; Wang, Yilong

2017-11-01

We aimed to determine the association between stress hyperglycemia and risk of new stroke in patients with a minor ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. A subgroup of 3026 consecutive patients from 73 prespecified sites of the CHANCE trial (Clopidogrel in High-Risk Patients With Acute Nondisabling Cerebrovascular Events) were analyzed. Stress hyperglycemia was measured by glucose/glycated albumin (GA) ratio. Glucose/GA ratio was calculated by fasting plasma glucose divided by GA and categorized into 4 even groups according to the quartiles. The primary outcome was a new stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) at 90 days. We assessed the association between glucose/GA ratio and risk of stroke by multivariable Cox regression models adjusted for potential covariates. Among 3026 patients included, a total of 299 (9.9%) new stroke occurred at 3 months. Compared with patients with the lowest quartile, patients with the highest quartile of glucose/GA ratio was associated with an increased risk of stroke at 3 months after adjusted for potential covariates (12.0% versus 9.2%; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-2.01). Similar results were observed after further adjusted for fasting plasma glucose. We also observed that higher level of glucose/GA ratio was associated with an increased risk of stroke with a threshold of 0.29 using a Cox regression model with restricted cubic spline. Stress hyperglycemia, measured by glucose/GA ratio, was associated with an increased risk of stroke in patients with a minor ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00979589. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Recurrent Stroke in Minor Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack With Metabolic Syndrome and/or Diabetes Mellitus.

PubMed

Chen, Weiqi; Pan, Yuesong; Jing, Jing; Zhao, Xingquan; Liu, Liping; Meng, Xia; Wang, Yilong; Wang, Yongjun

2017-06-01

We aimed to determine the risk conferred by metabolic syndrome (METS) and diabetes mellitus (DM) to recurrent stroke in patients with minor ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack from the CHANCE (Clopidogrel in High-risk patients with Acute Non-disabling Cerebrovascular Events) trial. In total, 3044 patients were included. Patients were stratified into 4 groups: neither, METS only, DM only, or both. METS was defined using the Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS) and International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) definitions. The primary outcome was new stroke (including ischemic and hemorrhagic) at 90 days. A multivariable Cox regression model was used to assess the relationship of METS and DM status to the risk of recurrent stroke adjusted for potential covariates. Using the CDS criteria of METS, 53.2%, 17.2%, 19.8%, and 9.8% of patients were diagnosed as neither, METS only, DM only, and both, respectively. After 90 days of follow-up, there were 299 new strokes (293 ischemic, 6 hemorrhagic). Patients with DM only (16.1% versus 6.8%; adjusted hazard ratio 2.50, 95% CI 1.89-3.39) and both (17.1% versus 6.8%; adjusted hazard ratio 2.76, 95% CI 1.98-3.86) had significantly increased rates of recurrent stroke. No interaction effect of antiplatelet therapy by different METS or DM status for the risk of recurrent stroke ( P =0.82 for interaction in the fully adjusted model of CDS) was observed. Using the METS (IDF) criteria demonstrated similar results. Concurrent METS and DM was associated with an increased risk of recurrent stroke in patients with minor stroke and transient ischemic attack. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Human Papillomavirus Status and the Risk of Cerebrovascular Events Following Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer.

PubMed

Addison, Daniel; Seidelmann, Sara B; Janjua, Sumbal A; Emami, Hamed; Staziaki, Pedro V; Hallett, Travis R; Szilveszter, Bálint; Lu, Michael T; Cambria, Richard P; Hoffmann, Udo; Chan, Annie W; Wirth, Lori J; Neilan, Tomas G

2017-08-30

Radiation therapy (RT) is a standard treatment for head and neck cancer; however, it is associated with inflammation, accelerated atherosclerosis, and cerebrovascular events (CVEs; stroke or transient ischemic attack). Human papillomavirus (HPV) is found in nearly half of head and neck cancers and is associated with inflammation and atherosclerosis. Whether HPV confers an increased risk of CVEs after RT is unknown. Using an institutional database, we identified all consecutive patients treated with RT from 2002 to 2012 for head and neck cancer who were tested for HPV. The outcome of interest was the composite of ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack, and the association between HPV and CVEs was assessed using Cox proportional hazard models, competing risk analysis, and inverse probability weighting. Overall, 326 participants who underwent RT for head and neck cancer were tested for HPV (age 59±12 years, 75% were male, 9% had diabetes mellitus, 45% had hypertension, and 61% were smokers), of which 191 (59%) were tumor HPV positive. Traditional risk factors for CVEs were similar between HPV-positive and -negative patients. Over a median follow-up of 3.4 years, there were 18 ischemic strokes and 5 transient ischemic attacks (event rate of 1.8% per year). The annual event rate was higher in the HPV-positive patients compared with the HPV-negative patients (2.6% versus 0.9%, P =0.002). In a multivariable model, HPV-positive status was associated with a >4 times increased risk of CVEs (hazard ratio: 4.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-13.2; P =0.008). In this study, HPV-positive status is associated with an increased risk of stroke or transient ischemic attack following RT for head and neck cancer. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Risk Factors and Cognitive Relevance of Cortical Cerebral Microinfarcts in Patients With Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack.

PubMed

Wang, Zhaolu; van Veluw, Susanne J; Wong, Adrian; Liu, Wenyan; Shi, Lin; Yang, Jie; Xiong, Yunyun; Lau, Alexander; Biessels, Geert Jan; Mok, Vincent C T

2016-10-01

It was recently demonstrated that cerebral microinfarcts (CMIs) can be detected in vivo using 3.0 tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging. We investigated the prevalence, risk factors, and the longitudinal cognitive consequence of cortical CMIs on 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging, in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. A total of 231 patients undergoing 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging were included. Montreal Cognitive Assessment was used to evaluate global cognitive functions and cognitive domains (memory, language, and attention visuospatial and executive functions). Cognitive changes were represented by the difference in Montreal Cognitive Assessment score between baseline and 28-month after stroke/transient ischemic attack. The cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between cortical CMIs and cognitive functions were explored using ANCOVA and regression models. Cortical CMIs were observed in 34 patients (14.7%), including 13 patients with acute (hyperintense on diffusion-weighted imaging) and 21 with chronic CMIs (isointense on diffusion-weighted imaging). Atrial fibrillation was a risk factor for all cortical CMIs (odds ratio, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-14.9; P=0.007). Confluent white matter hyperintensities was associated with chronic CMIs (odds ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-7.8; P=0.047). The presence of cortical CMIs at baseline was associated with worse visuospatial functions at baseline and decline over 28-month follow-up (β=0.5; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-1.0; P=0.008, adjusting for brain atrophy, white matter hyperintensities, lacunes, and microbleeds). Cortical CMIs are a common finding in patients with stroke/transient ischemic attack. Associations between CMI with atrial fibrillation and white matter hyperintensities suggest that these lesions have a heterogeneous cause, involving microembolism and cerebral small vessel disease. CMI seemed to preferentially impact visuospatial functions as assessed by a cognitive screening test. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Cerebral microbleeds and recurrent stroke risk: systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack cohorts.

PubMed

Charidimou, Andreas; Kakar, Puneet; Fox, Zoe; Werring, David J

2013-04-01

To evaluate cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and future stroke risk (including intracerebral hemorrhage [ICH]) in patients with ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack. A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohorts with recent IS/transient ischemic attack. We critically appraised studies and calculated pooled odds ratios (ORs), using the Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effects method, for ICH or recurrent IS, in patients with versus without CMBs. We pooled data from 10 cohorts, including 3067 patients. CMBs were associated with a significant increased risk of any recurrent stroke (OR, 2.25; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.70-2.98; P<0.0001), ICH (OR, 8.52; 95%CI, 4.23-17.18; P=0.007), and IS (OR, 1.55; 95%CI, 1.12-2.13; P<0.0001). When stratified by study population ethnicity (Asian versus Western [mainly white European]), the association of CMBs with ICH was significant for Asian cohorts (5 studies; n=1915; OR, 10.43; 95%CI, 4.59-23.72; P<0.0001) but borderline and of lower magnitude for Western cohorts (4 studies; n=885; OR, 3.87; 95%CI, 0.91-16.4; P=0.066). By contrast, there was a significant association of CMBs with recurrent IS in Western (3 studies; n=899) but not Asian cohorts (4 studies; n=1357; OR, 2.23; 95%CI, 1.29-3.85; P=0.004 compared with OR, 1.30; 95%CI, 0.88-1.93; P=0.192, respectively). There is consistent evidence of an increased risk of recurrent stroke after IS or transient ischemic attack in patients with CMBs. The risk for spontaneous ICH appears to be greater than the risk for recurrent IS. Our findings also suggest that the balance of risk for ICH versus IS differs between Asian and Western cohorts.

Significance of large vessel intracranial occlusion causing acute ischemic stroke and TIA.

PubMed

Smith, Wade S; Lev, Michael H; English, Joey D; Camargo, Erica C; Chou, Maggie; Johnston, S Claiborne; Gonzalez, Gilberto; Schaefer, Pamela W; Dillon, William P; Koroshetz, Walter J; Furie, Karen L

2009-12-01

Acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion (LVO)-vertebral, basilar, carotid terminus, middle and anterior cerebral arteries-likely portends a worse prognosis than stroke unassociated with LVO. Because little prospective angiographic data have been reported on a cohort of unselected patients with stroke and with transient ischemic attack, the clinical impact of LVO has been difficult to quantify. The Screening Technology and Outcome Project in Stroke Study is a prospective imaging-based study of stroke outcomes performed at 2 academic medical centers. Patients with suspected acute stroke who presented within 24 hours of symptom onset and who underwent multimodality CT/CT angiography were approached for consent for collection of clinical data and 6-month assessment of outcome. Demographic and clinical variables and 6-month modified Rankin Scale scores were collected and combined with blinded interpretation of the CT angiography data. The OR of each variable, including occlusion of intracranial vascular segment in predicting good outcome and 6-month mortality, was calculated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Over a 33-month period, 735 patients with suspected stroke were enrolled. Of these, 578 were adjudicated as stroke and 97 as transient ischemic attack. Among patients with stroke, 267 (46%) had LVO accounting for the stroke and 13 (13%) of patients with transient ischemic attack had LVO accounting for transient ischemic attack symptoms. LVO predicted 6-month mortality (OR, 4.5; 95% CI, 2.7 to 7.3; P<0.001). Six-month good outcome (modified Rankin Scale score

Heart Rate and Initial Presentation of Cardiovascular Diseases (Caliber)

ClinicalTrials.gov

2013-09-17

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm; Coronary Heart Disease NOS; Unheralded Coronary Death; Intracerebral Haemorrhage; Heart Failure; Ischemic Stroke; Myocardial Infarction; Stroke; Peripheral Arterial Disease; Stable Angina Pectoris; Subarachnoid Haemorrhage; Transient Ischemic Attack; Unstable Angina; Cardiac Arrest, Sudden Cardiac Death

Risk Factors in the Initial Presentation of Specific Cardiovascular Disease Syndromes

ClinicalTrials.gov

2013-03-03

Heart Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Acute Myocardial Infarction; Unstable Angina; Chronic Stable Angina; Ischemic Stroke; Cerebrovascular Accident; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage; Transient Ischemic Attack; Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm; Peripheral Arterial Disease; Sudden Coronary Death; Ventricular Arrhythmia; Sudden Death; Cardiac Arrest; Heart Failure

Social Deprivation and Initial Presentation of 12 Cardiovascular Diseases: a CALIBER Study

ClinicalTrials.gov

2013-09-03

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm; Coronary Heart Disease NOS; Unheralded Corronary Death; Intracerebral Haemorrhage; Heart Failure; Ischemic Stroke; Myocardial Infarction; Stroke; Peripheral Arterial Disease; Stable Angina Pectoris; Subarachnoid Haemorrhage; Transient Ischemic Attack; Unstable Angina; Cardiac Arrest, Sudden Cardiac Death

Effect of ticagrelor with clopidogrel on high on-treatment platelet reactivity in acute stroke or transient ischemic attack (PRINCE) trial: Rationale and design.

PubMed

Wang, Yilong; Lin, Yi; Meng, Xia; Chen, Weiqi; Chen, Guohua; Wang, Zhimin; Wu, Jialing; Wang, Dali; Li, Jianhua; Cao, Yibin; Xu, Yuming; Zhang, Guohua; Li, Xiaobo; Pan, Yuesong; Li, Hao; Liu, Liping; Zhao, Xingquan; Wang, Yongjun

2017-04-01

Rationale and aim Little is known about the safety and efficacy of the combination of ticagrelor and aspirin in acute ischemic stroke. This study aimed to evaluate whether the combination of ticagrelor and aspirin was superior to that of clopidogrel and aspirin in reducing the 90-day high on-treatment platelet reactivity for acute minor stroke or transient ischemic attack, especially for carriers of cytochrome P450 2C19 loss-of-function allele. Sample size and design This study was designed as a prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label, active-controlled, and blind-endpoint, phase II b trial. The required sample size was 952 patients. It was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02506140). Study outcomes The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with high on-treatment platelet reactivity at 90 days. High on-treatment platelet reactivity is defined as the P2Y12 reaction unit >208 measured using the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay. Conclusion The Platelet Reactivity in Acute Non-disabling Cerebrovascular Events study explored whether ticagrelor combined with aspirin could reduce further the proportion of patients with high on-treatment platelet reactivity at 90 days after acute minor stroke or transient ischemic attack compared with clopidogrel and aspirin.

Lesional Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Beware the Deceitful "Panic Attack".

PubMed

Kulason, Kay O; Schneider, Julia R; Rahme, Ralph; Pramanik, Bidyut; Chong, Derek; Boockvar, John A

2018-03-01

Ganglioglioma is a rare, benign, intraaxial glioneuronal tumor but a relatively common cause of pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Given its often nonspecific neuropsychiatric manifestations and frequently negative electroencephalographic workup, TLE can be easily misdiagnosed as a psychiatric disorder, particularly panic attacks. We present a case of a 17-year-old boy who was found to have lesional TLE secondary to a left temporal ganglioglioma, 5 years after having been misdiagnosed with panic disorder and having undergone ineffective and unnecessary psychotherapy. He was successfully cured by surgery. Although a few similar cases of TLE masquerading as a panic disorder have been previously reported in the literature, this is the youngest and only pediatric patient described to date. This report underscores the challenges in making an accurate clinical diagnosis of TLE and the importance of timely brain imaging whenever an atypical or medically refractory panic disorder is encountered. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictive variables for mortality after acute ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Carter, Angela M; Catto, Andrew J; Mansfield, Michael W; Bamford, John M; Grant, Peter J

2007-06-01

Stroke is a major healthcare issue worldwide with an incidence comparable to coronary events, highlighting the importance of understanding risk factors for stroke and subsequent mortality. In the present study, we determined long-term (all-cause) mortality in 545 patients with ischemic stroke compared with a cohort of 330 age-matched healthy control subjects followed up for a median of 7.4 years. We assessed the effect of selected demographic, clinical, biochemical, hematologic, and hemostatic factors on mortality in patients with ischemic stroke. Stroke subtype was classified according to the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project criteria. Patients who died 30 days or less after the acute event (n=32) were excluded from analyses because this outcome is considered to be directly attributable to the acute event. Patients with ischemic stroke were at more than 3-fold increased risk of death compared with the age-matched control cohort. In multivariate analyses, age, stroke subtype, atrial fibrillation, and previous stroke/transient ischemic attack were predictive of mortality in patients with ischemic stroke. Albumin and creatinine and the hemostatic factors von Willebrand factor and beta-thromboglobulin were also predictive of mortality in patients with ischemic stroke after accounting for demographic and clinical variables. The results indicate that subjects with acute ischemic stroke are at increased risk of all-cause mortality. Advancing age, large-vessel stroke, atrial fibrillation, and previous stroke/transient ischemic attack predict mortality; and analysis of albumin, creatinine, von Willebrand factor, and beta-thromboglobulin will aid in the identification of patients at increased risk of death after stroke.

Association Between CYP2C19 Loss-of-Function Allele Status and Efficacy of Clopidogrel for Risk Reduction Among Patients With Minor Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack.

PubMed

Wang, Yilong; Zhao, Xingquan; Lin, Jinxi; Li, Hao; Johnston, S Claiborne; Lin, Yi; Pan, Yuesong; Liu, Liping; Wang, David; Wang, Chunxue; Meng, Xia; Xu, Jianfeng; Wang, Yongjun

2016-07-05

Data are limited regarding the association between CYP2C19 genetic variants and clinical outcomes of patients with minor stroke or transient ischemic attack treated with clopidogrel. To estimate the association between CYP2C19 genetic variants and clinical outcomes of clopidogrel-treated patients with minor stroke or transient ischemic attack. Three CYP2C19 major alleles (*2, *3, *17) were genotyped among 2933 Chinese patients from 73 sites who were enrolled in the Clopidogrel in High-Risk Patients with Acute Nondisabling Cerebrovascular Events (CHANCE) randomized trial conducted from January 2, 2010, to March 20, 2012. Patients with acute minor ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack in the trial were randomized to treatment with clopidogrel combined with aspirin or to aspirin alone. The primary efficacy outcome was new stroke. The secondary efficacy outcome was a composite of new composite vascular events (ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death). Bleeding was the safety outcome. Among 2933 patients, 1948 (66.4%) were men, with a mean age of 62.4 years. Overall, 1207 patients (41.2%) were noncarriers and 1726 patients (58.8%) were carriers of loss-of-function alleles (*2, *3). After day 90 follow-up, clopidogrel-aspirin reduced the rate of new stroke in the noncarriers but not in the carriers of the loss-of-function alleles (P = .02 for interaction; events among noncarriers, 41 [6.7%] with clopidogrel-aspirin vs 74 [12.4%] with aspirin; hazard ratio [HR], 0.51 [95% CI, 0.35-0.75]; events among carriers, 80 [9.4%] with clopidogrel-aspirin vs 94 [10.8%] with aspirin; HR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.69 to 1.26]). Similar results were observed for the secondary composite efficacy outcome (noncarriers: 41 [6.7%] with clopidogrel-aspirin vs 75 [12.5%] with aspirin; HR, 0.50 [95% CI, 0.34-0.74]; carriers: 80 [9.4%] with clopidogrel-aspirin vs 95 [10.9%] with aspirin; HR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.68-1.24]; P = .02 for interaction). The effect of treatment assignment on bleeding did not vary significantly between the carriers and the noncarriers of the loss-of-function alleles (2.3% for carriers and 2.5% for noncarriers in the clopidogrel-aspirin group vs 1.4% for carriers and 1.7% for noncarriers in the aspirin only group; P = .78 for interaction). Among patients with minor ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack, the use of clopidogrel plus aspirin compared with aspirin alone reduced the risk of a new stroke only in the subgroup of patients who were not carriers of the CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles. These findings support a role of CYP2C19 genotype in the efficacy of this treatment. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00979589.

Essential Hypotension and Allostasis Registry

ClinicalTrials.gov

2018-03-30

Blood Pressure; Depression; Panic Attack; Fibromyalgia; POTS; Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia; Coronary Heart Disease; Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS); Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI); Cerebrovascular Disease (CVD); Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA); Atrial Fibrillation; Diabetes Mellitus; Cancer; Systolic Heart Failure; Diastolic Heart Failure; Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; Syncope; Vasovagal Syncope

Anxiety After Stroke

PubMed Central

Whiteley, William N.; Dennis, Martin S.; Mead, Gillian E.; Carson, Alan J.

2018-01-01

Background and Purpose— Anxiety after stroke is common and disabling. Stroke trialists have treated anxiety as a homogenous condition, and intervention studies have followed suit, neglecting the different treatment approaches for phobic and generalized anxiety. Using diagnostic psychiatric interviews, we aimed to report the frequency of phobic and generalized anxiety, phobic avoidance, predictors of anxiety, and patient outcomes at 3 months poststroke/transient ischemic attack. Methods— We followed prospectively a cohort of new diagnosis of stroke/transient ischemic attack at 3 months with a telephone semistructured psychiatric interview, Fear Questionnaire, modified Rankin Scale, EuroQol-5D5L, and Work and Social Adjustment Scale. Results— Anxiety disorder was common (any anxiety disorder, 38 of 175 [22%]). Phobic disorder was the predominant anxiety subtype: phobic disorder only, 18 of 175 (10%); phobic and generalized anxiety disorder, 13 of 175 (7%); and generalized anxiety disorder only, 7 of 175 (4%). Participants with anxiety disorder reported higher level of phobic avoidance across all situations on the Fear Questionnaire. Younger age (per decade increase in odds ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.45–0.91) and having previous anxiety/depression (odds ratio, 4.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.94–9.89) were predictors for anxiety poststroke/transient ischemic attack. Participants with anxiety disorder were more dependent (modified Rankin Scale score 3–5, [anxiety] 55% versus [no anxiety] 29%; P<0.0005), had poorer quality of life on EQ-5D5L, and restricted participation (Work and Social Adjustment Scale: median, interquartile range, [anxiety] 19.5, 10–27 versus [no anxiety] 0, 0–5; P<0.001). Conclusions— Anxiety after stroke/transient ischemic attack is predominantly phobic and is associated with poorer patient outcomes. Trials of anxiety intervention in stroke should consider the different treatment approaches needed for phobic and generalized anxiety. PMID:29437982

Anxiety After Stroke: The Importance of Subtyping.

PubMed

Chun, Ho-Yan Yvonne; Whiteley, William N; Dennis, Martin S; Mead, Gillian E; Carson, Alan J

2018-03-01

Anxiety after stroke is common and disabling. Stroke trialists have treated anxiety as a homogenous condition, and intervention studies have followed suit, neglecting the different treatment approaches for phobic and generalized anxiety. Using diagnostic psychiatric interviews, we aimed to report the frequency of phobic and generalized anxiety, phobic avoidance, predictors of anxiety, and patient outcomes at 3 months poststroke/transient ischemic attack. We followed prospectively a cohort of new diagnosis of stroke/transient ischemic attack at 3 months with a telephone semistructured psychiatric interview, Fear Questionnaire, modified Rankin Scale, EuroQol-5D5L, and Work and Social Adjustment Scale. Anxiety disorder was common (any anxiety disorder, 38 of 175 [22%]). Phobic disorder was the predominant anxiety subtype: phobic disorder only, 18 of 175 (10%); phobic and generalized anxiety disorder, 13 of 175 (7%); and generalized anxiety disorder only, 7 of 175 (4%). Participants with anxiety disorder reported higher level of phobic avoidance across all situations on the Fear Questionnaire. Younger age (per decade increase in odds ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.45-0.91) and having previous anxiety/depression (odds ratio, 4.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.94-9.89) were predictors for anxiety poststroke/transient ischemic attack. Participants with anxiety disorder were more dependent (modified Rankin Scale score 3-5, [anxiety] 55% versus [no anxiety] 29%; P <0.0005), had poorer quality of life on EQ-5D5L, and restricted participation (Work and Social Adjustment Scale: median, interquartile range, [anxiety] 19.5, 10-27 versus [no anxiety] 0, 0-5; P <0.001). Anxiety after stroke/transient ischemic attack is predominantly phobic and is associated with poorer patient outcomes. Trials of anxiety intervention in stroke should consider the different treatment approaches needed for phobic and generalized anxiety. © 2018 The Authors.

Ticagrelor in Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack in Asian Patients: From the SOCRATES Trial (Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated With Aspirin or Ticagrelor and Patient Outcomes).

PubMed

Wang, Yongjun; Minematsu, Kazuo; Wong, Ka Sing Lawrence; Amarenco, Pierre; Albers, Gregory W; Denison, Hans; Easton, J Donald; Evans, Scott R; Held, Peter; Jonasson, Jenny; Molina, Carlos A; Johnston, S Claiborne

2017-01-01

In the SOCRATES trial (Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated With Aspirin or Ticagrelor and Patient Outcomes), ticagrelor was not superior to aspirin. Because of differences in patient demographics and stroke disease pattern in Asia, outcomes of ticagrelor versus aspirin were assessed among Asian patients in a prespecified exploratory analysis. Baseline demographics, treatment effects, and safety of ticagrelor and aspirin were assessed among Asian patients. Differences in outcomes between groups were assessed using Cox proportional hazard model. A total of 3858 (29.2%) SOCRATES participants were recruited in Asia. Among the Asian patients, the primary end point event occurred in 186 (9.6%) of the 1933 patients treated with ticagrelor, versus 224 (11.6%) of the 1925 patients treated with aspirin (hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.99). The exploratory P value for treatment-by-region interaction was 0.27. The primary end point event rate in the Asian subgroup was numerically higher than that in the non-Asian group (10.6% versus 5.7%; nominal P<0.01). Among the Asian patients, the rate of PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes)-defined major bleeding was similar in the ticagrelor group and the aspirin group (0.6% versus 0.8%; hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-1.61). The event rates were numerically higher in the Asian patients. Among the Asian patients with acute stroke or transient ischemic attacks, there was a trend toward a lower hazard ratio in reducing risk of the primary end point of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death in the ticagrelor group. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01994720. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Cerebrovascular blood pressure autoregulation monitoring and postoperative transient ischemic attack in pediatric moyamoya vasculopathy.

PubMed

Lee, Jennifer K; Williams, Monica; Reyes, Michael; Ahn, Edward S

2018-02-01

Children with moyamoya vasculopathy are at high risk of perioperative cerebral ischemia or hyperperfusion. Maintaining blood pressure within the range of functional cerebrovascular blood pressure autoregulation might reduce the risk of perioperative neurologic injury. We tested whether blood pressure autoregulation is associated with postoperative transient ischemic attack in a study of patients with pediatric moyamoya vasculopathy. We conducted an observational study of 15 pediatric patients undergoing surgical revascularization with pial synangiosis. Nine patients had bilateral moyamoya and 6 had unilateral moyamoya. We measured autoregulatory vasoreactivity intraoperatively and during the first postoperative night with the hemoglobin volume index, a value derived from near-infrared spectroscopy. We also identified the optimal mean arterial blood pressure at which autoregulation was most robust in each patient. Of the 15 children monitored, 3 with bilateral moyamoya and one with unilateral moyamoya experienced a transient ischemic attack. Poorer autoregulation during surgery was associated with postoperative transient ischemic attack among those with bilateral vasculopathy (P = .048, difference in hemoglobin volume index medians: 0.023, 95% confidence interval: 0.003-0.071). This relationship was not observed with postoperative autoregulation. The optimal mean arterial blood pressure was identifiable during surgery in all monitored patients, varied among patients, and often differed between the intraoperative and postoperative periods. Dysfunctional intraoperative autoregulation may increase the risk of TIA in patients with pediatric moyamoya vasculopathy. The blood pressure range that supports autoregulation appears to vary among patients. Using autoregulation monitoring to guide individualized blood pressure goals should be studied as a potential method to reduce perioperative neurologic morbidity in pediatric patients with moyamoya. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Self-reported stroke symptoms without a prior diagnosis of stroke or transient ischemic attack: a powerful new risk factor for stroke.

PubMed

Kleindorfer, Dawn; Judd, Suzanne; Howard, Virginia J; McClure, Leslie; Safford, Monika M; Cushman, Mary; Rhodes, David; Howard, George

2011-11-01

Previously in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort, we found 18% of the stroke/transient ischemic attack-free study population reported ≥1 stroke symptom at baseline. We sought to evaluate the additional impact of these stroke symptoms on risk for subsequent stroke. REGARDS recruited 30,239 US blacks and whites, aged 45+ years in 2003 to 2007 who are being followed every 6 months for events. All stroke events are physician-verified; those with prior diagnosed stroke or transient ischemic attack are excluded from this analysis. At baseline, participants were asked 6 questions regarding stroke symptoms. Measured stroke risk factors were components of the Framingham Stroke Risk Score. After excluding those with prior stroke or missing data, there were 24,412 participants in this analysis with a median follow-up of 4.4 years. Participants were 39% black, 55% female, and had median age of 64 years. There were 381 physician-verified stroke events. The Framingham Stroke Risk Score explained 72.0% of stroke risk; individual components explained between 0.2% (left ventricular hypertrophy) and 5.7% (age+race) of stroke risk. After adjustment for Framingham Stroke Risk Score factors, stroke symptoms were significantly related to stroke risk: for each stroke symptom reported, the risk of stroke increased by 21% per symptom. Among participants without self-reported stroke or transient ischemic attack, prior stroke symptoms are highly predictive of future stroke events. Compared with Framingham Stroke Risk Score factors, the impact of stroke symptom on the prediction of future stroke was almost as large as the impact of smoking and hypertension and larger than the impact of diabetes and heart disease.

Automatic analysis of attack data from distributed honeypot network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safarik, Jakub; Voznak, MIroslav; Rezac, Filip; Partila, Pavol; Tomala, Karel

2013-05-01

There are many ways of getting real data about malicious activity in a network. One of them relies on masquerading monitoring servers as a production one. These servers are called honeypots and data about attacks on them brings us valuable information about actual attacks and techniques used by hackers. The article describes distributed topology of honeypots, which was developed with a strong orientation on monitoring of IP telephony traffic. IP telephony servers can be easily exposed to various types of attacks, and without protection, this situation can lead to loss of money and other unpleasant consequences. Using a distributed topology with honeypots placed in different geological locations and networks provides more valuable and independent results. With automatic system of gathering information from all honeypots, it is possible to work with all information on one centralized point. Communication between honeypots and centralized data store use secure SSH tunnels and server communicates only with authorized honeypots. The centralized server also automatically analyses data from each honeypot. Results of this analysis and also other statistical data about malicious activity are simply accessible through a built-in web server. All statistical and analysis reports serve as information basis for an algorithm which classifies different types of used VoIP attacks. The web interface then brings a tool for quick comparison and evaluation of actual attacks in all monitored networks. The article describes both, the honeypots nodes in distributed architecture, which monitor suspicious activity, and also methods and algorithms used on the server side for analysis of gathered data.

Ischemic Stroke Patients Demonstrate Increased Carotid Plaque Microvasculature Compared to (Ocular) Transient Ischemic Attack Patients

PubMed Central

van Hoof, Raf H.M.; Schreuder, Floris H.B.M.; Nelemans, Patty; Truijman, Martine T.B.; van Orshoven, Narender P.; Schreuder, Tobien H.; Mess, Werner H.; Heeneman, Sylvia; van Oostenbrugge, Robert J.; Wildberger, Joachim E.; Kooi, M. Eline

2017-01-01

Background Patients with a recent ischemic stroke have a higher risk of recurrent stroke compared to (ocular) transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients. Plaque microvasculature is considered as a feature of plaque vulnerability and can be quantified with carotid dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI). The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore the association between plaque microvasculature and the type of recent cerebrovascular events in symptomatic patients with mild-to-moderate carotid stenosis. Methods A total of 87 symptomatic patients with a recent stroke (n = 35) or (ocular) TIA (n = 52) underwent carotid DCE-MRI examination. Plaque microvasculature was studied in the vessel wall and adventitia using DCE-MRI and the pharmacokinetic modeling parameter Ktrans. Statistical analysis was performed with logistic regression, correcting for associated clinical risk factors. Results The 75th percentile adventitial (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.18–3.29) Ktrans was significantly associated with a recent ischemic stroke compared to (ocular) TIA in multivariate analysis, while clinical risk factors were not significantly associated with the type of event. Conclusions This study indicates a positive association of leaky plaque microvasculature with a recent ischemic stroke compared to (ocular) TIA. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to investigate whether Ktrans or other plaque characteristics may serve as an imaging marker for predicting (the type of) future cerebrovascular events. PMID:28946147

Recent advances in the management of transient ischemic attacks

PubMed Central

Gomez, Camilo R.; Schneck, Michael J.; Biller, Jose

2017-01-01

Significant advances in our understanding of transient ischemic attack (TIA) have taken place since it was first recognized as a major risk factor for stroke during the late 1950's. Recently, numerous studies have consistently shown that patients who have experienced a TIA constitute a heterogeneous population, with multiple causative factors as well as an average 5–10% risk of suffering a stroke during the 30 days that follow the index event. These two attributes have driven the most important changes in the management of TIA patients over the last decade, with particular attention paid to effective stroke risk stratification, efficient and comprehensive diagnostic assessment, and a sound therapeutic approach, destined to reduce the risk of subsequent ischemic stroke. This review is an outline of these changes, including a discussion of their advantages and disadvantages, and references to how new trends are likely to influence the future care of these patients. PMID:29263784

Guidelines for the prevention of stroke in patients with stroke and transient ischemic attack: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

PubMed

Kernan, Walter N; Ovbiagele, Bruce; Black, Henry R; Bravata, Dawn M; Chimowitz, Marc I; Ezekowitz, Michael D; Fang, Margaret C; Fisher, Marc; Furie, Karen L; Heck, Donald V; Johnston, S Claiborne Clay; Kasner, Scott E; Kittner, Steven J; Mitchell, Pamela H; Rich, Michael W; Richardson, DeJuran; Schwamm, Lee H; Wilson, John A

2014-07-01

The aim of this updated guideline is to provide comprehensive and timely evidence-based recommendations on the prevention of future stroke among survivors of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. The guideline is addressed to all clinicians who manage secondary prevention for these patients. Evidence-based recommendations are provided for control of risk factors, intervention for vascular obstruction, antithrombotic therapy for cardioembolism, and antiplatelet therapy for noncardioembolic stroke. Recommendations are also provided for the prevention of recurrent stroke in a variety of specific circumstances, including aortic arch atherosclerosis, arterial dissection, patent foramen ovale, hyperhomocysteinemia, hypercoagulable states, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, sickle cell disease, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, and pregnancy. Special sections address use of antithrombotic and anticoagulation therapy after an intracranial hemorrhage and implementation of guidelines. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Living within stories: Exploring the experiences of people with transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Crowfoot, Gary Mitchell; van der Riet, Pamela Jane; Maguire, Jane Margaret

2016-03-01

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) significantly increases a person's risk of ischemic stroke. However, little is known about the experiences of these people or what influences their decision to access care. This article explores the stories of three people who experienced a TIA. All participants were interviewed after receiving a diagnosis of TIA by a specialist neurologist. By utilizing a framework of narrative inquiry, several storylines were revealed across temporal, social, and geographical landscapes. The main storylines include: bodily disruption, time stasis, altered temporal perceptions, the roles of others, and help-seeking behavior. The primary author also reflects upon his own origin and explores how this inquiry has influenced his perceptions, career, and nursing practice. This inquiry may assist healthcare workers to gain insight into the experiences of people with TIA and suggests how involvement of significant others is beneficial when educating people at risk of TIA. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Transient ischemic attack: reviewing the evolution of the definition, diagnosis, risk stratification, and management for the emergency physician.

PubMed

Siket, Matthew S; Edlow, Jonathan A

2012-08-01

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is an episode of reversible neurologic deficit caused by temporary focal central nervous system hypoperfusion. TIA is a medical emergency. Because patients with TIA in the emergency department (ED) have a high risk for stroke within the next 48 hours, it is imperative for the clinician to recognize this golden opportunity to prevent a disabling stroke. This article reviews our conceptual understanding of TIA, its definition, diagnosis, ways to stratify stroke risk, the acute management and disposition in the ED, and the potential future role of diagnostic biomarkers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ticagrelor versus Aspirin in Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack.

PubMed

Johnston, S Claiborne; Amarenco, Pierre; Albers, Gregory W; Denison, Hans; Easton, J Donald; Evans, Scott R; Held, Peter; Jonasson, Jenny; Minematsu, Kazuo; Molina, Carlos A; Wang, Yongjun; Wong, K S Lawrence

2016-07-07

Ticagrelor may be a more effective antiplatelet therapy than aspirin for the prevention of recurrent stroke and cardiovascular events in patients with acute cerebral ischemia. We conducted an international double-blind, controlled trial in 674 centers in 33 countries, in which 13,199 patients with a nonsevere ischemic stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack who had not received intravenous or intraarterial thrombolysis and were not considered to have had a cardioembolic stroke were randomly assigned within 24 hours after symptom onset, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive either ticagrelor (180 mg loading dose on day 1 followed by 90 mg twice daily for days 2 through 90) or aspirin (300 mg on day 1 followed by 100 mg daily for days 2 through 90). The primary end point was the time to the occurrence of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death within 90 days. During the 90 days of treatment, a primary end-point event occurred in 442 of the 6589 patients (6.7%) treated with ticagrelor, versus 497 of the 6610 patients (7.5%) treated with aspirin (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78 to 1.01; P=0.07). Ischemic stroke occurred in 385 patients (5.8%) treated with ticagrelor and in 441 patients (6.7%) treated with aspirin (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.00). Major bleeding occurred in 0.5% of patients treated with ticagrelor and in 0.6% of patients treated with aspirin, intracranial hemorrhage in 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively, and fatal bleeding in 0.1% and 0.1%. In our trial involving patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack, ticagrelor was not found to be superior to aspirin in reducing the rate of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death at 90 days. (Funded by AstraZeneca; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01994720.).

Validation of Diagnoses of Transient Ischemic Attack in the Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke) TIA-Module.

PubMed

Buchwald, Fredrik; Ström, Jakob O; Norrving, Bo; Petersson, Jesper

2015-01-01

In 2010, the Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke; RS) established a module for transient ischemic attacks (RS-TIA). We report a diagnostic validation study of patients included in RS-TIA. During the first year, 7,825 patients were registered at 59 out of 74 Swedish hospitals. A time-based TIA definition was applied. A sample of 180 patients (30 patients each from 6 hospitals), with a similar distribution of age and sex as in RS-TIA, was prepared. Two independent observers assessed medical records for quality of documentation and assigned a diagnosis of likely, possible, unlikely TIA or ischemic stroke, according to prespecified criteria. The 2 observers agreed in 77% of cases that the event was a likely or possible TIA, in 3% that the event was an ischemic stroke, and in 2% that the event was an unlikely TIA. The observers disagreed in 8% of patients on TIA vs. ischemic stroke, and in 11% on a vascular vs. non-vascular cause. Quality of documentation was fair. There was interobserver agreement on diagnosis of TIA in the majority of patients included in RS-TIA. Diagnostic accuracy may be further improved by more systematic documentation of symptoms and signs. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Diabetic Foot Attack: "'Tis Too Late to Retreat!"

PubMed

Vas, Prashanth R J; Edmonds, Michael; Kavarthapu, Venu; Rashid, Hisham; Ahluwalia, Raju; Pankhurst, Christian; Papanas, Nikolaos

2018-03-01

The "diabetic foot attack" is one of the most devastating presentations of diabetic foot disease, typically presenting as an acutely inflamed foot with rapidly progressive skin and tissue necrosis, at times associated with significant systemic symptoms. Without intervention, it may escalate over hours to limb-threatening proportions and poses a high amputation risk. There are only best practice approaches but no international protocols to guide management. Immediate recognition of a typical infected diabetic foot attack, predominated by severe infection, with prompt surgical intervention to debride all infected tissue alongside broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy is vital to ensure both limb and patient survival. Postoperative access to multidisciplinary and advanced wound care therapies is also necessary. More subtle forms exist: these include the ischemic diabetic foot attack and, possibly, in a contemporary categorization, acute Charcot neuroarthropathy. To emphasize the importance of timely action especially in the infected and ischemic diabetic foot attack, we revisit the concept of "time is tissue" and draw parallels with advances in acute myocardial infarction and stroke care. At the moment, international protocols to guide management of severe diabetic foot presentations do not specifically use the term. However, we believe that it may help increase awareness of the urgent actions required in some situations.

Sodium Valproate, a Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, Is Associated With Reduced Stroke Risk After Previous Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack.

PubMed

Brookes, Rebecca L; Crichton, Siobhan; Wolfe, Charles D A; Yi, Qilong; Li, Linxin; Hankey, Graeme J; Rothwell, Peter M; Markus, Hugh S

2018-01-01

A variant in the histone deacetylase 9 ( HDAC9 ) gene is associated with large artery stroke. Therefore, inhibiting HDAC9 might offer a novel secondary preventative treatment for ischemic stroke. The antiepileptic drug sodium valproate (SVA) is a nonspecific inhibitor of HDAC9. We tested whether SVA therapy given after ischemic stroke was associated with reduced recurrent stroke rate. Data were pooled from 3 prospective studies recruiting patients with previous stroke or transient ischemic attack and long-term follow-up: the South London Stroke Register, The Vitamins to Prevent Stroke Study, and the Oxford Vascular Study. Patients receiving SVA were compared with patients who received antiepileptic drugs other than SVA using survival analysis and Cox Regression. A total of 11 949 patients with confirmed ischemic event were included. Recurrent stroke rate was lower in patient taking SVA (17 of 168) than other antiepileptic drugs (105 of 530; log-rank survival analysis P =0.002). On Cox regression, controlling for potential cofounders, SVA remained associated with reduced stroke (hazard ratio=0.44; 95% confidence interval: 0.3-0.7; P =0.002). A similar result was obtained when patients taking SVA were compared with all cases not taking SVA (Cox regression, hazard ratio=0.47; 95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.77; P =0.003). These results suggest that exposure to SVA, an inhibitor of HDAC, may be associated with a lower recurrent stroke risk although we cannot exclude residual confounding in this study design. This supports the hypothesis that HDAC9 is important in the ischemic stroke pathogenesis and that its inhibition, by SVA or a more specific HDAC9 inhibitor, is worthy of evaluation as a treatment to prevent recurrent ischemic stroke. © 2017 The Authors.

New perspectives on the pharmacotherapy of ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Bradberry, J Chris; Fagan, Susan C; Gray, David R; Moon, Yong S K

2004-01-01

To provide an overview of the impact of ischemic stroke and the steps that can be taken to reduce its burden through greater awareness of the disease, improved diagnosis and better treatment, with emphasis on the use of antiplatelet agents. Recent (1995-2003) published scientific literature, as identified by the authors through Medline searches, using the terms stroke, transient ischemic attack, cerebrovascular disease, atherothrombosis, risk factors, pharmacotherapy, prevention, and reviews on treatment. Recent systematic English-language review articles and reports of controlled randomized clinical trials were screened for inclusion. Ischemic stroke is generally the result of an atherothrombotic process leading to vessel obstruction or narrowing. Of the two types of ischemic stroke, thrombotic stroke is caused by a thrombus that develops within the cerebral vasculature, while embolic stroke arises from a distant embolus that lodges in a cerebral artery. The neurologic manifestations of stroke depend on the location of injury in the brain and the degree of ischemia or infarction. Symptoms may be reversible or irreversible and range from sensory deficits to hemiplegia. Risk factors for development of ischemic stroke include hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, atrial fibrillation, prior stroke, and transient ischemic attack. Tissue plasminogen activator is currently the only available drug treatment for acute ischemic stroke. Stroke recurrence rates are high (about 40% over 5 years), and all ischemic stroke patients should receive antithrombotic therapy (unless contraindicated) for secondary prevention. Of the oral antiplatelet therapies, aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix--Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership), and the extended-release dipyridamole plus aspirin combination are acceptable first-line agents, while anticoagulants (warfarin) are preferred in patients with atrial fibrillation. Lifestyle changes and drug therapy are important components of primary and secondary prevention strategies in ischemic stroke. Risk factors such as elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol should be aggressively treated. Antiplatelet agents, antihypertensive agents, and cholesterol-lowering agents are therapeutic cornerstones for secondary prevention.

Association between arterial calcifications and nonlacunar and lacunar ischemic strokes.

PubMed

van Dijk, Anouk C; Fonville, Susanne; Zadi, Taihra; van Hattem, Antonius M G; Saiedie, Ghesrouw; Koudstaal, Peter J; van der Lugt, Aad

2014-03-01

Nonlacunar cerebral infarcts are presumed to be caused by thromboembolism from the heart or extracranial arteries, whereas lacunar infarcts are thought to be caused by small vessel disease. We investigated to what extent arterial calcifications differ between nonlacunar and lacunar ischemic strokes. We studied 820 consecutive patients with transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation who underwent multidetector computed tomography angiography and had no rare cause of stroke. The presence of likely cardioembolic pathogenesis was determined according to the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment criteria. The remaining 708 patients were categorized as nonlacunar or lacunar strokes, either transient ischemic attacks or strokes, based on clinical symptoms corrected by brain imaging results. We measured volume of calcifications in the aortic arch, symptomatic extracranial and intracranial carotid artery using multidetector computed tomography angiography. The difference in calcifications between nonlacunar and lacunar strokes was assessed with a multivariable logistic regression analysis. We adjusted for degree of symptomatic carotid artery stenosis and cardiovascular risk factors. We found an independent association between volume of aortic arch calcifications and nonlacunar ischemic strokes (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.11 [1.02-1.21]). No independent associations between extracranial and intracranial carotid artery calcifications and nonlacunar strokes were present. The only difference we found between nonlacunar and lacunar strokes was a higher calcification volume in the aortic arch in nonlacunar strokes. Our findings only partially confirm the notion of distinct etiologies and suggest that the potential role of other plaque components, plaque morphology, and aortic arch calcifications in ischemic stroke subtypes awaits further evaluation.

Ambulatory Care Data Base (ACDB) Data Dictionary Sequential Files of Phase 2.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-04-01

CEREBRAL ARTERIES 4340 CEREBRAL THROMBOSIS 43491 STROKE , ISCHEMIC 435 TRANSIENT CEREBRAL ISCHEMIA 4359 TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK (TIA) 43591 TRANS...HYPERTENSIVE CRISIS 4373 ANEURYSM, CEREBRAL , NONRUPTURED 4374 ARTERITIS, CEREBRAL 4378 CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE, OTHER ILL-DEFINED 43781 STROKE , LACUNAR...95950 MONITORING FOR LOCALIZATION OF CEREBRAL SEIZURE FOC 95999 OTHER NEUROLOGICAL DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES 96500 CHEMO INJ, SINGLE, PRE-MIX, PUSH 96501

Soluble CD40L Is a Useful Marker to Predict Future Strokes in Patients With Minor Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack.

PubMed

Li, Jiejie; Wang, Yilong; Lin, Jinxi; Wang, David; Wang, Anxin; Zhao, Xingquan; Liu, Liping; Wang, Chunxue; Wang, Yongjun

2015-07-01

Elevated soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) was shown to be related to cardiovascular events, but the role of sCD40L in predicting recurrent stroke remains unclear. Baseline sCD40L levels were measured in 3044 consecutive patients with acute minor stroke and transient ischemic attack, who had previously been enrolled in the Clopidogrel in High-Risk Patients With Acute Nondisabling Cerebrovascular Events (CHANCE) trial. Cox proportional-hazards model was used to assess the association of sCD40L with recurrent stroke. Patients in the top tertile of sCD40L levels had increased risk of recurrent stroke comparing with those in the bottom tertile, after adjusted for conventional confounding factors (hazard ratio, 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-2.00; P=0.008). The patients with elevated levels of both sCD40L and high-sensitive C-reactive protein also had increased risk of recurrent stroke (hazard ratio, 1.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-2.68; P=0.003). Elevated sCD40L levels independently predict recurrent stroke in patients with minor stroke and transient ischemic attack. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00979589. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Generating a Corpus of Mobile Forensic Images for Masquerading user Experimentation.

PubMed

Guido, Mark; Brooks, Marc; Grover, Justin; Katz, Eric; Ondricek, Jared; Rogers, Marcus; Sharpe, Lauren

2016-11-01

The Periodic Mobile Forensics (PMF) system investigates user behavior on mobile devices. It applies forensic techniques to an enterprise mobile infrastructure, utilizing an on-device agent named TractorBeam. The agent collects changed storage locations for later acquisition, reconstruction, and analysis. TractorBeam provides its data to an enterprise infrastructure that consists of a cloud-based queuing service, relational database, and analytical framework for running forensic processes. During a 3-month experiment with Purdue University, TractorBeam was utilized in a simulated operational setting across 34 users to evaluate techniques to identify masquerading users (i.e., users other than the intended device user). The research team surmises that all masqueraders are undesirable to an enterprise, even when a masquerader lacks malicious intent. The PMF system reconstructed 821 forensic images, extracted one million audit events, and accurately detected masqueraders. Evaluation revealed that developed methods reduced storage requirements 50-fold. This paper describes the PMF architecture, performance of TractorBeam throughout the protocol, and results of the masquerading user analysis. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation for secondary prevention after transient ischemic attack or mild stroke: I: feasibility and risk factors.

PubMed

Prior, Peter L; Hachinski, Vladimir; Unsworth, Karen; Chan, Richard; Mytka, Sharon; O'Callaghan, Christina; Suskin, Neville

2011-11-01

Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CCR), which integrates structured lifestyle interventions and medications, reduces morbidity and mortality among cardiac patients. CCR has not typically been used with cerebrovascular populations, despite important commonalities with heart patients. We tested feasibility and effectiveness of 6-month outpatient CCR for secondary prevention after transient ischemic attack or mild, nondisabling stroke. This article presents risk factors. A future article will discuss psychological outcomes. Consecutive consenting subjects having sustained a transient ischemic attack or mild, nondisabling stroke within the previous 12 months (mean, 11.5 weeks; event-to-CCR entry) with ≥1 vascular risk factor, were recruited from a stroke prevention clinic providing usual care. We measured 6-month CCR outcomes following a prospective cohort design. Of 110 subjects recruited from January 2005 to April 2006, 100 subjects (mean age, 64.9 years; 46 women) entered and 80 subjects completed CCR. We obtained favorable, significant intake-to-exit changes in: aerobic capacity (+31.4%; P<0.001), total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L; P=0.008), total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (-11.6%; P<0.001), triglycerides (-0.27 mmol/L; P=0.003), waist circumference (-2.44 cm; P<0.001), body mass index (-0.53 kg/m(2); P=0.003), and body weight (-1.43 kg; P=0.001). Low-density lipoprotein (-0.24 mmol/L), high-density lipoprotein (+0.06 mmol/L), systolic (-3.21 mm Hg) and diastolic (-2.34 mm Hg) blood pressure changed favorably, but nonsignificantly. A significant shift toward nonsmoking occurred (P=0.008). Compared with intake, 11 more individuals (25.6% increase) finished CCR in the lowest-mortality risk category of the Duke Treadmill Score (P<0.001). CCR is feasible and effective for secondary prevention after transient ischemic attack or mild, nondisabling stroke, offering a promising model for vascular protection across chronic disease entities. We know of no similar previous investigation, and are now conducting a randomized trial.

Pearls: stroke.

PubMed

Wozniak, Marcella A

2010-02-01

The diagnosis of ischemic stroke continues to be a clinical one, although advances in neuroimaging have expanded our understanding of the correlation between clinical symptoms and neuroanatomical localization. Careful neurologic examination allows localization in both neuroanatomical and vascular space. Findings on neuroimaging are then correlated to assess their clinical relevance. Transient ischemic attack is recognized as a warning sign for impending vascular disease, but even less specific transient neurologic symptoms are associated with increased risk. Stroke can occur at any age. For women, the postpartum period is a time of elevated risk for arterial ischemic stroke. (c) Thieme Medical Publishers.

Perception of recurrent stroke risk among black, white and Hispanic ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack survivors: the SWIFT study.

PubMed

Boden-Albala, Bernadette; Carman, Heather; Moran, Megan; Doyle, Margaret; Paik, Myunghee C

2011-01-01

Risk modification through behavior change is critical for primary and secondary stroke prevention. Theories of health behavior identify perceived risk as an important component to facilitate behavior change; however, little is known about perceived risk of vascular events among stroke survivors. The SWIFT (Stroke Warning Information and Faster Treatment) study includes a prospective population-based ethnically diverse cohort of ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack survivors. We investigate the baseline relationship between demographics, health beliefs, and knowledge on risk perception. Regression models examined predictors of inaccurate perception. Only 20% accurately estimated risk, 10% of the participants underestimated risk, and 70% of the 817 study participants significantly overestimated their risk for a recurrent stroke. The mean perceived likelihood of recurrent ischemic stroke in the next 10 years was 51 ± 7%. We found no significant differences by race-ethnicity with regard to accurate estimation of risk. Inaccurate estimation of risk was associated with attitudes and beliefs [worry (p < 0.04), fatalism (p < 0.07)] and memory problems (p < 0.01), but not history or knowledge of vascular risk factors. This paper provides a unique perspective on how factors such as belief systems influence risk perception in a diverse population at high stroke risk. There is a need for future research on how risk perception can inform primary and secondary stroke prevention. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The complexity of atrial fibrillation newly diagnosed after ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack: advances and uncertainties

PubMed Central

Cerasuolo, Joshua O.; Cipriano, Lauren E.; Sposato, Luciano A.

2017-01-01

Purpose of review Atrial fibrillation is being increasingly diagnosed after ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA). Patient characteristics, frequency and duration of paroxysms, and the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke associated with atrial fibrillation detected after stroke and TIA (AFDAS) may differ from atrial fibrillation already known before stroke occurrence. We aim to summarize major recent advances in the field, in the context of prior evidence, and to identify areas of uncertainty to be addressed in future research. Recent findings Half of all atrial fibrillations in ischemic stroke and TIA patients are AFDAS, and most of them are asymptomatic. Over 50% of AFDAS paroxysms last less than 30 s. The rapid initiation of cardiac monitoring and its duration are crucial for its timely and effective detection. AFDAS comprises a heterogeneous mix of atrial fibrillation, possibly including cardiogenic and neurogenic types, and a mix of both. Over 25 single markers and at least 10 scores have been proposed as predictors of AFDAS. However, there are considerable inconsistencies across studies. The role of AFDAS burden and its associated risk of stroke recurrence have not yet been investigated. Summary AFDAS may differ from atrial fibrillation known before stroke in several clinical dimensions, which are important for optimal patient care strategies. Many questions remain unanswered. Neurogenic and cardiogenic AFDAS need to be characterized, as it may be possible to avoid some neurogenic cases by initiating timely preventive treatments. AFDAS burden may differ in ischemic stroke and TIA patients, with distinctive diagnostic and treatment implications. The prognosis of AFDAS and its risk of recurrent stroke are still unknown; therefore, it is uncertain whether AFDAS patients should be treated with oral anticoagulants. PMID:27984303

[Contribution of vascular ultrasonography in patients with ischemic strokes in Brazzaville (Congo)].

PubMed

Ikama, S M; Nsitou, B M; Ossou-Nguiet, P M; Otiobanda, G F; Matali, E

2014-05-01

To determine the prevalence of the carotid lesions during ischemic strokes. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted in Brazzaville from January 2011 to June 2012 in a consecutive series of 73 patients, victims of a transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke, documented by a brain computed tomography. All patients underwent vascular ultrasonography of the supra-aortic trunks, carried out within the framework of etiological assessment. The examination searched for plaques, parietal infiltration (measurement of intima-media thickness), and carotid stenosis or occlusion. There were 49 men (67%) and 24 women (33%), mean age 58.7 ± 11.8 years. Eleven patients (15%) had a transient ischemic attack and 62 (85%) an ischemic stroke. The identified independent vascular risk factors were known and treated hypertension (n=66, 90.4%), dyslipidemia (n=16, 22%), diabetes mellitus (n=9, 12.3%), and smoking (n=5, 6.8%), with on average 2.5 factors per individual. Vascular ultrasonography of the supra-aortic trunks, normal in 44 patients (60.3%) was pathological in the other 29 (39.7%). The main anomalies were atheromatous plaque (n=10, 13.7%), parietal infiltration (n=19, 26%). On average intima-media thickness was 0.86 ± 0.11 mm on the left and 0.83 ± 0.11 mm on the right. Two cases of moderate stenosis were noted on the right and left internal carotids, respectively. This preliminary study confirms the existence of carotid atherosclerosis anomalies during ischemic strokes. These lesions, though non-significant, must nevertheless be taken into consideration when searching for the cause of stroke in high-risk vascular patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[Preditive clinical factors for epileptic seizures after ischemic stroke].

PubMed

Fukujima, M M; Cardeal, J O; Lima, J G

1996-06-01

Preditive clinical factors for epileptic seizures after ischemic stroke. Clinical features of 35 patients with ischemic stroke who developed epilepsy (Group 1) were compared with those of 35 patients with ischemic stroke without epilepsy (Group 2). The age of the patients did not differ between the groups. There were more men than women and more white than other races in both groups. Diabetes melitus, hypertension, transient ischemic attack, previous stroke, migraine, Chagas disease, cerebral embolism of cardiac origin and use of oral contraceptive did not differ between the groups. Smokers and alcohol users were more frequent in Group 1 (p < 0.05). Most patients of Group 1 presented with hemiparesis; none presented cerebellar or brainstem involvement. Perhaps strokes in smokers have some different aspects, that let them more epileptogenic than in non smokers.

Sodium Valproate, a Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, Is Associated With Reduced Stroke Risk After Previous Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack

PubMed Central

Brookes, Rebecca L.; Crichton, Siobhan; Wolfe, Charles D.A.; Yi, Qilong; Li, Linxin; Hankey, Graeme J.; Rothwell, Peter M.

2018-01-01

Background and Purpose— A variant in the histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9) gene is associated with large artery stroke. Therefore, inhibiting HDAC9 might offer a novel secondary preventative treatment for ischemic stroke. The antiepileptic drug sodium valproate (SVA) is a nonspecific inhibitor of HDAC9. We tested whether SVA therapy given after ischemic stroke was associated with reduced recurrent stroke rate. Methods— Data were pooled from 3 prospective studies recruiting patients with previous stroke or transient ischemic attack and long-term follow-up: the South London Stroke Register, The Vitamins to Prevent Stroke Study, and the Oxford Vascular Study. Patients receiving SVA were compared with patients who received antiepileptic drugs other than SVA using survival analysis and Cox Regression. Results— A total of 11 949 patients with confirmed ischemic event were included. Recurrent stroke rate was lower in patient taking SVA (17 of 168) than other antiepileptic drugs (105 of 530; log-rank survival analysis P=0.002). On Cox regression, controlling for potential cofounders, SVA remained associated with reduced stroke (hazard ratio=0.44; 95% confidence interval: 0.3–0.7; P=0.002). A similar result was obtained when patients taking SVA were compared with all cases not taking SVA (Cox regression, hazard ratio=0.47; 95% confidence interval: 0.29–0.77; P=0.003). Conclusions— These results suggest that exposure to SVA, an inhibitor of HDAC, may be associated with a lower recurrent stroke risk although we cannot exclude residual confounding in this study design. This supports the hypothesis that HDAC9 is important in the ischemic stroke pathogenesis and that its inhibition, by SVA or a more specific HDAC9 inhibitor, is worthy of evaluation as a treatment to prevent recurrent ischemic stroke. PMID:29247141

Nonvitamin-K-antagonist oral anticoagulants versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation and previous stroke or transient ischemic attack: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Ntaios, George; Papavasileiou, Vasileios; Diener, Hans-Chris; Makaritsis, Konstantinos; Michel, Patrik

2017-08-01

Background In a previous systematic review and meta-analysis, we assessed the efficacy and safety of nonvitamin-K antagonist oral anticoagulants versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation and stroke or transient ischemic attack. Since then, new information became available. Aim The aim of the present work was to update the results of the previous systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods We searched PubMed until 24 August 2016 for randomized controlled trials using the following search items: "atrial fibrillation" and "anticoagulation" and "warfarin" and "previous stroke or transient ischemic attack." Eligible studies had to be phase III trials in patients with atrial fibrillation comparing warfarin with nonvitamin-K antagonist oral anticoagulants currently on the market or with the intention to be brought to the market in North America or Europe. The outcomes assessed in the efficacy analysis included stroke or systemic embolism, stroke, ischemic or unknown stroke, disabling or fatal stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, cardiovascular death, death from any cause, and myocardial infarction. The outcomes assessed in the safety analysis included major bleeding, intracranial bleeding, and major gastrointestinal bleeding. We performed fixed effects analyses on intention-to-treat basis. Results Among 183 potentially eligible articles, four were included in the meta-analysis. In 20,500 patients, compared to warfarin, nonvitamin-K antagonist oral anticoagulants were associated with a significant reduction of stroke/systemic embolism (relative risk reduction: 13.7%, absolute risk reduction: 0.78%, number needed to treat to prevent one event: 127), hemorrhagic stroke (relative risk reduction: 50.0%, absolute risk reduction: 0.63%, number needed to treat: 157), any stroke (relative risk reduction: 13.1%, absolute risk reduction: 0.7%, number needed to treat: 142), and intracranial hemorrhage (relative risk reduction: 46.1%, absolute risk reduction: 0.88%, number needed to treat: 113) over 1.8-2.8 years. Conclusions This updated meta-analysis in 20,500 atrial fibrillation patients with previous stroke or transient ischemic attack shows that compared to warfarin non-vitamin-K antagonist oral anticoagulants are associated with a significant reduction of stroke, stroke or systemic embolism, hemorrhagic stroke, and intracranial bleeding.

Prevalence of Depression Among Stroke Survivors: Racial-Ethnic Differences.

PubMed

Fei, Kezhen; Benn, Emma K T; Negron, Rennie; Arniella, Guedy; Tuhrim, Stanley; Horowitz, Carol R

2016-02-01

Although poststroke depression is common, racial-ethnic disparities in depression among stroke survivors remain underexplored. Thus, we investigated the relationship between race/ethnicity and depression in a multiracial-ethnic stroke cohort. Baseline survey data of validated scales of depression and functional status, demographics, comorbidities, and socioeconomic status were used from a recurrent stroke prevention study among community-dwelling urban stroke/transient ischemic attack survivors. The cohort included 556 participants with a mean age of 64 years. The majorities were black (44%) or latino (42%) and female (60%), had their last stroke/transient ischemic attack nearly 2 years before study enrollment, and lived below the poverty level (58%). Nearly 1 in 2 latinos, 1 in 4 blacks, and 1 in 8 whites were depressed. Multivariate logistic regression showed that survivors who were younger, were female, had ≥3 comorbid conditions, were functionally disabled from stroke, lacked emotional-social support, and who took antidepressants before study entry had higher risk of depression. Time since last stroke/transient ischemic attack did not affect the chance of depression. After adjusting for all above risk factors, latinos had 3× the odds of depression (95% confidence interval: 1.18-6.35) than whites; blacks and whites had similar odds of depression. This study reveals that latino stroke survivors have a significantly higher prevalence of depression compared with their non-latino counterparts. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Patent Foramen Ovale and Cryptogenic Strokes in the Stroke in Young Fabry Patients Study.

PubMed

Huber, Roman; Grittner, Ulrike; Weidemann, Frank; Thijs, Vincent; Tanislav, Christian; Enzinger, Christian; Fazekas, Franz; Wolf, Markus; Hennerici, Michael G; McCabe, Dominick J H; Putaala, Jukaa; Tatlisumak, Turgut; Kessler, Christoph; von Sarnowski, Bettina; Martus, Peter; Kolodny, Edwin; Norrving, Bo; Rolfs, Arndt

2017-01-01

A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is disproportionately prevalent in patients with cryptogenic stroke. Without alternative explanations, it is frequently considered to be causative. A detailed stratification of these patients may improve the identification of incidental PFO. We investigated the PFO prevalence in 3497 transient ischemic attack and ischemic stroke patients aged 18 to 55 years in the prospective multicenter SIFAP1 study (Stroke in Young Fabry Patients 1) using the ASCO classification. Patients without an obvious cause for transient ischemic attack/stroke (ASCO 0) were divided into subgroups with and without vascular risk factors (ASCO 0+ and 0-). In addition, we looked for PFO-related magnetic resonance imaging lesion patterns. PFO was identified in 25% of patients. Twenty percent of patients with a definite or probable cause of transient ischemic attack/stroke (≥1 grade 1 or 2 ASCO criterion; n=1769) had a PFO compared with 29% of cryptogenic stroke patients (ASCO 0 and 3; n=1728; P<0,001); subdivision of cryptogenic strokes revealed a PFO in 24% of 978 ASCO 3 patients (n.s. versus ASCO 1 and 2) and a higher prevalence of 36% in 750 ASCO 0 cases (P<0.001 versus ASCO 3 and versus ASCO 1 and 2). PFO was more commonly observed in ASCO 0- (n=271) than in ASCO 0+ patients (n=479; 48 versus 29%; P<0.001). There was no PFO-associated magnetic resonance imaging lesion pattern. Cryptogenic stroke patients demonstrate a heterogeneous PFO prevalence. Even in case of less conclusive diseases like nonstenotic arteriosclerosis, patients should preferentially be considered to have a non-PFO-mediated stroke. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00414583. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Complete cardiac regeneration in a mouse model of myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Haubner, Bernhard Johannes; Adamowicz-Brice, Martyna; Khadayate, Sanjay; Tiefenthaler, Viktoria; Metzler, Bernhard; Aitman, Tim; Penninger, Josef M

2012-12-01

Cardiac remodeling and subsequent heart failure remain critical issues after myocardial infarction despite improved treatment and reperfusion strategies. Recently, complete cardiac regeneration has been demonstrated in fish and newborn mice following resection of the cardiac apex. However, it remained entirely unclear whether the mammalian heart can also completely regenerate following a complex cardiac ischemic injury. We established a protocol to induce a severe heart attack in one-day-old mice using left anterior descending artery (LAD) ligation. LAD ligation triggered substantial cardiac injury in the left ventricle defined by Caspase 3 activation and massive cell death. Ischemia-induced cardiomyocyte death was also visible on day 4 after LAD ligation. Remarkably, 7 days after the initial ischemic insult, we observed complete cardiac regeneration without any signs of tissue damage or scarring. This tissue regeneration translated into long-term normal heart functions as assessed by echocardiography. In contrast, LAD ligations in 7-day-old mice resulted in extensive scarring comparable to adult mice, indicating that the regenerative capacity for complete cardiac healing after heart attacks can be traced to the first week after birth. RNAseq analyses of hearts on day 1, day 3, and day 10 and comparing LAD-ligated and sham-operated mice surprisingly revealed a transcriptional programme of major changes in genes mediating mitosis and cell division between days 1, 3 and 10 postnatally and a very limited set of genes, including genes regulating cell cycle and extracellular matrix synthesis, being differentially regulated in the regenerating hearts. We present for the first time a mammalian model of complete cardiac regeneration following a severe ischemic cardiac injury. This novel model system provides the unique opportunity to uncover molecular and cellular pathways that can induce cardiac regeneration after ischemic injury, findings that one day could be translated to human heart attack patients.

Perception of Recurrent Stroke Risk among Black, White and Hispanic Ischemic Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack Survivors: The SWIFT Study

PubMed Central

Boden-Albala, Bernadette; Carman, Heather; Moran, Megan; Doyle, Margaret; Paik, Myunghee C.

2011-01-01

Objectives Risk modification through behavior change is critical for primary and secondary stroke prevention. Theories of health behavior identify perceived risk as an important component to facilitate behavior change; however, little is known about perceived risk of vascular events among stroke survivors. Methods The SWIFT (Stroke Warning Information and Faster Treatment) study includes a prospective population-based ethnically diverse cohort of ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack survivors. We investigate the baseline relationship between demographics, health beliefs, and knowledge on risk perception. Regression models examined predictors of inaccurate perception. Results Only 20% accurately estimated risk, 10% of the participants underestimated risk, and 70% of the 817 study participants significantly overestimated their risk for a recurrent stroke. The mean perceived likelihood of recurrent ischemic stroke in the next 10 years was 51 ± 7%. We found no significant differences by race-ethnicity with regard to accurate estimation of risk. Inaccurate estimation of risk was associated with attitudes and beliefs [worry (p < 0.04), fatalism (p < 0.07)] and memory problems (p < 0.01), but not history or knowledge of vascular risk factors. Conclusion This paper provides a unique perspective on how factors such as belief systems influence risk perception in a diverse population at high stroke risk. There is a need for future research on how risk perception can inform primary and secondary stroke prevention. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel PMID:21894045

[Systematic implementation of transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography and 24-hour Holter ECG for the detection of cardiac sources of embolism in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack. A retrospective study of 220 patients].

PubMed

Vinsonneau, U; Leblanc, A; Buchet, J-F; Pangnarind-Heintz, V; Le Gal, G; Rohel, G; Paleiron, N; Piquemal, M; Blanchard, C; Zagnoli, F; Paule, P

2014-09-01

Embolism of cardiac origin accounts for around 20% of ischemic strokes. ECG and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) are commonly obtained during the evaluation of patient of ischemic stroke but specific indications for the transesophageal (TEE) echocardiography and 24-hour Holter ECG (Holter) remain uncertain. The aim of this study is to report the contribution of TTE, TEE and Holter performed as a routine during the evaluation of patients with ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA). This is a retrospective single-center study of 220 patients hospitalized between 1st January 2007 and 31st December 2010 for a first IS or TIA. One hundred and forty-three IS and 77 TIA are identified. The average age of patients was 66 years (18-88 years). TTE/TEE/24-hour Holter allowed the diagnosis of cardiac sources of embolism in 135 patents (61.3%). TTE/TEE identified potential source of cardiogenic embolism in 126 patients (52.2%). Twenty four-hour Holter ECG tracked supraventricular arrhythmia in 15 patients (6.7%), 9 (4%) which had non-contributory ultrasound assessment. The systematic implementation of TTE/TEE/Holter is useful for identifying potential sources of cardiogenic embolism. The performance of TEE remains above the TTE. Holter should be recommended because it is a cost effective and non-invasive tool. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Vertebrobasilar circulatory disorders

MedlinePlus

... nih.gov/pubmed/26763920 . Kernan WN, Ovbiagele B, Black HR, et al. Guidelines for the prevention of stroke in patients with stroke and transient ischemic attack: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the ...

High ABCD2 Scores and In-Hospital Interventions following Transient Ischemic Attack

PubMed Central

Cutting, Shawna; Regan, Elizabeth; Lee, Vivien H.; Prabhakaran, Shyam

2016-01-01

Background and Purpose Following transient ischemic attack (TIA), there is increased risk for ischemic stroke. The American Heart Association recommends admission of patients with ABCD2 scores ≥3 for observation, rapid performance of diagnostic tests, and potential acute intervention. We aimed to determine if there is a relationship between ABCD2 scores, in-hospital ischemic events, and in-hospital treatments after TIA admission. Methods We reviewed consecutive patients admitted between 2006 and 2011 following a TIA, defined as transient focal neurological symptoms attributed to a specific vascular distribution and lasting <24 h. Three interventions were prespecified: anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, carotid or intracranial revascularization, and intravenous or intra-arterial reperfusion therapies. We compared rates of in-hospital recurrent TIA or ischemic stroke and the receipt of interventions among patients with low (<3) versus high (≥3) ABCD2 scores. Results Of 249 patients, 11 patients (4.4%) had recurrent TIAs or strokes during their stay (8 TIAs, 3 strokes). All 11 had ABCD2 scores ≥3, and no neurological events occurred in patients with lower scores (5.1 vs. 0%; p = 0.37). Twelve patients (4.8%) underwent revascularization for large artery stenosis, 16 (6.4%) were started on anticoagulants, and no patient received intravenous or intra-arterial reperfusion therapy. The ABCD2 score was not associated with anticoagulation (p = 0.59) or revascularization (p = 0.20). Conclusions Higher ABCD2 scores may predict early ischemic events after TIA but do not predict the need for intervention. Outpatient evaluation for those with scores <3 would potentially have delayed revascularization or anticoagulant treatment in nearly one-fifth of ‘low-risk’ patients. PMID:27721312

Incidental Statin Use and the Risk of Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack after Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer

PubMed Central

Addison, Daniel; Lawler, Patrick R.; Emami, Hamed; Janjua, Sumbal A.; Staziaki, Pedro V.; Hallett, Travis R.; Hennessy, Orla; Lee, Hang; Szilveszter, Bálint; Lu, Michael; Mousavi, Negar; Nayor, Matthew G.; Delling, Francesca N.; Romero, Javier M.; Wirth, Lori J.; Chan, Annie W.; Hoffmann, Udo; Neilan, Tomas G.

2018-01-01

Background and Purpose Interventions to reduce the risk for cerebrovascular events (CVE; stroke and transient ischemic attack [TIA]) after radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNCA) are needed. Among broad populations, statins reduce CVEs; however, whether statins reduce CVEs after RT for HNCA is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to test whether incidental statin use at the time of RT is associated with a lower rate of CVEs after RT for HNCA. Methods From an institutional database we identified all consecutive subjects treated with neck RT from 2002 to 2012 for HNCA. Data collection and event adjudication was performed by blinded teams. The primary outcome was a composite of ischemic stroke and TIA. The secondary outcome was ischemic stroke. The association between statin use and events was determined using Cox proportional hazard models after adjustment for traditional and RT-specific risk factors. Results The final cohort consisted of 1,011 patients (59±13 years, 30% female, 44% hypertension) with 288 (28%) on statins. Over a median follow-up of 3.4 years (interquartile range, 0.1 to 14) there were 102 CVEs (89 ischemic strokes and 13 TIAs) with 17 in statin users versus 85 in nonstatins users. In a multivariable model containing known predictors of CVE, statins were associated with a reduction in the combination of stroke and TIA (hazard ratio [HR], 0.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2 to 0.8; P=0.01) and ischemic stroke alone (HR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2 to 0.8; P=0.01). Conclusions Incidental statin use at the time of RT for HNCA is associated with a lower risk of stroke or TIA. PMID:29402065

C-reactive protein predicts further ischemic events in first-ever transient ischemic attack or stroke patients with intracranial large-artery occlusive disease.

PubMed

Arenillas, Juan F; Alvarez-Sabín, José; Molina, Carlos A; Chacón, Pilar; Montaner, Joan; Rovira, Alex; Ibarra, Bernardo; Quintana, Manuel

2003-10-01

The role of inflammation in intracranial large-artery occlusive disease is unclear. We sought to investigate the relationship between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the risk of further ischemic events in first-ever transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke patients with intracranial large-artery occlusive disease. Of a total of 127 consecutive first-ever TIA or ischemic stroke patients with intracranial stenoses detected by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, 71 fulfilled all inclusion criteria, which included angiographic confirmation. Serum high-sensitivity CRP level was determined a minimum of 3 months after the qualifying event. Patients were followed up during 1 year after blood sampling. Thirteen patients (18.3%) with intracranial large-artery occlusive disease experienced an end point event: 9 cerebral ischemic events, 7 of which were attributable to intracranial large-artery occlusive disease, and 4 myocardial infarctions. Patients in the highest quintile of high-sensitivity CRP level had a significantly higher adjusted odds ratio for new events compared with those in the first quintile (odds ratio, 8.66; 95% CI, 1.39 to 53.84; P=0.01). A high-sensitivity CRP level above the receiver operating characteristic curve cutoff value of 1.41 mg/dL emerged as an independent predictor of new end point events (hazard ratio, 7.14; 95% CI, 1.77 to 28.73; P=0.005) and of further intracranial large-artery occlusive disease-related ischemic events (hazard ratio, 30.67; 95% CI, 3.6 to 255.5; P=0.0015), after adjustment for age, sex, and risk factors. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that a significantly lower proportion of patients with a high-sensitivity CRP >1.41 mg/dL remained free of a new ischemic event (P<0.0001). High-sensitivity CRP serum level predicts further intracranial large-artery occlusive disease-related and any major ischemic events in patients with first-ever TIA or stroke with intracranial large-artery occlusive disease. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that inflammation may be involved in the progression and complication of intracranial large-artery occlusive disease.

Efficiency and Flexibility of Fingerprint Scheme Using Partial Encryption and Discrete Wavelet Transform to Verify User in Cloud Computing.

PubMed

Yassin, Ali A

2014-01-01

Now, the security of digital images is considered more and more essential and fingerprint plays the main role in the world of image. Furthermore, fingerprint recognition is a scheme of biometric verification that applies pattern recognition techniques depending on image of fingerprint individually. In the cloud environment, an adversary has the ability to intercept information and must be secured from eavesdroppers. Unluckily, encryption and decryption functions are slow and they are often hard. Fingerprint techniques required extra hardware and software; it is masqueraded by artificial gummy fingers (spoof attacks). Additionally, when a large number of users are being verified at the same time, the mechanism will become slow. In this paper, we employed each of the partial encryptions of user's fingerprint and discrete wavelet transform to obtain a new scheme of fingerprint verification. Moreover, our proposed scheme can overcome those problems; it does not require cost, reduces the computational supplies for huge volumes of fingerprint images, and resists well-known attacks. In addition, experimental results illustrate that our proposed scheme has a good performance of user's fingerprint verification.

Efficiency and Flexibility of Fingerprint Scheme Using Partial Encryption and Discrete Wavelet Transform to Verify User in Cloud Computing

PubMed Central

Yassin, Ali A.

2014-01-01

Now, the security of digital images is considered more and more essential and fingerprint plays the main role in the world of image. Furthermore, fingerprint recognition is a scheme of biometric verification that applies pattern recognition techniques depending on image of fingerprint individually. In the cloud environment, an adversary has the ability to intercept information and must be secured from eavesdroppers. Unluckily, encryption and decryption functions are slow and they are often hard. Fingerprint techniques required extra hardware and software; it is masqueraded by artificial gummy fingers (spoof attacks). Additionally, when a large number of users are being verified at the same time, the mechanism will become slow. In this paper, we employed each of the partial encryptions of user's fingerprint and discrete wavelet transform to obtain a new scheme of fingerprint verification. Moreover, our proposed scheme can overcome those problems; it does not require cost, reduces the computational supplies for huge volumes of fingerprint images, and resists well-known attacks. In addition, experimental results illustrate that our proposed scheme has a good performance of user's fingerprint verification. PMID:27355051

Prevalence of stroke symptoms among stroke-free residents: first national data from Lebanon.

PubMed

Farah, Rita; Zeidan, Rouba Karen; Chahine, Mirna N; Asmar, Roland; Chahine, Ramez; Salameh, Pascale; Hosseini, Hassan

2015-10-01

Stroke symptoms are common among people without a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack. Reported stroke symptoms may represent stroke episodes that failed to reach the threshold for clinical diagnosis. This study aimed to assess in the Lebanese population the prevalence of self-reported stroke symptoms in a stroke- and transient ischemic attack-free population, and the association of these symptoms with major risk factors for stroke. We carried out a cross-sectional study using a multistage cluster sample across Lebanon. We interviewed residents aged 40 years and more. Stroke symptoms were assessed using the Questionnaire for Verifying Stroke-Free Status. We included 1515 individuals (mean age was 57·2 ± 12·4 years, 783 women, 51·7%). Among 1460 participants stroke- and transient ischemic attack-free, 175 had experienced at least one stroke symptom (12·1%, 95% CI 9·9%-14·3%). Arterial hypertension (adjOR 4·37, 95% CI 2·68-7·12), history of heart disease (adjOR 3·34, 95% CI 2·00-5·56), current waterpipe smoking (adjOR 3·88, 95% CI 2·33-6·48), current and former cigarette smoking (adjOR 1·84, 95% CI 1·18-2·87 and adjOR 2·01, 95% CI 1·13-3·5, respectively), psychological distress (adjOR 1·04, 95% CI 1·02-1·05), the Mediterranean diet score (adjOR 0·87, 95% CI 0·76-0·99), and regular physical activity (adjOR 0·45, 95% CI 0·26-0·77) were independently associated with stroke symptoms. This is the first study conducted in the Middle East, assessing self-reported stroke symptoms among stroke-free residents. Our study showed that almost one in eight residents without a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack has had stroke symptoms. Major vascular risk factors are associated with these symptoms, thus allowing for prevention strategies. © 2015 World Stroke Organization.

Transient Ischemic Attack

MedlinePlus

... Coordinating Committees CounterACT Rigor & Transparency Scientific Resources Animal Models Cell/Tissue/DNA Clinical and Translational Resources Gene ... Coordinating Committees CounterACT Rigor & Transparency Scientific Resources Animal Models Cell/Tissue/DNA Clinical and Translational Resources Gene ...

Prevalence of ex vivo high on-treatment platelet reactivity on antiplatelet therapy after transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke on the PFA-100(®) and VerifyNow(®).

PubMed

Kinsella, Justin A; Tobin, W Oliver; Cox, Dermot; Coughlan, Tara; Collins, Ronan; O'Neill, Desmond; Murphy, Raymond P; McCabe, Dominick J H

2013-10-01

The prevalence of ex vivo high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) to commonly prescribed antiplatelet regimens after transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ischemic stroke is uncertain. Platelet function inhibition was simultaneously assessed with modified light transmission aggregometry (VerifyNow; Accumetrics Inc, San Diego, CA) and with a moderately high shear stress platelet function analyzer (PFA-100; Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc, Malvern, PA) in a pilot, cross-sectional study of TIA or ischemic stroke patients. Patients were assessed on aspirin-dipyridamole combination therapy (n = 51) or clopidogrel monotherapy (n = 25). On the VerifyNow, HTPR on aspirin was identified in 4 of 51 patients (8%) on aspirin-dipyridamole combination therapy (≥ 550 aspirin reaction units on the aspirin cartridge). Eleven of 25 (44%) patients had HTPR on clopidogrel (≥ 194 P2Y12 reaction units on the P2Y12 cartridge). On the PFA-100, 21 of 51 patients (41%) on aspirin-dipyridamole combination therapy had HTPR on the collagen-epinephrine (C-EPI) cartridge. Twenty-three of 25 patients (92%) on clopidogrel had HTPR on the collagen-adenosine diphosphate (C-ADP) cartridge. The proportion of patients with antiplatelet HTPR was lower on the VerifyNow than PFA-100 in patients on both regimens (P < .001). The prevalence of ex vivo antiplatelet HTPR after TIA or ischemic stroke is markedly influenced by the method used to assess platelet reactivity. The PFA-100 C-ADP cartridge is not sensitive at detecting the antiplatelet effects of clopidogrel ex vivo. Larger prospective studies with the VerifyNow and with the PFA-100 C-EPI and recently released Innovance PFA P2Y cartridges (Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc) in addition to newer tests of platelet function are warranted to assess whether platelet function monitoring predicts clinical outcome in ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Copyright © 2013 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prospective testing of ICHD-3 beta diagnostic criteria for migraine with aura and migraine with typical aura in patients with transient ischemic attacks.

PubMed

Lebedeva, Elena R; Gurary, Natalia M; Gilev, Denis V; Olesen, Jes

2018-03-01

Introduction The International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition beta (ICHD-3 beta) gave alternative diagnostic criteria for 1.2 migraine with aura (MA) and 1.2.1 migraine with typical aura (MTA) in the appendix. The latter were presumed to better differentiate transient ischemic attacks (TIA) from MA. The aim of the present study was to field test that. Methods Soon after admission, a neurologist interviewed 120 consecutive patients diagnosed with TIA after MRI or CT. Semi-structured interview forms addressed all details of the TIA episode and all information necessary to apply the ICHD-3beta diagnostic criteria for 1.2, 1.2.1, A1.2 and A1.2.1. Results Requiring at least one identical previous attack, the main body and the appendix criteria performed almost equally well. But requiring only one attack, more than a quarter of TIA patients also fulfilled the main body criteria for 1.2. Specificity was as follows for one attack: 1.2: 0.73, A1.2: 0.91, 1.2.1: 0.88 and A1.2.1: 1.0. Sensitivity when tested against ICHD-2 criteria were 100% for the main body criteria (because they were unchanged), 96% for A1.2 and 94% for A1.2.1. Conclusion The appendix criteria performed much better than the main body criteria for 1.2 MA and 1.2.1 MTA when diagnosing one attack (probable MA). We recommend that the appendix criteria should replace the main body criteria in the ICHD-3.

Patient and Provider Assessment of Lipid Management Registry

ClinicalTrials.gov

2016-02-15

Hyperlipidemia; Hypercholesterolemia; Cardiovascular Disease; Diabetes; Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD); Hypertension; Smoking; Myocardial Infarction (MI); Unstable Angina; Angina; Coronary Artery Disease (CAD); Stroke; Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA); Carotid Stenosis; Peripheral Arterial Disease; Atherosclerosis; Claudication

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

MedlinePlus

... Spread the Word Advocate Share Spread the Word Contact Us Contact Us 1-800-STROKES (787-6537) 9707 E. ... Stroke En Espanol Stroke Facts Come Back Strong Contact Us 1-800-787-6537 9707 E. Easter ...

The effect of antihypertensive treatment on the incidence of stroke and cognitive decline in the elderly: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Parsons, Christine; Murad, Mohammad Hassan; Andersen, Stuart; Mookadam, Farouk; Labonte, Helene

2016-03-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of antihypertensives in reducing neurocognitive outcomes in elderly patients. We conducted a systematic literature search of randomized trials in which hypertensive patients with a mean age ≥65 years received antihypertensive or control treatment. Outcomes were stroke, transient ischemic attack, cognitive decline and dementia. We included 14 trials for meta-analysis. Compared to placebo, antihypertensive treatment reduced the risk of stroke (RR: 0.67 [95% CI: 0.57-0.79]). Reduced risk was significant for transient ischemic attack, fatal stroke, nonfatal stroke and total stroke. There were insufficient data to compare individual agents. Antihypertensive treatment is associated with a significant reduction in stroke in elderly individuals. Reductions in dementia and cognitive decline were not significant; however, there was short follow-up. Comparative effectiveness evidence is limited.

Copeptin and Long-Term Risk of Recurrent Vascular Events After Transient Ischemic Attack and Ischemic Stroke: Population-Based Study.

PubMed

Greisenegger, Stefan; Segal, Helen C; Burgess, Annette I; Poole, Debbie L; Mehta, Ziyah; Rothwell, Peter M

2015-11-01

Copeptin, the c-terminal portion of provasopressin, is a useful prognostic marker in patients after myocardial infarction and heart failure. More recently, high levels of copeptin have also been associated with worse functional outcome and increased mortality within the first year after ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA). However, to date, there are no published data on whether copeptin predicts long-term risk of vascular events after TIA and stroke. We measured copeptin levels in consecutive patients with TIA or ischemic stroke in a population-based study (Oxford Vascular Study) recruited from 2002 to 2007 and followed up to 2014. Associations with risk of recurrent vascular events were determined by Cox-regression. During ≈6000 patient-years in 1076 patients, there were 357 recurrent vascular events, including 174 ischemic strokes. After adjustment for age, sex, and risk factors, copeptin was predictive of recurrent vascular events (adjusted hazard ratio per SD, 1.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.31-1.64; P=0.0001), vascular death (1.85; 1.60-2.14; P<0.0001), all-cause death (1.75; 1.58-1.93; P<0.0001), and recurrent ischemic stroke (1.22; 1.04-1.44; P=0.017); and improved model-discrimination significantly: net reclassification improvement for recurrent vascular events (32%; P<0.0001), vascular death (55%; P<0.0001), death (66%; P<0.0001), and recurrent stroke (16%; P=0.044). The predictive value of copeptin was largest in patients with cardioembolic index events (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.53-2.20 versus 1.31, 1.14-1.50 in noncardioembolic stroke; P=0.0025). In patients with cardioembolic stroke, high copeptin levels were associated with a 4-fold increased risk of vascular events within the first year of follow-up (adjusted hazard ratio, 4.02; 95% confidence interval, 2.13-7.70). In patients with TIA and ischemic stroke, copeptin predicted recurrent vascular events and death, particularly after cardioembolic TIA/stroke. Further validation is required, in particular, in studies using more extensive cardiac evaluation. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Deimatic display in the European swallowtail butterfly as a secondary defence against attacks from great tits.

PubMed

Olofsson, Martin; Eriksson, Stephan; Jakobsson, Sven; Wiklund, Christer

2012-01-01

Many animals reduce the risk of being attacked by a predator through crypsis, masquerade or, alternatively, by advertising unprofitability by means of aposematic signalling. Behavioural attributes in prey employed after discovery, however, signify the importance of also having an effective secondary defence if a predator uncovers, or is immune to, the prey's primary defence. In butterflies, as in most animals, secondary defence generally consists of escape flights. However, some butterfly species have evolved other means of secondary defence such as deimatic displays/startle displays. The European swallowtail, Papilio machaon, employs what appears to be a startle display by exposing its brightly coloured dorsal wing surface upon disturbance and, if the disturbance continues, by intermittently protracting and relaxing its wing muscles generating a jerky motion of the wings. This display appears directed towards predators but whether it is effective in intimidating predators so that they refrain from attacks has never been tested experimentally. In this study we staged encounters between a passerine predator, the great tit, Parus major, and live and dead swallowtail butterflies in a two-choice experiment. Results showed that the dead butterfly was virtually always attacked before the live butterfly, and that it took four times longer before a bird attacked the live butterfly. When the live butterfly was approached by a bird this generally elicited the butterfly's startle display, which usually caused the approaching bird to flee. We also performed a palatability test of the butterflies and results show that the great tits seemed to find them palatable. We conclude that the swallowtail's startle display of conspicuous coloration and jerky movements is an efficient secondary defence against small passerines. We also discuss under what conditions predator-prey systems are likely to aid the evolution of deimatic behaviours in harmless and palatable prey.

Carotid Artery Disease

MedlinePlus

... have the condition may be a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA is a temporary shortage of blood flow to ... your brain of blood, causing a stroke or TIA. Signs and symptoms of a stroke or TIA ...

[Risk factors in cerebrovascular disease. Do transient ischemic attacks lead to changes in lifestyle?].

PubMed

Sánchez, F; Aguilar, M; Porta, R; Urbano, F; Martínez, I; Bonaventura, I; Ribó, J M

1994-01-01

A minor stroke does not cause sufficient alarm in patients to change their lifestyles. 46 patients who suffered strokes in the previous 2 years were contacted by telephone, recording rehabilitation programs, medical therapy and modification of dietary habits. It was discovered that only 50% of those requiring motor rehabilitation actually received such treatment; and only one of twenty carried on speech exercises. Subsequent ischemic events were reported by 22 patients: 12 of whom had strokes, 8 ischemic myocardial attacks and two patients suffered both conditions. The majority of patients followed the prescribed medical treatment and advice badly. Of the 46 patients reviewed, 31 were hypertensive and only 16 follow recommended diets. Out of 15 smokers only, 6 gave up, and from 21 with dislypemia only 10 modified their diets. Of all patients only the most severely affected complied satisfactorily to medical treatments; a possible explanation for this would be that the contact between patients and physician (neurologist and family doctors) was discontinued immediately after the patients discharge from hospital. It is recommended therefore that steps be taken to insure better communication between neurologist, general practitioner and patient; thereby improving prognosis.

Incidental primary mediastinal choriocarcinoma diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in a patient presenting with transient ischemic attack and stroke.

PubMed

Francischetti, Ivo M B; Cajigas, Antonio; Suhrland, Mark; Farinhas, Joaquim M; Khader, Samer

2017-08-01

We describe a case of a 41-year old male patient with no significant prior medical history who presents with symptoms of Transient Ischemic Attack and stroke. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain identified areas of ischemia in the left side, and angiography showed occlusion of the left Medial Cerebral Artery (MCA). Cardiac Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE) for stroke evaluation incidentally noted a mediastinal abnormality leading to cancer work-up. Computer Tomography (CT) and 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET-CT scan of the chest incidentally revealed an avid 6 cm paraesophagial/subcarinal mass. Further diagnostic work-up with endoscopic and endobronchial ultra sound (EBUS)-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the mass yielded a cytology diagnosis of Germ Cell Tumor (GCT), with choriocarcinoma component. Additionally, high plasma levels of β-human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-HCG) were detected with no evidence of testicular tumor. This exceedingly rare presentation for a primary mediastinal choriocarcinoma underscores the importance of complete investigation of young patients presenting with neurological symptoms compatible with ischemic events. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:738-743. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Serum Uric Acid Levels and Onset of Cardiovascular Diseases: a CALIBER Study

ClinicalTrials.gov

2018-02-06

Stable Angina; Unstable Angina; Myocardial Infarction; Unheralded Coronary Heart Disease Death; Heart Failure; Cardiac Arrest; Transient Ischaemic Attack; Ischemic Stroke; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage; Intracerebral Hemorrhage; Peripheral Arterial Disease; Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm; Atrial Fibrillation

Stroke Risk Factors and Symptoms

MedlinePlus

... » [ pdf, 433 kb ] Order Materials » Stroke Risk Factors and Symptoms Risk Factors for a Stroke Stroke prevention is still ... it. Treatment can delay complications that increase the risk of stroke. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). Seek help. ...

The problem of dizziness and syncope in old age: transient ischemic attacks versus hypersensitive carotid sinus reflex.

PubMed

Uesu, C T; Eisenman, J I; Stemmer, E A

1976-03-01

In the elderly, a transient ischemic attack (TIA) and a hypersensitive carotid sinus reflex (HCSR) often co-exist and can pose a diagnostic challenge. Seven cases are presented. HCSR is a relative condition; besides increased irritability of the receptor or target organs, susceptibility of the nerve center to ischemia probably is induced by a slow heart rate or low blood pressure in any patient with pre-existing occlusive cerebrovascular disease. Dizziness and syncope of this type represent hemodynamic TIA in contrast to thromboembolic TIA. The carotid sinus massage test is recommended for differentiating the two types of TIA; the treatments differ. At present there is no uniform management that can be applied to either TIA or HCSR routinely. Therefore, treatment should be approached on an individual basis, keeping in mind the different pathophysiologic factors operating in the specific patient.

Corkscrew angiopathy of intracranial vessels in a young stroke patient: a case report.

PubMed

Alurkar, Anand; Karanam, Lakshmi Sudha P; Oak, Sagar P

2012-10-23

We present a rare finding of a 'corkscrew appearance' of the distal cerebral vessels in a young Asian woman who presented with acute stroke. A 32-year-old Asian woman presented with a 3-month history of recurrent right-sided transient ischemic attacks. Her clinical workup and brain imaging results were normal. A digital subtraction angiogram revealed an abnormal corkscrew appearance of all intracranial distal vessels. She was discharged on a single antiplatelet drug. She had no further transient ischemic attacks on clinical follow-up. A digital subtraction angiogram performed 1 year later revealed no changes in the appearance of these vessels. To the best of our knowledge no similar previous reports exist in the literature. The present report describes a unique case of an unusual corkscrew appearance of the distal intracranial vessels. However, the underlying etiology in the present case remains unknown.

Corkscrew angiopathy of intracranial vessels in a young stroke patient: a case report

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Introduction We present a rare finding of a ‘corkscrew appearance’ of the distal cerebral vessels in a young Asian woman who presented with acute stroke. Case presentation A 32-year-old Asian woman presented with a 3-month history of recurrent right-sided transient ischemic attacks. Her clinical workup and brain imaging results were normal. A digital subtraction angiogram revealed an abnormal corkscrew appearance of all intracranial distal vessels. She was discharged on a single antiplatelet drug. She had no further transient ischemic attacks on clinical follow-up. A digital subtraction angiogram performed 1 year later revealed no changes in the appearance of these vessels. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge no similar previous reports exist in the literature. The present report describes a unique case of an unusual corkscrew appearance of the distal intracranial vessels. However, the underlying etiology in the present case remains unknown. PMID:23092123

Prediction of Recurrent Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack After Noncardiogenic Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke.

PubMed

Zhang, Changqing; Wang, Yilong; Zhao, Xingquan; Liu, Liping; Wang, ChunXue; Pu, Yuehua; Zou, Xinying; Pan, Yuesong; Wong, Ka Sing; Wang, Yongjun

2017-07-01

Posterior circulation ischemic stroke (IS) is generally considered an illness with a poor prognosis. However, there are no effective rating scales to predict recurrent stroke following it. Therefore, our aim was to identify clinical or radiological measures that could assist in predicting recurrent cerebral ischemic episodes. We prospectively enrolled 723 noncardiogenic posterior circulation IS patients with onset of symptoms <7 days. Stroke risk factors, admission symptoms and signs, topographical distribution and responsible cerebral artery of acute infarcts, and any recurrent IS or transient ischemic attack (TIA) within 1 year were assessed. Cox regression was used to identify risk factors associated with recurrent IS or TIA within the year after posterior circulation IS. A total of 40 patients (5.5%) had recurrent IS or TIA within 1 year of posterior circulation IS. Multivariate Cox regression identified chief complaint with dysphagia (hazard ratio [HR], 4.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-10.2; P =0.002), repeated TIAs within 3 months before the stroke (HR, 15.4; 95% CI, 5.55-42.5; P <0.0001), responsible artery stenosis ≥70% (HR, 7.91; 95% CI, 1.00-62.6; P =0.05), multisector infarcts (HR, 5.38; 95% CI, 1.25-23.3; P =0.02), and not on antithrombotics treatment at discharge (HR, 3.06; 95% CI, 1.09-8.58; P =0.03) as independent predictors of recurrent IS or TIA. Some posterior circulation IS patients are at higher risk for recurrent IS or TIA. Urgent assessment and preventive treatment should be offered to these patients as soon as possible. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Decline in physical performance among women with a recent transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke: opportunities for functional preservation a report of the Women's Estrogen Stroke Trial.

PubMed

Kernan, Walter N; Viscoli, Catherine M; Brass, Lawrence M; Gill, Thomas M; Sarrel, Philip M; Horwitz, Ralph I

2005-03-01

Physical performance for walking, reaching, turning, and other common tasks is a major determinant of functional independence after stroke. Current strategies to preserve physical performance focus on prevention of recurrent stroke. Loss of physical performance, however, may occur in the absence of recurrence. To examine this possibility, we measured change in physical performance, independent of subsequent stroke, among women with a recent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Among 664 postmenopausal women who participated in a clinical trial of estrogen therapy after stroke or TIA, we administered the Physical Performance Test (PPT) at baseline (mean 58 days from the cerebrovascular event) and annually. Women who died or had a stroke during follow-up were censored. Decline or improvement in physical performance was defined as a change in the PPT score from baseline of at least 3 points. Sustained decline or improvement was defined as 2 consecutive years during which the score had declined or improved, respectively, relative to the baseline score. With each year of follow-up, a smaller proportion of the cohort demonstrated improvement (16% in year 1, 6% in year 5) and a larger proportion demonstrated decline (15% in year 1, 35% in year 5). In an analysis restricted to 259 women with 3 years of follow-up, 46 (18%) experienced a nonsustained decline in physical performance, and 39 (15%) experienced a sustained decline. Decline in physical performance is common after an ischemic stroke or TIA even in the absence of a recurrent neurological event. Our findings suggest that specific interventions to maintain and improve physical performance may be important for reducing long-term disability.

De novo Diagnosis of Fabry Disease among Italian Adults with Acute Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack.

PubMed

Romani, Ilaria; Borsini, Walter; Nencini, Patrizia; Morrone, Amelia; Ferri, Lorenzo; Frusconi, Sabrina; Donadio, Vincenzo Angelo; Liguori, Rocco; Donati, Maria Alice; Falconi, Serena; Pracucci, Giovanni; Inzitari, Domenico

2015-11-01

Cerebrovascular complications are often the first cause of hospitalization in patients with Fabry disease (FD). Screenings for FD among stroke patients have yielded discrepant results, likely as a result of heterogeneous or incomplete assessment. We designed a study to identify FD among adults 60 years of age or younger who were consecutively admitted for acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) to a stroke neurology service in Italy. Patients with first-ever or recurrent events were included, irrespective of gender, risk factors, or stroke type. We screened male patients using α-galactosidase A enzyme assay, and female patients using DNA sequencing. FD was eventually established after a broad multidisciplinary discussion. We screened 108 patients (61% males, median age: 48 years); 84% of these patients had stroke. De novo FD diagnosis was established in 3 patients (2.8%; 95% confidence interval, .57-8.18): a 59-year-old man with recurrent lacunar-like strokes and multiple risk factors; a 42-year-old woman with recurrent cryptogenic minor strokes; and a 32-year-old woman with recurrent strokes previously attributed to Behçet's disease. Screened patients were systematically asked for typical FD symptoms; each of the de novo patients reported one or more of the following: episodes of hand/foot pain during fever, angiokeratoma, and family history of heart disease. In all of the patients events were recurrent, and lacunar-like infarcts characterized their brain imaging. Prevalence of FD among nonselected adults 60 years of age or younger with acute ischemic stroke or TIA is not negligible. A systematic search for FD in a stroke setting, using a comprehensive clinical, biochemical, and genetic screening protocol, may be worthwhile. Copyright © 2015 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Panic attack triggering myocardial ischemia documented by myocardial perfusion imaging study. A case report

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Chest pain, a key element in the investigation of coronary artery disease is often regarded as a benign prognosis when present in panic attacks. However, panic disorder has been suggested as an independent risk factor for long-term prognosis of cardiovascular diseases and a trigger of acute myocardial infarction. Objective Faced with the extreme importance in differentiate from ischemic to non-ischemic chest pain, we report a case of panic attack induced by inhalation of 35% carbon dioxide triggering myocardial ischemia, documented by myocardial perfusion imaging study. Discussion Panic attack is undoubtedly a strong component of mental stress. Patients with coronary artery disease may present myocardial ischemia in mental stress response by two ways: an increase in coronary vasomotor tone or a sympathetic hyperactivity leading to a rise in myocardial oxygen consumption. Coronary artery spasm was presumed to be present in cases of cardiac ischemia linked to panic disorder. Possibly the carbon dioxide challenge test could trigger myocardial ischemia by the same mechanisms. Conclusion The use of mental stress has been suggested as an alternative method for myocardial ischemia investigation. Based on translational medicine objectives the use of CO2 challenge followed by Sestamibi SPECT could be a useful method to allow improved application of research-based knowledge to the medical field, specifically at the interface of PD and cardiovascular disease. PMID:22999016

Panic attack triggering myocardial ischemia documented by myocardial perfusion imaging study. A case report.

PubMed

Soares-Filho, Gastão Luiz Fonseca; Mesquita, Claudio Tinoco; Mesquita, Evandro Tinoco; Arias-Carrión, Oscar; Machado, Sergio; González, Manuel Menéndez; Valença, Alexandre Martins; Nardi, Antonio Egidio

2012-09-21

Chest pain, a key element in the investigation of coronary artery disease is often regarded as a benign prognosis when present in panic attacks. However, panic disorder has been suggested as an independent risk factor for long-term prognosis of cardiovascular diseases and a trigger of acute myocardial infarction. Faced with the extreme importance in differentiate from ischemic to non-ischemic chest pain, we report a case of panic attack induced by inhalation of 35% carbon dioxide triggering myocardial ischemia, documented by myocardial perfusion imaging study. Panic attack is undoubtedly a strong component of mental stress. Patients with coronary artery disease may present myocardial ischemia in mental stress response by two ways: an increase in coronary vasomotor tone or a sympathetic hyperactivity leading to a rise in myocardial oxygen consumption. Coronary artery spasm was presumed to be present in cases of cardiac ischemia linked to panic disorder. Possibly the carbon dioxide challenge test could trigger myocardial ischemia by the same mechanisms. The use of mental stress has been suggested as an alternative method for myocardial ischemia investigation. Based on translational medicine objectives the use of CO2 challenge followed by Sestamibi SPECT could be a useful method to allow improved application of research-based knowledge to the medical field, specifically at the interface of PD and cardiovascular disease.

[Blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in ischemic heart disease].

PubMed

Sakamoto, T; Ogawa, H; Miyao, Y; Yasue, H

1994-01-01

Intracoronary thrombus formation has been thought to play an important role in the genesis of acute myocardial infarction an unstable angina. To examine whether the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems are altered in such ischemic heart diseases, the plasma levels of fibrinopeptide A (FPA) and plasminogen activator (PAI) were measured. The plasma level of FPA was increased in patients with variant angina as compared with those with stable exertional angina and there was a significant circadian variation in the plasma level of FPA in parallel with that of the frequency of the attacks with the peak level occurring from midnight to early morning in patients with variant angina. The plasma FPA level increased in patients with coronary spastic angina after the ischemic attack induced by hyperventilation. Furthermore, FPA was released into the coronary circulation after the anginal attack induced by intracoronary injection of acetylcholine. These findings suggest that the coronary artery spasm may induce thrombin generation and trigger thrombus formation in the coronary artery. On the other hand, the plasma level of PAI activity was higher in patients with unstable angina and coronary spastic angina than in those with stable exertional angina. Moreover, the PAI activity in patients with unstable angina decreased to the level in patients with stable exertional angina after the stabilization of their symptoms by drugs. Our findings suggest that the increased plasma PAI activity may reduce fibrinolytic activity and attenuate removal of the thrombus and may ultimately lead to acute myocardial infarction in some patients with unstable angina and coronary spastic angina.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Four-year follow-up of transient ischemic attacks, strokes, and mimics: a retrospective transient ischemic attack clinic cohort study.

PubMed

Dutta, Dipankar; Bowen, Emily; Foy, Chris

2015-05-01

There is limited information on outcomes from rapid access transient ischemic attack (TIA) clinics. We present 4-year outcomes of TIAs, strokes, and mimics from a UK TIA clinic database. All patients referred between April 2010 and May 2012 were retrospectively identified and outcomes determined. End points were stroke, myocardial infarction, any vascular event (TIA, stroke, or myocardial infarction), and all-cause death. Data were analyzed by survival analysis. Of 1067 patients, 31.6% were TIAs, 18% strokes, and 50.4% mimics. Median assessment time was 4.5 days from onset and follow-up was for 34.9 months. Subsequent strokes occurred in 7.1% of patients with TIA, 10.9% of patients with stroke, and 2.0% of mimics at the end of follow-up. Stroke risk at 90 days was 1.3% for patients diagnosed as TIA or stroke. Compared with mimics, hazard ratios for subsequent stroke were 3.88 (1.90-7.91) for TIA and 5.84 (2.81-12.11) for stroke. Hazard ratio for any subsequent vascular event was 2.91 (1.97-4.30) for TIA and 2.83 (1.81-4.41) for stroke. Hazard ratio for death was 1.68 (1.10-2.56) for TIA and 2.19 (1.38-3.46) for stroke. Our results show a lower 90-day stroke incidence after TIA or minor stroke than in earlier studies, suggesting that rapid access daily TIA clinics may be having a significant effect on reducing strokes. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Predicting Major Bleeding in Ischemic Stroke Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

PubMed

Hilkens, Nina A; Algra, Ale; Greving, Jacoba P

2017-11-01

Performance of risk scores for major bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation and a previous transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke is not well established. We aimed to validate risk scores for major bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation treated with oral anticoagulants after cerebral ischemia and explore the net benefit of oral anticoagulants among bleeding risk categories. We analyzed 3623 patients with a history of transient ischemic attack or stroke included in the RE-LY trial (Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulation Therapy). We assessed performance of HEMORR 2 HAGES (hepatic or renal disease, ethanol abuse, malignancy, older age, reduced platelet count or function, hypertension [uncontrolled], anemia, genetic factors, excessive fall risk, and stroke), Shireman, HAS-BLED (hypertension, abnormal renal/liver function, stroke, bleeding history or predisposition, labile international normalized ratio, elderly, drugs/alcohol concomitantly), ATRIA (Anticoagulation and Risk Factors in Atrial Fibrillation), and ORBIT scores (older age, reduced haemoglobin/haematocrit/history of anaemia, bleeding history, insufficient kidney function, and treatment with antiplatelet) with C statistics and calibration plots. Net benefit of oral anticoagulants was explored by comparing risk reduction in ischemic stroke with risk increase in major bleedings on warfarin. During 6922 person-years of follow-up, 266 patients experienced a major bleed (3.8 per 100 person-years). C statistics ranged from 0.62 (Shireman) to 0.67 (ATRIA). Calibration was poor for ATRIA and moderate for other models. The reduction in recurrent ischemic strokes on warfarin was larger than the increase in major bleeding risk, irrespective of bleeding risk category. Performance of prediction models for major bleeding in patients with cerebral ischemia and atrial fibrillation is modest but comparable with performance in patients with only atrial fibrillation. Bleeding risk scores cannot guide treatment decisions for oral anticoagulants but may still be useful to identify modifiable risk factors for bleeding. Clinical usefulness may be best for ORBIT, which is based on a limited number of easily obtainable variables and showed reasonable performance. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

The Adherence eValuation After Ischemic Stroke Longitudinal (AVAIL) registry: design, rationale, and baseline patient characteristics.

PubMed

Bushnell, Cheryl; Zimmer, Louise; Schwamm, Lee; Goldstein, Larry B; Clapp-Channing, Nancy; Harding, Tina; Drew, Laura; Zhao, Xin; Peterson, Eric

2009-03-01

Approximately one third of the 780,000 people in the United States who have a stroke each year have recurrent events. Although efficacious secondary prevention measures are available, levels of adherence to these strategies in patients who have had stroke are largely unknown. Understanding medication-taking behavior in this population is an important step to optimizing the appropriate use of proven secondary preventive therapies and reducing the risk of recurrent stroke. The Adherence eValuation After Ischemic Stroke Longitudinal (AVAIL) registry is a prospective study of adherence to stroke prevention medications from hospital discharge to 1 year in patients admitted with stroke or transient ischemic attack. The primary outcomes are medication usage as determined by patient interviews after 3 and 12 months. Potential patient-, provider-, and system-level barriers to persistence of medication use are also collected. Secondary outcomes include the rates of recurrent stroke or transient ischemic attack, vascular events, and rehospitalization and functional status as measured by the modified Rankin score. The AVAIL enrolled about 2,900 subjects from 106 hospitals from July 2006 through July 2008. The 12-month follow-up will be completed in August 2009. The AVAIL registry will document the current state of adherence and persistence to stroke prevention medications among a nationwide sample of patients. These data will be used to design interventions to improve the quality of care post acute hospitalization and reduce the risks of future stroke and cardiovascular events.

Association of Progression of Carotid Artery Wall Volume and Recurrent Transient Ischemic Attack or Stroke: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

PubMed

Lu, Mingming; Peng, Peng; Cui, Yuanyuan; Qiao, Huiyu; Li, Dongye; Cai, Jianming; Zhao, Xihai

2018-03-01

This study aimed to investigate the association between carotid plaque progression and subsequent recurrent events using magnetic resonance imaging. Sixty-three symptomatic patients with ipsilateral carotid atherosclerotic stenosis (30%-69% stenosis) determined by ultrasound underwent first and second carotid artery magnetic resonance imaging for carotid artery at baseline and ≥6 months after the first scan, respectively. All the patients had clinical follow-up after the second magnetic resonance scan for ≤5 years until the onset of recurrent transient ischemic attack or stroke. Presence/absence of carotid plaque compositional features, particularly intraplaque hemorrhage and fibrous cap rupture was identified. The annual progression of carotid wall volume between 2 magnetic resonance scans was measured. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was used to calculate the hazard ratio and corresponding 95% confidence interval of carotid plaque features in discriminating recurrent events. Receiver-operating-characteristic-curve analysis was conducted to determine the area-under-the-curve of carotid plaque features in predicting recurrent events. Sixty-three patients (mean age: 66.5±10.0 years old; 54 males) were eligible for final statistics analysis. During a mean follow-up duration of 55.1±13.6 months, 14.3% of patients (n=9) experienced ipsilateral recurrent transient ischemic attack/stroke. The annual progression of carotid wall volume was significantly associated with recurrent events before (hazard ratio, 1.14 per 10 mm 3 ; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.27; P =0.019) and after (hazard ratio, 1.19 per 10 mm3; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.37; P =0.022) adjusted for confounding factors. In discriminating the recurrence of transient ischemia attack/stroke, receiver-operator curve analysis indicated that combined with annual progression of wall volume, there was a significant incremental improvement in the area-under-the-curve of intraplaque hemorrhage (area-under-the-curve: 0.69-0.81) and fibrous cap rupture (area-under-the-curve: 0.73-0.84). The annual progression of carotid wall volume is independently associated with recurrent ischemic cerebrovascular events, and this measurement has added value for intraplaque hemorrhage and fibrous cap rupture in predicting future events. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Relapse of Takayasu arteritis as a cause of suicidal poisoning and subsequent major ischemic stroke successfully treated with thrombolytic therapy.

PubMed

Komatina, Neneal; Lepić, Toplica; Labović, Boban; Stevović, Tatjana; Petronijević, Milan; Radovinović-Tasić, Sanja; Obradović, Dragana

2016-08-01

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare large vessel arteritis, affecting primarily aorta and its major branches. Its clinical manifestations can vary significantly - from asymptomatic to serious vascular events. Acute neurological complications are frequent at the onset of the disease and in relapses. Anxiety and depression are more frequent in TA patients than in general population as well as during relapses. Prevalence of transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke in TA patients is approximately 10-20%. We presented a patient with TA that began with a depressive episode resulting in attempted suicide by bromazepame poisoning. This was subsequently followed by major ischemic stroke caused by thrombosis of the left middle cerebral artery (probably due to aortic arch embolism) successfully treated with intravenous thrombolysis. Intravenous thrombolysis appears to be safe and effective in patients with TA and stroke.

Early Recurrence and Cerebral Bleeding in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation: Effect of Anticoagulation and Its Timing: The RAF Study.

PubMed

Paciaroni, Maurizio; Agnelli, Giancarlo; Falocci, Nicola; Caso, Valeria; Becattini, Cecilia; Marcheselli, Simona; Rueckert, Christina; Pezzini, Alessandro; Poli, Loris; Padovani, Alessandro; Csiba, Laszló; Szabó, Lilla; Sohn, Sung-Il; Tassinari, Tiziana; Abdul-Rahim, Azmil H; Michel, Patrik; Cordier, Maria; Vanacker, Peter; Remillard, Suzette; Alberti, Andrea; Venti, Michele; Scoditti, Umberto; Denti, Licia; Orlandi, Giovanni; Chiti, Alberto; Gialdini, Gino; Bovi, Paolo; Carletti, Monica; Rigatelli, Alberto; Putaala, Jukka; Tatlisumak, Turgut; Masotti, Luca; Lorenzini, Gianni; Tassi, Rossana; Guideri, Francesca; Martini, Giuseppe; Tsivgoulis, Georgios; Vadikolias, Kostantinos; Liantinioti, Chrissoula; Corea, Francesco; Del Sette, Massimo; Ageno, Walter; De Lodovici, Maria Luisa; Bono, Giorgio; Baldi, Antonio; D'Anna, Sebastiano; Sacco, Simona; Carolei, Antonio; Tiseo, Cindy; Acciarresi, Monica; D'Amore, Cataldo; Imberti, Davide; Zabzuni, Dorjan; Doronin, Boris; Volodina, Vera; Consoli, Domenico; Galati, Franco; Pieroni, Alessio; Toni, Danilo; Monaco, Serena; Baronello, Mario Maimone; Barlinn, Kristian; Pallesen, Lars-Peder; Kepplinger, Jessica; Bodechtel, Ulf; Gerber, Johannes; Deleu, Dirk; Melikyan, Gayane; Ibrahim, Faisal; Akhtar, Naveed; Mosconi, Maria Giulia; Bubba, Valentina; Silvestri, Ilenia; Lees, Kennedy R

2015-08-01

The best time for administering anticoagulation therapy in acute cardioembolic stroke remains unclear. This prospective cohort study of patients with acute stroke and atrial fibrillation, evaluated (1) the risk of recurrent ischemic event and severe bleeding; (2) the risk factors for recurrence and bleeding; and (3) the risks of recurrence and bleeding associated with anticoagulant therapy and its starting time after the acute stroke. The primary outcome of this multicenter study was the composite of stroke, transient ischemic attack, symptomatic systemic embolism, symptomatic cerebral bleeding and major extracranial bleeding within 90 days from acute stroke. Of the 1029 patients enrolled, 123 had 128 events (12.6%): 77 (7.6%) ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack or systemic embolism, 37 (3.6%) symptomatic cerebral bleeding, and 14 (1.4%) major extracranial bleeding. At 90 days, 50% of the patients were either deceased or disabled (modified Rankin score ≥3), and 10.9% were deceased. High CHA2DS2-VASc score, high National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, large ischemic lesion and type of anticoagulant were predictive factors for primary study outcome. At adjusted Cox regression analysis, initiating anticoagulants 4 to 14 days from stroke onset was associated with a significant reduction in primary study outcome, compared with initiating treatment before 4 or after 14 days: hazard ratio 0.53 (95% confidence interval 0.30-0.93). About 7% of the patients treated with oral anticoagulants alone had an outcome event compared with 16.8% and 12.3% of the patients treated with low molecular weight heparins alone or followed by oral anticoagulants, respectively (P=0.003). Acute stroke in atrial fibrillation patients is associated with high rates of ischemic recurrence and major bleeding at 90 days. This study has observed that high CHA2DS2-VASc score, high National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, large ischemic lesions, and type of anticoagulant administered each independently led to a greater risk of recurrence and bleedings. Also, data showed that the best time for initiating anticoagulation treatment for secondary stroke prevention is 4 to 14 days from stroke onset. Moreover, patients treated with oral anticoagulants alone had better outcomes compared with patients treated with low molecular weight heparins alone or before oral anticoagulants. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Severe depression masquerading as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

PubMed Central

Shiner, Elizabeth; Taylor, Lauren; Mohan, Adith; Watson, Shaun; Sachdev, Perminder Singh

2014-01-01

We report a case of melancholic depression with catatonic features presenting as a rapidly progressive organic brain syndrome, initially thought to be probable Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The case highlights the fundamental importance of thorough exclusion of treatable pathology masquerading as an irreversible syndrome. PMID:24748140

Elevation of Autoantibody in Patients with Ischemic Stroke.

PubMed

Yoshida, Yoichi; Hiwasa, Takaki; Machida, Toshio; Kobayashi, Eiichi; Mine, Seiichiro; Matsushima, Jun; Takiguchi, Masaki; Iwadate, Yasuo

2018-05-31

Recent clinical research has revealed a significant correlation between atherosclerosis, one of the primary etiologies of ischemic stroke, and the immune system. Assuming that "disease-specific autoantibodies are produced in the sera of patients with ischemic stroke," we investigated multiple arteriosclerosis-related antibodies using the serological identification of antigens by recombinant cDNA expression cloning (SEREX), an established method for identifying antigenic proteins. We either screened a human aortic endothelial cell cDNA library or conducted protein array screening using the sera from patients with ischemic stroke, such as carotid artery stenosis or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Next, we measured serum antibody levels using amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay-linked immunosorbent assay (AlphaLISA) in patient/healthy donor (HD) cohorts and identified several antigens, the antibody levels of which were significantly higher in patients with ischemic stroke than in HDs. This review introduced the method of identifying antigens by the SEREX and protein microarray and summarized antigenic proteins. In particular, it focused on anti-replication protein A2 antibody and anti-programmed cell death 11 antibody, which are significantly related to atherosclerotic plaque and ischemic brain tissue, respectively, and proposed the mechanism of elevated autoantibody levels against them. Furthermore, this review suggests a possibility of clinical application as an atherosclerotic disease diagnostic marker for TIA or cerebral infarction.

Definition and evaluation of transient ischemic attack: a scientific statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Stroke Council; Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia; Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention; Council on Cardiovascular Nursing; and the Interdisciplinary Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease. The American Academy of Neurology affirms the value of this statement as an educational tool for neurologists.

PubMed

Easton, J Donald; Saver, Jeffrey L; Albers, Gregory W; Alberts, Mark J; Chaturvedi, Seemant; Feldmann, Edward; Hatsukami, Thomas S; Higashida, Randall T; Johnston, S Claiborne; Kidwell, Chelsea S; Lutsep, Helmi L; Miller, Elaine; Sacco, Ralph L

2009-06-01

This scientific statement is intended for use by physicians and allied health personnel caring for patients with transient ischemic attacks. Formal evidence review included a structured literature search of Medline from 1990 to June 2007 and data synthesis employing evidence tables, meta-analyses, and pooled analysis of individual patient-level data. The review supported endorsement of the following, tissue-based definition of transient ischemic attack (TIA): a transient episode of neurological dysfunction caused by focal brain, spinal cord, or retinal ischemia, without acute infarction. Patients with TIAs are at high risk of early stroke, and their risk may be stratified by clinical scale, vessel imaging, and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging. Diagnostic recommendations include: TIA patients should undergo neuroimaging evaluation within 24 hours of symptom onset, preferably with magnetic resonance imaging, including diffusion sequences; noninvasive imaging of the cervical vessels should be performed and noninvasive imaging of intracranial vessels is reasonable; electrocardiography should occur as soon as possible after TIA and prolonged cardiac monitoring and echocardiography are reasonable in patients in whom the vascular etiology is not yet identified; routine blood tests are reasonable; and it is reasonable to hospitalize patients with TIA if they present within 72 hours and have an ABCD(2) score >or=3, indicating high risk of early recurrence, or the evaluation cannot be rapidly completed on an outpatient basis.

Pathological laughter as prodromal manifestation of transient ischemic attacks--case report and brief review.

PubMed

Dulamea, Adriana O; Matei, Costel; Mindruta, Ioana; Ionescu, Virgil

2015-10-12

Based on a case report, the authors reviewed the data about involuntary emotional expression disorder (IEED). IEED includes the syndromes of pathological laughing and crying (PLC) and emotional lability (EL). PLC is a rare disorder of emotional expression characterized by relatively uncontrollable episodes of laughter and crying or both that do not have an apparent motivating stimulus. Authors report the case of a 59-year-old man who presented with recurrent episodes of PLC of approximately 2 min duration, consisting of accelerated breathing, emission of guttural, snoring sounds, frowning of the eyebrows, followed by laughter accompanied by motor restlessness of all four limbs. PLC episodes preceded left carotid transient ischemic attacks (TIA's) manifested by reversible aphasia and right hemiparesis. Electroencephalography performed during PLC episodes revealed no spike-wave activity. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed lacunar infarcts in the left lenticulo-capsulo-thalamic area and multiple round lesions in the cortical-subcortical and in the deep white matter of frontal-parietal-occipital lobes bilaterally, with T2 hyperintensity, T1 isointensity and no diffusion changes. The episodes were interpreted as transient ischemic attacks although gelastic seizures could not be excluded. The etiological investigations revealed unstable plaques on the left carotid artery bulb and the aortic arch and a degenerative mitral valve stenosis. The patient was treated first with antiplatelet therapy and antiepileptic drugs but PLC stopped only after anticoagulation was started. During follow-up the patient continued to have left carotid and vertebrobasilar TIA's being on oral anticoagulation. The patient became asymptomatic only after mitral valve replacement was performed. This case illustrates the difficulty distinguishing between gelastic epilepsy and TIA's in cases of PLC episodes and discuss the neuroanatomic bases and pathophysiology of this rare condition.

Trends in risk factor prevalence and management before first stroke: data from the South London Stroke Register 1995-2011.

PubMed

Marshall, Iain J; Wang, Yanzhong; McKevitt, Christopher; Rudd, Anthony G; Wolfe, Charles D A

2013-07-01

Vascular risk factors are suboptimally managed internationally. This study investigated time trends in risk factors diagnosed before stroke and their treatment, and factors associated with appropriate medication use. A total of 4416 patients with a first stroke were registered in the population-based South London Stroke Register from 1995 to 2011. Previously diagnosed risk factors and usual medications were collected from patients' primary care and hospital records. Trends and associations were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Seventy-two percent of patients were diagnosed previously with 1 or more risk factors; 30% had diagnosed risk factors that were untreated. Hypercholesterolemia increased significantly during the study period; myocardial infarction and transient ischemic attack prevalences decreased. Antiplatelet prescription increased in atrial fibrillation (AF), myocardial infarction, and transient ischemic attack (AF, 37%-51%, P<0.001; myocardial infarction, 48%-69%, P<0.001; transient ischemic attack, 49%-61%, P=0.015). Anticoagulant prescription for AF showed a nonsignificant increase (12%-23%; P=0.059). Fewer older patients with AF were prescribed anticoagulants (age, >85 versus <65 years; adjusted relative risk, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.08-0.41). Black ethnicity (adjusted relative risk, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-1.23) and female sex (adjusted relative risk, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.15) were associated with increased antihypertensive drug prescription; other medications did not vary by ethnicity or sex. Antiplatelet and cholesterol-lowering treatment prescribing have improved significantly over time; however, only a minority with AF received anticoagulants, and this did not improve significantly. Overall, 30% of strokes occurred in patients with previously diagnosed but untreated risk factors.

Mexican American Male Masquerades in the Institution as Bully

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oesterreich, Heather A.; Sosa-Provencio, Mia A.; Anatska, Tamara

2017-01-01

This Black and Chicana Feminist case study challenges national discourse surrounding school bullying as individualistic, student-centered. We explore the warrior lens of Mexican/Mexican-American males. While masquerading institutional compliance, they simultaneously unmask policies, practices as the means to control mind/bodies/spirit. This…

Rheumatoid arthritis significantly increased recurrence risk after ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Chen, Yih-Ru; Hsieh, Fang-I; Lien, Li-Ming; Hu, Chaur-Jong; Jeng, Jiann-Shing; Peng, Giia-Sheun; Tang, Sung-Chun; Chi, Nai-Fang; Sung, Yueh-Feng; Chiou, Hung-Yi

2018-06-02

The effect of RA on recurrent stroke is unknown. Therefore, we examined effects of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on risk of stroke recurrence and investigated the interaction between RA and traditional cardiovascular risk factors on recurrence risk after ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Of 3190 patients with IS or TIA recruited in this cohort study, 638 were comorbid with RA and 2552 without RA. Stroke recurrence, RA, lifestyle, lipid variables and other comorbidities were identified through linkage between a nationwide stroke database in Taiwan and the National Health Insurance claims database. Cox proportional hazard models with competing risk adjustment were used to evaluate the relationship between RA and recurrent stroke. Patients with RA showed a significantly increased risk of recurrent stroke, particular in recurrent IS/TIA. The increased risk of recurrent IS/TIA in RA patients may through the changes of triglycerides (TG)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio. A positive additive interaction was observed between RA and current smoking on the risk of recurrent IS/TIA. Significantly increased risks for recurrent IS/TIA were observed among RA patients who smoked > 40 years or those who smoked > 20 cigarettes/day. This study provides the first evidence that RA significantly increased recurrence IS/TIA risk. The changes of TG/HDL-C ratio may play some roles in the recurrence IS/TIA risk in RA patients. In addition, our results suggest that smoking increases the risk of recurrent IS/TIA in RA patients and reinforces the need for aggressive smoking cessation efforts in RA patients.

How Does Cardiovascular Disease First Present in Women and Men? Incidence of 12 Cardiovascular Diseases in a Contemporary Cohort of 1,937,360 People.

PubMed

George, Julie; Rapsomaniki, Eleni; Pujades-Rodriguez, Mar; Shah, Anoop Dinesh; Denaxas, Spiros; Herrett, Emily; Smeeth, Liam; Timmis, Adam; Hemingway, Harry

2015-10-06

Given the recent declines in heart attack and stroke incidence, it is unclear how women and men differ in first lifetime presentations of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). We compared the incidence of 12 cardiac, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular diseases in women and men at different ages. We studied 1 937 360 people, aged ≥ 30 years and free from diagnosed CVD at baseline (51% women), using linked electronic health records covering primary care, hospital admissions, acute coronary syndrome registry, and mortality (Cardiovascular Research Using LInked Bespoke Studies and Electronic Records [CALIBER] research platform). During 6 years median follow-up between 1997 and 2010, 114 859 people experienced an incident cardiovascular diagnosis, the majority (66%) of which were neither myocardial infarction nor ischemic stroke. Associations of male sex with initial diagnoses of CVD, however, varied from strong (age-adjusted hazard ratios, 3.6-5.0) for abdominal aortic aneurysm, myocardial infarction, and unheralded coronary death (particularly >60 years), through modest (hazard ratio, 1.5-2.0) for stable angina, ischemic stroke, peripheral arterial disease, heart failure, and cardiac arrest, to weak (hazard ratio <1.5) for transient ischemic attack, intracerebral hemorrhage, and unstable angina, and inverse (0.69) for subarachnoid hemorrhage (all P<0.001). The majority of initial presentations of CVD are neither myocardial infarction nor ischemic stroke, yet most primary prevention studies focus on these presentations. Sex has differing associations with different CVDs, with implications for risk prediction and management strategies. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01164371. © 2015 The Authors.

Smartphone electrographic monitoring for atrial fibrillation in acute ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Tu, Hans T; Chen, Ziyuan; Swift, Corey; Churilov, Leonid; Guo, Ruibing; Liu, Xinfeng; Jannes, Jim; Mok, Vincent; Freedman, Ben; Davis, Stephen M; Yan, Bernard

2017-10-01

Rationale Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is a common and preventable cause of devastating strokes. However, currently available monitoring methods, including Holter monitoring, cardiac telemetry and event loop recorders, have drawbacks that restrict their application in the general stroke population. AliveCor™ heart monitor, a novel device that embeds miniaturized electrocardiography (ECG) in a smartphone case coupled with an application to record and diagnose the ECG, has recently been shown to provide an accurate and sensitive single lead ECG diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. This device could be used by nurses to record a 30-s ECG instead of manual pulse taking and automatically provide a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. Aims To compare the proportion of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation detected by AliveCor™ ECG monitoring with current standard practice. Sample size 296 Patients. Design Consecutive ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack patients presenting to participating stroke units without known atrial fibrillation will undergo intermittent AliveCor™ ECG monitoring administered by nursing staff at the same frequency as the vital observations of pulse and blood pressure until discharge, in addition to the standard testing paradigm of each participating stroke unit to detect paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Study outcome Proportion of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation detected by AliveCor™ ECG monitoring compared to 12-lead ECG, 24-h Holter monitoring and cardiac telemetry. Discussion Use of AliveCor™ heart monitor as part of routine stroke unit nursing observation has the potential to be an inexpensive non-invasive method to increase paroxysmal atrial fibrillation detection, leading to improvement in stroke secondary prevention.

Antiplatelet Agents for the Secondary Prevention of Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: A Network Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Wen; Zhang, Lu; Liu, Weiming; Zhu, Qin; Lan, Qing; Zhao, Jizong

2016-05-01

Stroke can cause high morbidity and mortality, and ischemic stroke (IS) and transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients have a high stroke recurrence rate. Antiplatelet agents are the standard therapy for these patients, but it is often difficult for clinicians to select the best therapy from among the multiple treatment options. We therefore performed a network meta-analysis to estimate the efficacy of antiplatelet agents for secondary prevention of recurrent stroke. We systematically searched 3 databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane) for relevant studies published through August 2015. The primary end points of this meta-analysis were overall stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and fatal stroke. A total of 30 trials were included in our network meta-analysis and abstracted data. Among the therapies evaluated in the included trials, the estimates for overall stroke and hemorrhagic stroke for cilostazol (Cilo) were significantly better than those for aspirin (odds ratio [OR] = .64, 95% credibility interval [CrI], .45-.91; OR = .23, 95% CrI, .08-.58). The estimate for fatal stroke was highest for Cilo plus aspirin combination therapy, followed by Cilo therapy. The results of our meta-analysis indicate that Cilo significantly improves overall stroke and hemorrhagic stroke in IS or TIA patients and reduces fatal stroke, but with low statistical significance. Our results also show that Cilo was significantly more efficient than other therapies in Asian patients; therefore, future trials should focus on Cilo treatment for secondary prevention of recurrent stroke in non-Asian patients. Copyright © 2016 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development, Validation, and Assessment of an Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack-Specific Prediction Tool for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

PubMed

Sico, Jason J; Yaggi, H Klar; Ofner, Susan; Concato, John; Austin, Charles; Ferguson, Jared; Qin, Li; Tobias, Lauren; Taylor, Stanley; Vaz Fragoso, Carlos A; McLain, Vincent; Williams, Linda S; Bravata, Dawn M

2017-08-01

Screening instruments for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), as used routinely to guide clinicians regarding patient referral for polysomnography (PSG), rely heavily on symptomatology. We sought to develop and validate a cerebrovascular disease-specific OSA prediction model less reliant on symptomatology, and to compare its performance with commonly used screening instruments within a population with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Using data on demographic factors, anthropometric measurements, medical history, stroke severity, sleep questionnaires, and PSG from 2 independently derived, multisite, randomized trials that enrolled patients with stroke or TIA, we developed and validated a model to predict the presence of OSA (i.e., Apnea-Hypopnea Index ≥5 events per hour). Model performance was compared with that of the Berlin Questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Snoring, Tiredness, Observed apnea, high blood Pressure, Body mass index, Age, Neck circumference, and Gender instrument, and the Sleep Apnea Clinical Score. The new SLEEP Inventory (Sex, Left heart failure, ESS, Enlarged neck, weight [in Pounds], Insulin resistance/diabetes, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) performed modestly better than other instruments in identifying patients with OSA, showing reasonable discrimination in the development (c-statistic .732) and validation (c-statistic .731) study populations, and having the highest negative predictive value of all in struments. Clinicians should be aware of these limitations in OSA screening instruments when making decisions about referral for PSG. The high negative predictive value of the SLEEP INventory may be useful in determining and prioritizing patients with stroke or TIA least in need of overnight PSG. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Discrimination of acute ischemic stroke from nonischemic vertigo in patients presenting with only imbalance.

PubMed

Honda, Shoji; Inatomi, Yuichiro; Yonehara, Toshiro; Hashimoto, Yoichiro; Hirano, Teruyuki; Ando, Yukio; Uchino, Makoto

2014-01-01

Some patients who present with an acute feeling of imbalance are experiencing an ischemic stroke that is not evident on computed tomography (CT) scans. The aim of this study was to compare ischemic stroke and nonischemic vertigo patient groups and to investigate independent factors associated with ischemic stroke. We examined 332 consecutive patients with an acute feeling of imbalance who showed no neurologic findings or responsible lesions on CT scan at the hyperacute phase. We examined their clinical backgrounds, physical findings, and laboratory examinations, with ischemic stroke diagnosed by later CT and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We identified 41 (12.3%) ischemic stroke patients. Atrial fibrillation (odds ratio 4.1; 95% confidence interval 1.4-11.5), white blood cell count (10(3)/μL, 1.4; 1.2-1.6), head and/or neck pain (4.6; 2.1-10.3), first attack of imbalance feeling (3.3; 1.1-12.2), and dizziness (3.7; 1.7-8.3) were significant and independent factors associated with ischemic stroke among patients with an acute feeling of imbalance. We used these factors to calculate an "imbalance score"; 1 point was given for the presence of each factor and a score of 3-5 points was independently associated with ischemic stroke. An awareness of these factors may indicate that further examinations including MRI are necessary to rule out ischemic stroke. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

C-reactive protein gene C1444T polymorphism and risk of recurrent ischemic events in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherostenoses.

PubMed

Arenillas, Juan F; Massot, Andreu; Alvarez-Sabín, Jose; Fernandez-Cadenas, Israel; del Rio-Espinola, Albert; Chacon, Pilar; Quintana, Manuel; Molina, Carlos A; Rovira, Alex; Montaner, Joan

2009-01-01

High levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are associated with an increased risk of further ischemic events in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). It remains unknown to which extent this increased risk might be genetically predetermined. We aimed to investigate the relationship between a common genetic polymorphism of the CRP gene and the risk of recurrent ischemic events in symptomatic ICAD patients. We studied 75 consecutive patients with a first-ever cerebral ischemic event attributable to symptomatic ICAD. Blood samples were drawn 3 months after the qualifying event. Genomic DNA was isolated and the C1444T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the CRP gene was determined. The blood concentration of CRP was also measured. Patients underwent long-term clinical follow-up to detect the occurrence of further major ischemic events. During a median follow-up time of 23 months, 18 patients (24%) suffered a major ischemic event (10 ischemic strokes, 3 transient ischemic attacks and 5 myocardial infarctions). Raised CRP levels at baseline (p = 0.02) and the presence of the T allele within the CRP C1444T SNP were associated with a higher risk of recurrent ischemic events (p = 0.02). Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, vascular risk factors and CRP level identified that the presence of the T allele in the studied polymorphism predicted the occurrence of further ischemic events (hazard ratio 3.6, 95% confidence interval 1.2-11.1; p = 0.025). The presence of the T allele within the CRP gene C1444T polymorphism may be associated with a higher risk of further ischemic events in symptomatic ICAD patients. (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Deimatic Display in the European Swallowtail Butterfly as a Secondary Defence against Attacks from Great Tits

PubMed Central

Olofsson, Martin; Eriksson, Stephan; Jakobsson, Sven; Wiklund, Christer

2012-01-01

Background Many animals reduce the risk of being attacked by a predator through crypsis, masquerade or, alternatively, by advertising unprofitability by means of aposematic signalling. Behavioural attributes in prey employed after discovery, however, signify the importance of also having an effective secondary defence if a predator uncovers, or is immune to, the prey’s primary defence. In butterflies, as in most animals, secondary defence generally consists of escape flights. However, some butterfly species have evolved other means of secondary defence such as deimatic displays/startle displays. The European swallowtail, Papilio machaon, employs what appears to be a startle display by exposing its brightly coloured dorsal wing surface upon disturbance and, if the disturbance continues, by intermittently protracting and relaxing its wing muscles generating a jerky motion of the wings. This display appears directed towards predators but whether it is effective in intimidating predators so that they refrain from attacks has never been tested experimentally. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study we staged encounters between a passerine predator, the great tit, Parus major, and live and dead swallowtail butterflies in a two-choice experiment. Results showed that the dead butterfly was virtually always attacked before the live butterfly, and that it took four times longer before a bird attacked the live butterfly. When the live butterfly was approached by a bird this generally elicited the butterfly’s startle display, which usually caused the approaching bird to flee. We also performed a palatability test of the butterflies and results show that the great tits seemed to find them palatable. Conclusions/Significance We conclude that the swallowtail’s startle display of conspicuous coloration and jerky movements is an efficient secondary defence against small passerines. We also discuss under what conditions predator-prey systems are likely to aid the evolution of deimatic behaviours in harmless and palatable prey. PMID:23056590

Pioglitazone after Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack.

PubMed

Kernan, Walter N; Viscoli, Catherine M; Furie, Karen L; Young, Lawrence H; Inzucchi, Silvio E; Gorman, Mark; Guarino, Peter D; Lovejoy, Anne M; Peduzzi, Peter N; Conwit, Robin; Brass, Lawrence M; Schwartz, Gregory G; Adams, Harold P; Berger, Leo; Carolei, Antonio; Clark, Wayne; Coull, Bruce; Ford, Gary A; Kleindorfer, Dawn; O'Leary, John R; Parsons, Mark W; Ringleb, Peter; Sen, Souvik; Spence, J David; Tanne, David; Wang, David; Winder, Toni R

2016-04-07

Patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) are at increased risk for future cardiovascular events despite current preventive therapies. The identification of insulin resistance as a risk factor for stroke and myocardial infarction raised the possibility that pioglitazone, which improves insulin sensitivity, might benefit patients with cerebrovascular disease. In this multicenter, double-blind trial, we randomly assigned 3876 patients who had had a recent ischemic stroke or TIA to receive either pioglitazone (target dose, 45 mg daily) or placebo. Eligible patients did not have diabetes but were found to have insulin resistance on the basis of a score of more than 3.0 on the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index. The primary outcome was fatal or nonfatal stroke or myocardial infarction. By 4.8 years, a primary outcome had occurred in 175 of 1939 patients (9.0%) in the pioglitazone group and in 228 of 1937 (11.8%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio in the pioglitazone group, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62 to 0.93; P=0.007). Diabetes developed in 73 patients (3.8%) and 149 patients (7.7%), respectively (hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.33 to 0.69; P<0.001). There was no significant between-group difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.17; P=0.52). Pioglitazone was associated with a greater frequency of weight gain exceeding 4.5 kg than was placebo (52.2% vs. 33.7%, P<0.001), edema (35.6% vs. 24.9%, P<0.001), and bone fracture requiring surgery or hospitalization (5.1% vs. 3.2%, P=0.003). In this trial involving patients without diabetes who had insulin resistance along with a recent history of ischemic stroke or TIA, the risk of stroke or myocardial infarction was lower among patients who received pioglitazone than among those who received placebo. Pioglitazone was also associated with a lower risk of diabetes but with higher risks of weight gain, edema, and fracture. (Funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00091949.).

CHA2DS2-VASc Score (Congestive Heart Failure, Hypertension, Age ≥75 [Doubled], Diabetes Mellitus, Prior Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack [Doubled], Vascular Disease, Age 65-74, Female) for Stroke in Asian Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Korean Nationwide Sample Cohort Study.

PubMed

Kim, Tae-Hoon; Yang, Pil-Sung; Uhm, Jae-Sun; Kim, Jong-Youn; Pak, Hui-Nam; Lee, Moon-Hyoung; Joung, Boyoung; Lip, Gregory Y H

2017-06-01

The CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc stroke score (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 (doubled), diabetes mellitus, prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (doubled), vascular disease, age 65-74, female) is used in most guidelines for risk stratification in atrial fibrillation (AF), but most data for this score have been derived in Western populations. Ethnic differences in stroke risk may be present. Our objective was to investigate risk factors for stroke in AF and application of the CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score in an Asian AF population from Korea. A total of 5855 oral anticoagulant-naive nonvalvular AF patients aged ≥20 years were enrolled from Korea National Health Insurance Service Sample cohort from 2002 to 2008 and were followed up until December 2013. The incidence rates (per 100 person-years) of ischemic stroke were 3.32 in the total population, being 0.23 in low-risk (CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score 0 [male] or 1 [female]) and 4.59 in high-risk patients (CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc ≥2). Incidence rates of ischemic stroke or the composite thromboembolism end point showed a clear increase with increasing CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score. On multivariable analysis, significant associations between CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc risk factors and ischemic stroke were observed; however, the significance of vascular disease or diabetes mellitus was attenuated after multivariate adjustment, and female sex (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.64-0.84) had a lower risk of ischemic stroke than males. Patients who were categorized as low risk consistently had an event rate <1% per year. The performance of CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score in Asians is comparable with that in Western populations. The score shows good performance in defining the truly-low-risk AF patients for stroke/thromboembolism. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Hiding in Plain Sight: leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae) use feeding damage as a masquerade decoy

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To avoid detection by predators, many herbivorous insects have evolved an astonishing degree of visual fidelity to inanimate items in their surroundings that renders them cryptic to their enemies. In an evolutionary twist to crypsis, known as masquerade, a predator detects prey, but fails to perceiv...

Confounding by Pre-Morbid Functional Status in Studies of Apparent Sex Differences in Severity and Outcome of Stroke

PubMed Central

Coulombe, Janie; Li, Linxin; Ganesh, Aravind; Silver, Louise; Rothwell, Peter M.

2017-01-01

Background and Purpose— Several studies have reported unexplained worse outcomes after stroke in women but none included the full spectrum of symptomatic ischemic cerebrovascular events while adjusting for prior handicap. Methods— Using a prospective population-based incident cohort of all transient ischemic attack/stroke (OXVASC [Oxford Vascular Study]) recruited between April 2002 and March 2014, we compared pre-morbid and post-event modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) in women and men and change in mRS score 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years after stroke. Baseline stroke-related neurological impairment was measured with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. Results— Among 2553 patients (50.6% women) with a first transient ischemic attack/ischemic stroke, women had a worse handicap 1 month after ischemic stroke (age-adjusted odds ratio for mRS score, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.12–1.63). However, women also had a higher pre-morbid mRS score compared with men (age-adjusted odds ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.36–1.84). There was no difference in stroke severity when adjusting for age and pre-morbid mRS (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 0.90–1.35) and no difference in the pre-/poststroke change in mRS at 1 month (age-adjusted odds ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.82–1.21), 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years. Women had a lower mortality rate, and there was no sex difference in risk of recurrent stroke. Conclusions— We found no evidence of a worse outcome of stroke in women when adjusting for age and pre-morbid mRS. Failure to account for sex differences in pre-morbid handicap could explain contradictory findings in previous studies. Properties of the mRS may also contribute to these inconsistencies. PMID:28798261

Confounding by Pre-Morbid Functional Status in Studies of Apparent Sex Differences in Severity and Outcome of Stroke.

PubMed

Renoux, Christel; Coulombe, Janie; Li, Linxin; Ganesh, Aravind; Silver, Louise; Rothwell, Peter M

2017-10-01

Several studies have reported unexplained worse outcomes after stroke in women but none included the full spectrum of symptomatic ischemic cerebrovascular events while adjusting for prior handicap. Using a prospective population-based incident cohort of all transient ischemic attack/stroke (OXVASC [Oxford Vascular Study]) recruited between April 2002 and March 2014, we compared pre-morbid and post-event modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) in women and men and change in mRS score 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years after stroke. Baseline stroke-related neurological impairment was measured with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. Among 2553 patients (50.6% women) with a first transient ischemic attack/ischemic stroke, women had a worse handicap 1 month after ischemic stroke (age-adjusted odds ratio for mRS score, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-1.63). However, women also had a higher pre-morbid mRS score compared with men (age-adjusted odds ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.36-1.84). There was no difference in stroke severity when adjusting for age and pre-morbid mRS (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 0.90-1.35) and no difference in the pre-/poststroke change in mRS at 1 month (age-adjusted odds ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-1.21), 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years. Women had a lower mortality rate, and there was no sex difference in risk of recurrent stroke. We found no evidence of a worse outcome of stroke in women when adjusting for age and pre-morbid mRS. Failure to account for sex differences in pre-morbid handicap could explain contradictory findings in previous studies. Properties of the mRS may also contribute to these inconsistencies. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s).

Functional Stroke Mimics: Incidence and Characteristics at a Primary Stroke Center in the Middle East

PubMed Central

Wilkins, Stacy Schantz; Bourke, Paula; Salam, Abdul; Akhtar, Naveed; D'Souza, Atlantic; Kamran, Saadat; Bhutta, Zain; Shuaib, Ashfaq

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective Approximately 30% of individuals who initially present with stroke are found to be stroke mimics (SM), with functional/psychological SM (FSM) accounting for up to 6.4% of all stroke presentations. Middle Eastern countries may have higher rates of somatization of emotional distress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and characteristics of FSM at a large general hospital in the Middle East. Methods All patients presenting with an initial diagnosis of stroke from June 2015 to September 2016 were eligible for this study. Clinical and sociodemographic data were obtained from the hospital's stroke database. All SM and strokes were diagnosed by Joint Commission International–certified stroke program neurologists. SM was defined as any discharge diagnosis (other than acute stroke) for symptoms that prompted initial admission for suspected stroke. FSM were compared with medical stroke mimics (MSM) and strokes (ischemic, hemorrhagic, and transient ischemic attacks). Results A total of 1961 patients were identified; 161 FSM (8.2%), 390 MSM (19.9%), and 1410 strokes (71.9%) (985 ischemic strokes, 196 transient ischemic attacks, 229 intracerebral hemorrhages). Admission with FSM was related to patients' nationality, with the highest frequency in Arabic (15.6%) and African (16.8%) patients. FSM patients were younger, more often female, and had fewer cardiovascular risk factors except for smoking compared with the strokes. FSM patients presented with more left-sided weakness and had more magnetic resonance imagings than the stroke and MSM groups. A total of 9.9% of FSM patients received thrombolysis versus only 0.5% of the MSM and 16.4% of ischemic strokes. Conclusions FSM frequencies varied by nationality, with Arab and African nationals being twice as prevalent. Stress, vulnerable status as expats, sociopolitical instability, and exposure to trauma are proposed as potential factors contributing to FSM. PMID:29394187

Clopidogrel with aspirin in acute minor stroke or transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Wang, Yongjun; Wang, Yilong; Zhao, Xingquan; Liu, Liping; Wang, David; Wang, Chunxue; Wang, Chen; Li, Hao; Meng, Xia; Cui, Liying; Jia, Jianping; Dong, Qiang; Xu, Anding; Zeng, Jinsheng; Li, Yansheng; Wang, Zhimin; Xia, Haiqin; Johnston, S Claiborne

2013-07-04

Stroke is common during the first few weeks after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor ischemic stroke. Combination therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin may provide greater protection against subsequent stroke than aspirin alone. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted at 114 centers in China, we randomly assigned 5170 patients within 24 hours after the onset of minor ischemic stroke or high-risk TIA to combination therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin (clopidogrel at an initial dose of 300 mg, followed by 75 mg per day for 90 days, plus aspirin at a dose of 75 mg per day for the first 21 days) or to placebo plus aspirin (75 mg per day for 90 days). All participants received open-label aspirin at a clinician-determined dose of 75 to 300 mg on day 1. The primary outcome was stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) during 90 days of follow-up in an intention-to-treat analysis. Treatment differences were assessed with the use of a Cox proportional-hazards model, with study center as a random effect. Stroke occurred in 8.2% of patients in the clopidogrel-aspirin group, as compared with 11.7% of those in the aspirin group (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.57 to 0.81; P<0.001). Moderate or severe hemorrhage occurred in seven patients (0.3%) in the clopidogrel-aspirin group and in eight (0.3%) in the aspirin group (P=0.73); the rate of hemorrhagic stroke was 0.3% in each group. Among patients with TIA or minor stroke who can be treated within 24 hours after the onset of symptoms, the combination of clopidogrel and aspirin is superior to aspirin alone for reducing the risk of stroke in the first 90 days and does not increase the risk of hemorrhage. (Funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China; CHANCE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00979589.).

Ethnic Differences in Ambient Air Pollution and Risk of Acute Ischemic Stroke

PubMed Central

Wing, Jeffrey J.; Adar, Sara D.; Sánchez, Brisa N.; Morgenstern, Lewis B.; Smith, Melinda A.; Lisabeth, Lynda D.

2015-01-01

Objectives To investigate the association between short-term changes in ambient pollution (particulate matter < 2.5μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3)) and the risk of ischemic stroke among individuals living in a bi-ethnic community and whether this association is modified by ethnicity. Methods We identified incident ischemic stroke cases from the population-based Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project between 2000 and 2012. Associations between PM2.5 (mean 24-hour) and O3 (maximal 8-hour) levels, measured on the same-day and lags of 1-3 days, and odds of ischemic stroke were assessed using a time-stratified case-crossover design and modeled using conditional logistic regression. We explored race/ethnicity (Mexican American versus non-Hispanic white) as a modifier by including interaction terms in the models. Results There were 2,948 ischemic strokes with median age 71 years (IQR: 59-80). We observed no overall associations between the air pollutants and odds of ischemic stroke at any lag. When stratified by ethnicity, higher O3 was consistently associated with greater odds of ischemic stroke for non-Hispanic whites, but not for Mexican Americans. Higher PM2.5 was generally associated with lower odds of ischemic stroke for non-Hispanic whites but modestly greater odds for Mexican Americans. Conclusion Ethnic differences in the associations between ischemic stroke and short-term exposures to O3 and PM2.5 were suggested indicating that further study in diverse populations may be warranted. PMID:26451880

Multiple biomarkers and risk of clinical and subclinical vascular brain injury: the framingham offspring study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Several biomarkers have been individually associated with vascular brain injury, but no prior study has explored the simultaneous association of a biologically plausible panel of biomarkers with the incidence of stroke/transient ischemic attack and the prevalence of subclinical brain injury. In 3127...

Patient-Centred Innovations for Persons With Multimorbidity - Quebec

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-12-13

Hypertension; Depression; Anxiety; Musculoskeletal Pain; Arthritis; Rheumatoid Arthritis; Osteoporosis; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD); Asthma; Chronic Bronchitis; Cardiovascular Disease; Heart Failure; Stroke; Transient Ischemic Attacks; Ulcer; Gastroesophageal Reflux; Irritable Bowel; Crohn's Disease; Ulcerative Colitis; Diverticulosis; Chronic Hepatitis; Diabetes; Thyroid Disorder; Cancer; Kidney Disease; Urinary Tract Problem; Dementia; Alzheimer's Disease; Hyperlipidemia; HIV

Camouflaging moving objects: crypsis and masquerade.

PubMed

Hall, Joanna R; Baddeley, Roland; Scott-Samuel, Nicholas E; Shohet, Adam J; Cuthill, Innes C

2017-01-01

Motion is generally assumed to "break" camouflage. However, although camouflage cannot conceal a group of moving animals, it may impair a predator's ability to single one out for attack, even if that discrimination is not based on a color difference. Here, we use a computer-based task in which humans had to detect the odd one out among moving objects, with "oddity" based on shape. All objects were either patterned or plain, and either matched the background or not. We show that there are advantages of matching both group-mates and the background. However, when patterned objects are on a plain background (i.e., no background matching), the advantage of being among similarly patterned distractors is only realized when the group size is larger (10 compared to 5). In a second experiment, we present a paradigm for testing how coloration interferes with target-distractor discrimination, based on an adaptive staircase procedure for establishing the threshold. We show that when the predator only has a short time for decision-making, displaying a similar pattern to the distractors and the background affords protection even when the difference in shape between target and distractors is large. We conclude that, even though motion breaks camouflage, being camouflaged could help group-living animals reduce the risk of being singled out for attack by predators.

Camouflaging moving objects: crypsis and masquerade

PubMed Central

Hall, Joanna R; Baddeley, Roland; Scott-Samuel, Nicholas E; Shohet, Adam J; Cuthill, Innes C

2017-01-01

Abstract Motion is generally assumed to “break” camouflage. However, although camouflage cannot conceal a group of moving animals, it may impair a predator’s ability to single one out for attack, even if that discrimination is not based on a color difference. Here, we use a computer-based task in which humans had to detect the odd one out among moving objects, with “oddity” based on shape. All objects were either patterned or plain, and either matched the background or not. We show that there are advantages of matching both group-mates and the background. However, when patterned objects are on a plain background (i.e., no background matching), the advantage of being among similarly patterned distractors is only realized when the group size is larger (10 compared to 5). In a second experiment, we present a paradigm for testing how coloration interferes with target-distractor discrimination, based on an adaptive staircase procedure for establishing the threshold. We show that when the predator only has a short time for decision-making, displaying a similar pattern to the distractors and the background affords protection even when the difference in shape between target and distractors is large. We conclude that, even though motion breaks camouflage, being camouflaged could help group-living animals reduce the risk of being singled out for attack by predators. PMID:29622927

Symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery plaque

PubMed Central

Mughal, Majid M; Khan, Mohsin K; DeMarco, J Kevin; Majid, Arshad; Shamoun, Fadi; Abela, George S

2011-01-01

Carotid atherosclerotic plaques represent both stable and unstable atheromatous lesions. Atherosclerotic plaques that are prone to rupture owing to their intrinsic composition such as a large lipid core, thin fibrous cap and intraplaque hemorrhage are associated with subsequent thromboembolic ischemic events. At least 15–20% of all ischemic strokes are attributable to carotid artery atherosclerosis. Characterization of plaques may enhance the understanding of natural history and ultimately the treatment of atherosclerotic disease. MRI of carotid plaque and embolic signals during transcranial Doppler have identified features beyond luminal stenosis that are predictive of future transient ischemic attacks and stroke. The value of specific therapies to prevent stroke in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with severe carotid artery stenosis are the subject of current research and analysis of recently published clinical trials that are discussed in this article. PMID:21985544

Early Initiation of Anticoagulation with Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Patients after Transient Ischemic Attack or Ischemic Stroke.

PubMed

Macha, Kosmas; Volbers, Bastian; Bobinger, Tobias; Kurka, Natalia; Breuer, Lorenz; Huttner, Hagen B; Schwab, Stefan; Köhrmann, Martin

2016-09-01

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are increasingly used for secondary prevention of cardioembolic stroke. While DOACs are associated with a long-term reduced risk of intracranial hemorrhage compared to vitamin K antagonists, pivotal trials avoided the very early period after stroke and few data exist on early initiation of DOAC therapy post stroke. We retrospectively analyzed data from our prospective database of all consecutive transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ischemic stroke patients with atrial fibrillation treated with DOACs during hospital stay. As per our institutional treatment algorithm for patients with cardioembolic ischemia DOACs are started immediately in TIA and minor stroke (group 1), within days 3-5 in patients with infarcts affecting one third or less of the middle cerebral artery, the anterior cerebral artery, or the posterior cerebral artery territories (group 2) as well as in infratentorial stroke (group 3) and after 1-2 weeks in patients with large infarcts (>⅓MCA territory, group 4). We investigated baseline characteristics, time to initiation of DOAC therapy after symptom onset, and hemorrhagic complications. In 243 included patients, administration of DOAC was initiated 40.5 hours (interquartile range [IQR] 23.0-65.5) after stroke onset in group 1 (n = 41) and after 76.7 hours (IQR 48.0-134.0), 108.4 hours (IQR 67.3-176.4), and 161.8 hours (IQR 153.9-593.8) in groups 2-4 (n = 170, 28, and 4), respectively. Two cases of asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (.8%) and 1 case of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (.4%) were observed, both in group 2. No severe safety issues were observed in early initiation of DOACs for secondary prevention after acute stroke in our in-patient cohort. Copyright © 2016 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Computed tomography perfusion imaging may predict cognitive impairment in patients with first-time anterior circulation transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Wang, Jun; Li, Yunming; Zheng, Bo; Wang, Jian; Wang, Zhiqiang; Duan, Dan; Li, Yuxia; Wang, Qingsong

2016-04-01

To determine whether computed tomography perfusion imaging (CTPI)-derived parameters are associated with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA). Patients with first-time anterior circulation TIA (diagnosed within 24 h of onset) and normal cognition, treated between August 2009 and August 2014 at the Department of Neurology of Chengdu Military General Hospital, China, were analyzed retrospectively. Patients underwent whole-brain CTPI within 1 week of TIA to detect cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), mean transit time (MTT) and time to peak (TTP) in the ischemic region. Based on cognitive function assessment 4 weeks after TIA, using the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and mini mental state examination, the patients were divided into control and VCI groups. CTPI parameters and other clinical data were compared between groups, and Spearman's correlation analysis used to identify associations between cognitive scores and CTPI parameters in the VCI group. 50 patients (25 per group; aged 55-72 years) were included. Patient age, gender, smoking status, alcohol consumption, educational level, time from TIA onset to admission, time from TIA onset to CTPI, and prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation and hyperhomocysteinemia did not differ between groups. Both groups showed TTP and MTT prolongation, CBF reduction, but no change in CBV in the ischemic region; these changes were significantly larger in the VCI group (P < 0.05). MTT correlated negatively with MoCA score (r = -0.51, P = 0.009). CTPI could facilitate early diagnosis of VCI in patients with anterior circulation TIA.

Epidemiology of Stroke in Costa Rica: A 7-Year Hospital-Based Acute Stroke Registry of 1319 Consecutive Patients.

PubMed

Torrealba-Acosta, Gabriel; Carazo-Céspedes, Kenneth; Chiou, Sy Han; O'Brien, Anthony Terrence; Fernández-Morales, Huberth

2018-05-01

Limited data on stroke exist for Costa Rica. Therefore, we created a stroke registry out of patients with stroke seen in the Acute Stroke Unit of the Hospital Calderon Guardia. We analyzed 1319 patients enrolled over a 7-year period, which incorporated demographic, clinical, laboratory, and neuroimaging data. The mean age of patients with stroke was 68.0 ± 15.5 years. Seven hundred twenty-five were men and the age range was 13-104 years. The most prevalent risk factors were hypertension (78.8%), dyslipidemia (36.3%), and diabetes (31.9%). Fifteen percent had atrial fibrillation and 24.7% had a previous stroke or transient ischemic attack. Prevalence of hypertension and atrial fibrillation increased with age; however, younger patients were more associated with thrombophilia. We documented 962 (72.9%) ischemic and 270 (20.5%) hemorrhagic strokes. Of the ischemic strokes, 174 (18.1%) were considered secondary to large-artery atherothrombosis, 175 (18.2%) were due to cardiac embolism, 19 (2.0%) were due to lacunar infarcts, and 25 (2.6%) were due to other determined causes. Five hundred sixty-nine (59.1%) remained undetermined. Atherothrombotic strokes were mostly associated with dyslipidemia, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity, whereas lacunar infarcts were associated with hypertension, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and previous stroke or transient ischemic attack. Of our patients, 69.9% scored between 0 and 9 in the initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). We found differences in sociodemographic features, risk factors, and stroke severity among stroke subtypes. Risk factor prevalence was similar to other registries involving Hispanic populations. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. All rights reserved.

A hypothesis to explain accuracy of wasp resemblances.

PubMed

Boppré, Michael; Vane-Wright, Richard I; Wickler, Wolfgang

2017-01-01

Mimicry is one of the oldest concepts in biology, but it still presents many puzzles and continues to be widely debated. Simulation of wasps with a yellow-black abdominal pattern by other insects (commonly called "wasp mimicry") is traditionally considered a case of resemblance of unprofitable by profitable prey causing educated predators to avoid models and mimics to the advantage of both (Figure 1a). However, as wasps themselves are predators of insects, wasp mimicry can also be seen as a case of resemblance to one's own potential antagonist. We here propose an additional hypothesis to Batesian and Müllerian mimicry (both typically involving selection by learning vertebrate predators; cf. Table 1) that reflects another possible scenario for the evolution of multifold and in particular very accurate resemblances to wasps: an innate, visual inhibition of aggression among look-alike wasps, based on their social organization and high abundance. We argue that wasp species resembling each other need not only be Müllerian mutualists and that other insects resembling wasps need not only be Batesian mimics, but an innate ability of wasps to recognize each other during hunting is the driver in the evolution of a distinct kind of masquerade, in which model, mimic, and selecting agent belong to one or several species (Figure  1b). Wasp mimics resemble wasps not (only) to be mistaken by educated predators but rather, or in addition, to escape attack from their wasp models. Within a given ecosystem, there will be selection pressures leading to masquerade driven by wasps and/or to mimicry driven by other predators that have to learn to avoid them. Different pressures by guilds of these two types of selective agents could explain the widely differing fidelity with respect to the models in assemblages of yellow jackets and yellow jacket look-alikes.

Secondary stroke prevention: from guidelines to clinical practice.

PubMed

Graham, Glenn D

2008-10-01

Stroke remains a leading cause of mortality and is associated with substantial morbidity in the United States. The majority of strokes are of ischemic origin, with an atherothrombotic trigger, and the clinical manifestation of atherothrombosis depends on the affected vascular site. The systemic nature of atherosclerosis means that stroke patients are at increased risk of ischemic events in several vascular beds, including cerebral, coronary and peripheral sites. Because stroke patients are at heightened risk of more ischemic events, secondary prevention is an important therapeutic goal. Recently, the American Heart Association and its division, the American Stroke Association, released new evidence-based guidelines for secondary stroke prevention in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. The new guidelines emphasize an individualized, patient-oriented approach to treatment based on clinical evidence. Evidence-based recommendations are set forth for the management of risk factors, including hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes, through lifestyle modifications and pharmacological interventions. The purpose of this paper is to review the topic of stroke prevention in light of current guidelines and clinical implementation patterns for primary care physicians, and to discuss new and emerging clinical evidence, with a focus on antiplatelet treatment.

Heart Under Attack: Cardiac Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

PubMed

Mitchell, Natalie E; Harrison, Nicole; Junga, Zachary; Singla, Manish

2018-05-18

There is a well-established association between chronic inflammation and an elevated risk of heart disease among patients with systemic autoimmune conditions. This review aims to summarize existing literature on the relationship between inflammatory bowel disease and ischemic heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, and pericarditis, with particular attention to approaches to management and treatment.

Patient-Centred Innovations for Persons With Multimorbidity - Ontario

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-12-14

Hypertension; Depression; Anxiety; Musculoskeletal Pain; Arthritis; Rheumatoid Arthritis; Osteoporosis; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD); Asthma; Chronic Bronchitis; Cardiovascular Disease; Heart Failure; Stroke; Transient Ischemic Attacks; Ulcer; Gastroesophageal Reflux; Irritable Bowel; Crohn's Disease; Ulcerative Colitis; Diverticulosis; Chronic Hepatitis; Diabetes; Thyroid Disorder; Cancer; Kidney Disease; Urinary Tract Problem; Dementia; Alzheimer's Disease; Hyperlipidemia; HIV; Multimorbidity

Rationale and Study Design for a Single-Arm Phase IIa Study Investigating Feasibility of Preventing Ischemic Cerebrovascular Events in High-Risk Patients with Acute Non-disabling Ischemic Cerebrovascular Events Using Remote Ischemic Conditioning

PubMed Central

Liu, Shi-Meng; Zhao, Wen-Le; Song, Hai-Qing; Meng, Ran; Li, Si-Jie; Ren, Chang-Hong; Ovbiagele, Bruce; Ji, Xun-Ming; Feng, Wu-Wei

2018-01-01

Background: Acute minor ischemic stroke (AMIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a common cerebrovascular event with a considerable high recurrence. Prior research demonstrated the effectiveness of regular long-term remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) in secondary stroke prevention in patients with intracranial stenosis. We hypothesized that RIC can serve as an effective adjunctive therapy to pharmacotherapy in preventing ischemic events in patients with AMIS/TIA. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy of daily RIC in inhibiting cerebrovascular/cardiovascular events after AMIS/TIA. Methods: This is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter Phase IIa futility study with a sample size of 165. Patients with AMIS/TIA receive RIC as an additional therapy to secondary stroke prevention regimen. RIC consists of five cycles of 5-min inflation (200 mmHg) and 5-min deflation of cuffs on bilateral upper limbs twice a day for 90 days. The antiplatelet strategy is based on individual physician's best practice: aspirin alone, clopidogrel alone, or combination of aspirin and clopidogrel. We will assess the recurrence rate of ischemic stroke/TIA within 3 months as the primary outcomes. Conclusions: The data gathered from the study will be used to determine whether a further large-scale, multicenter randomized controlled Phase II trial is warranted in patients with AMIS/TIA. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03004820; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03004820. PMID:29363651

Comparison of Risk Factor Control in the Year After Discharge for Ischemic Stroke Versus Acute Myocardial Infarction.

PubMed

Bravata, Dawn M; Daggy, Joanne; Brosch, Jared; Sico, Jason J; Baye, Fitsum; Myers, Laura J; Roumie, Christianne L; Cheng, Eric; Coffing, Jessica; Arling, Greg

2018-02-01

The Veterans Health Administration has engaged in quality improvement to improve vascular risk factor control. We sought to examine blood pressure (<140/90 mm Hg), lipid (LDL [low-density lipoprotein] cholesterol <100 mg/dL), and glycemic control (hemoglobin A1c <9%), in the year post-hospitalization for acute ischemic stroke or acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We identified patients who were hospitalized (fiscal year 2011) with ischemic stroke, AMI, congestive heart failure, transient ischemic attack, or pneumonia/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The primary analysis compared risk factor control after incident ischemic stroke versus AMI. Facilities were included if they cared for ≥25 ischemic stroke and ≥25 AMI patients. A generalized linear mixed model including patient- and facility-level covariates compared risk factor control across diagnoses. Forty thousand two hundred thirty patients were hospitalized (n=75 facilities): 2127 with incident ischemic stroke and 4169 with incident AMI. Fewer stroke patients achieved blood pressure control than AMI patients (64%; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-0.67 versus 77%; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-0.78; P <0.0001). After adjusting for patient and facility covariates, the odds of blood pressure control were still higher for AMI than ischemic stroke patients (odds ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-1.51). There were no statistical differences for AMI versus stroke patients in hyperlipidemia ( P =0.534). Among patients with diabetes mellitus, the odds of glycemic control were lower for AMI than ischemic stroke patients (odds ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.96). Given that hypertension control is a cornerstone of stroke prevention, interventions to improve poststroke hypertension management are needed. © 2017 The Authors.

Repeated exposure to methamphetamine induces sex-dependent hypersensitivity to ischemic injury in the adult rat heart

PubMed Central

Seeley, Sarah L.; Stoops, Thorne S.; D’Souza, Manoranjan S.

2017-01-01

Background We previously reported that adult female, but not male rats that were prenatally exposed to methamphetamine exhibit myocardial hypersensitivity to ischemic injury. However, it is unknown whether hypersensitivity to ischemic injury develops when rats are exposed to methamphetamine during adulthood. The goal of this study was to determine whether methamphetamine exposure during adulthood sensitizes the heart to ischemic injury. Methods Adult male and female rats received daily injections of methamphetamine (5 mg/kg) or saline for 10 days. Their hearts were isolated on day 11 and subjected to a 20 min ischemic insult on a Langendorff isolated heart apparatus. Cardiac contractile function was measured by an intraventricular balloon, and infarct size was measured by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Results Hearts from methamphetamine-treated females exhibited significantly larger infarcts and suppressed postischemic recovery of contractile function compared to hearts from saline-treated females. In contrast, methamphetamine had no effect on infarct size or contractile recovery in male hearts. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that hypersensitivity to ischemic injury persisted in female hearts following a 1 month period of abstinence from methamphetamine. Myocardial protein kinase C-ε expression, Akt phosphorylation, and ERK phosphorylation were unaffected by adult exposure to methamphetamine. Conclusions Exposure of adult rats to methamphetamine sex-dependently increases the extent of myocardial injury following an ischemic insult. These data suggest that women who have a heart attack might be at risk of more extensive myocardial injury if they have a recent history of methamphetamine abuse. PMID:28575091

Repeated exposure to methamphetamine induces sex-dependent hypersensitivity to ischemic injury in the adult rat heart.

PubMed

Rorabaugh, Boyd R; Seeley, Sarah L; Stoops, Thorne S; D'Souza, Manoranjan S

2017-01-01

We previously reported that adult female, but not male rats that were prenatally exposed to methamphetamine exhibit myocardial hypersensitivity to ischemic injury. However, it is unknown whether hypersensitivity to ischemic injury develops when rats are exposed to methamphetamine during adulthood. The goal of this study was to determine whether methamphetamine exposure during adulthood sensitizes the heart to ischemic injury. Adult male and female rats received daily injections of methamphetamine (5 mg/kg) or saline for 10 days. Their hearts were isolated on day 11 and subjected to a 20 min ischemic insult on a Langendorff isolated heart apparatus. Cardiac contractile function was measured by an intraventricular balloon, and infarct size was measured by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Hearts from methamphetamine-treated females exhibited significantly larger infarcts and suppressed postischemic recovery of contractile function compared to hearts from saline-treated females. In contrast, methamphetamine had no effect on infarct size or contractile recovery in male hearts. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that hypersensitivity to ischemic injury persisted in female hearts following a 1 month period of abstinence from methamphetamine. Myocardial protein kinase C-ε expression, Akt phosphorylation, and ERK phosphorylation were unaffected by adult exposure to methamphetamine. Exposure of adult rats to methamphetamine sex-dependently increases the extent of myocardial injury following an ischemic insult. These data suggest that women who have a heart attack might be at risk of more extensive myocardial injury if they have a recent history of methamphetamine abuse.

Melatonin and Ischemic Stroke: Mechanistic Roles and Action.

PubMed

Andrabi, Syed Suhail; Parvez, Suhel; Tabassum, Heena

2015-01-01

Stroke is one of the most devastating neurological disabilities and brain's vulnerability towards it proves to be fatal and socio-economic loss of millions of people worldwide. Ischemic stroke remains at the center stage of it, because of its prevalence amongst the several other types attacking the brain. The various cascades of events that have been associated with stroke involve oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, upregulation of Ca(2+) level, and so forth. Melatonin is a neurohormone secreted by pineal and extra pineal tissues responsible for various physiological processes like sleep and mood behaviour. Melatonin has been implicated in various neurological diseases because of its antioxidative, antiapoptotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. We have previously reviewed the neuroprotective effect of melatonin in various models of brain injury like traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. In this review, we have put together the various causes and consequence of stroke and protective role of melatonin in ischemic stroke.

Melatonin and Ischemic Stroke: Mechanistic Roles and Action

PubMed Central

Andrabi, Syed Suhail; Tabassum, Heena

2015-01-01

Stroke is one of the most devastating neurological disabilities and brain's vulnerability towards it proves to be fatal and socio-economic loss of millions of people worldwide. Ischemic stroke remains at the center stage of it, because of its prevalence amongst the several other types attacking the brain. The various cascades of events that have been associated with stroke involve oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, upregulation of Ca2+ level, and so forth. Melatonin is a neurohormone secreted by pineal and extra pineal tissues responsible for various physiological processes like sleep and mood behaviour. Melatonin has been implicated in various neurological diseases because of its antioxidative, antiapoptotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. We have previously reviewed the neuroprotective effect of melatonin in various models of brain injury like traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. In this review, we have put together the various causes and consequence of stroke and protective role of melatonin in ischemic stroke. PMID:26435711

Churg-Strauss syndrome masquerading as an acute coronary syndrome.

PubMed

Triantafyllis, Andreas S; Sakadakis, Eleftherios A; Papafilippaki, Argyro; Katsimbri, Pelagia; Panou, Fotios; Anastasiou-Nana, Maria; Lekakis, Ioannis

2015-02-01

Churg-Strauss Syndrome (CSS) is a rare vasculitis with multiorgan involvement. Cardiac manifestations are common causing serious complications. We report a case of CSS masquerading as a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction with heart failure. CSS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an acute coronary syndrome(ACS)with normal coronary arteries when history of asthma, peripheral eosinophilia and multisystemic involvement is present.

Thrombus Aspiration in ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: An Individual Patient Meta-Analysis: Thrombectomy Trialists Collaboration.

PubMed

Jolly, Sanjit S; James, Stefan; Džavík, Vladimír; Cairns, John A; Mahmoud, Karim D; Zijlstra, Felix; Yusuf, Salim; Olivecrona, Goran K; Renlund, Henrik; Gao, Peggy; Lagerqvist, Bo; Alazzoni, Ashraf; Kedev, Sasko; Stankovic, Goran; Meeks, Brandi; Frøbert, Ole

2017-01-10

Thrombus aspiration during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the treatment of ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has been widely used; however, recent trials have questioned its value and safety. In this meta-analysis, we, the trial investigators, aimed to pool the individual patient data from these trials to determine the benefits and risks of thrombus aspiration during PCI in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Included were large (n≥1000), randomized, controlled trials comparing manual thrombectomy and PCI alone in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Individual patient data were provided by the leadership of each trial. The prespecified primary efficacy outcome was cardiovascular mortality within 30 days, and the primary safety outcome was stroke or transient ischemic attack within 30 days. The 3 eligible randomized trials (TAPAS [Thrombus Aspiration During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Acute Myocardial Infarction], TASTE [Thrombus Aspiration in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Scandinavia], and TOTAL [Trial of Routine Aspiration Thrombectomy With PCI Versus PCI Alone in Patients With STEMI]) enrolled 19 047 patients, of whom 18 306 underwent PCI and were included in the primary analysis. Cardiovascular death at 30 days occurred in 221 of 9155 patients (2.4%) randomized to thrombus aspiration and 262 of 9151 (2.9%) randomized to PCI alone (hazard ratio, 0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.70-1.01; P=0.06). Stroke or transient ischemic attack occurred in 66 (0.8%) randomized to thrombus aspiration and 46 (0.5%) randomized to PCI alone (odds ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.98-2.10; P=0.06). There were no significant differences in recurrent myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, heart failure, or target vessel revascularization. In the subgroup with high thrombus burden (TIMI [Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction] thrombus grade ≥3), thrombus aspiration was associated with fewer cardiovascular deaths (170 [2.5%] versus 205 [3.1%]; hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.98; P=0.03) and with more strokes or transient ischemic attacks (55 [0.9%] versus 34 [0.5%]; odds ratio, 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-2.42, P=0.04). However, the interaction P values were 0.32 and 0.34, respectively. Routine thrombus aspiration during PCI for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction did not improve clinical outcomes. In the high thrombus burden group, the trends toward reduced cardiovascular death and increased stroke or transient ischemic attack provide a rationale for future trials of improved thrombus aspiration technologies in this high-risk subgroup. URLs: http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/. Unique identifiers: NCT02552407 and CRD42015025936. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Biomarkers and mortality after transient ischemic attack and minor ischemic stroke: population-based study.

PubMed

Greisenegger, Stefan; Segal, Helen C; Burgess, Annette I; Poole, Debbie L; Mehta, Ziyah; Rothwell, Peter M

2015-03-01

Premature death after transient ischemic attack or stroke is more often because of heart disease or cancer than stroke. Previous studies found blood biomarkers not usefully predictive of nonfatal stroke but possibly of all-cause death. This association might be explained by potentially treatable occult cardiac disease or cancer. We therefore aimed to validate the association of a panel of biomarkers with all-cause death, particularly cardiac death and cancer death, despite the absence of associations with risk of nonfatal vascular events. Fifteen biomarkers were measured in 929 consecutive patients in a population-based study (Oxford Vascular Study), recruited from 2002 and followed up to 2013. Associations were determined by Cox regression. Model discrimination was assessed by c-statistic and the integrated discrimination improvement. During 5560 patient-years of follow-up, none of the biomarkers predicted risk of nonfatal vascular events. However, soluble tumor necrosis factor α receptor-1, von Willebrand factor, heart-type fatty-acid-binding protein, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were independently predictive of all-cause death (n=361; adjusted hazard ratio per SD, 95% confidence interval: heart-type fatty-acid-binding protein: 1.31, 1.12-1.56, P=0.002; N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide: 1.34, 1.11-1.62, P=0.002; soluble tumor necrosis factor α receptor-1: 1.45, 1.26-1.66, P=0.02; von Willebrand factor: 1.19, 1.04-1.36, P=0.01). The independent contribution of the four biomarkers taken together added prognostic information and improved model discrimination (integrated discrimination improvement=0.028, P=0.0001). N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide was most predictive of vascular death (adjusted hazard ratio=1.80, 95% confidence interval, 1.34-2.41, P<0.0001), whereas heart-type fatty-acid-binding protein predicted cancer deaths (1.64, 1.26-2.12, P=0.0002). Associations were strongest in patients without known prior cardiac disease or cancer. Several biomarkers predicted death of any cause after transient ischemic attack and minor stroke. N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and heart-type fatty-acid-binding protein might improve patient selection for additional screening for occult cardiac disease or cancer, respectively. However, our results require validation in future studies. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Aspirin Versus Aspirin Plus Clopidogrel as Antithrombotic Treatment Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement With a Balloon-Expandable Valve: The ARTE (Aspirin Versus Aspirin + Clopidogrel Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Rodés-Cabau, Josep; Masson, Jean-Bernard; Welsh, Robert C; Garcia Del Blanco, Bruno; Pelletier, Marc; Webb, John G; Al-Qoofi, Faisal; Généreux, Philippe; Maluenda, Gabriel; Thoenes, Martin; Paradis, Jean-Michel; Chamandi, Chekrallah; Serra, Vicenç; Dumont, Eric; Côté, Mélanie

2017-07-10

The aim of this study was to compare aspirin plus clopidogrel with aspirin alone as antithrombotic treatment following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for the prevention of ischemic events, bleeding events, and death. Few data exist on the optimal antithrombotic therapy following TAVR. This was a randomized controlled trial comparing aspirin (80 to 100 mg/day) plus clopidogrel (75 mg/day) (dual antiplatelet therapy [DAPT]) versus aspirin alone (single-antiplatelet therapy [SAPT]) in patients undergoing TAVR with a balloon-expandable valve. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke or transient ischemic attack, or major or life-threatening bleeding (according to Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 definitions) within the 3 months following the procedure. The trial was prematurely stopped after the inclusion of 74% of the planned study population. A total of 222 patients were included, 111 allocated to DAPT and 111 to SAPT. The composite of death, MI, stroke or transient ischemic attack, or major or life-threatening bleeding tended to occur more frequently in the DAPT group (15.3% vs. 7.2%, p = 0.065). There were no differences between groups in the occurrence of death (DAPT, 6.3%; SAPT, 3.6%; p = 0.37), MI (DAPT, 3.6%; SAT, 0.9%; p = 0.18), or stroke or transient ischemic attack (DAPT, 2.7%; SAPT, 0.9%; p = 0.31) at 3 months. DAPT was associated with a higher rate of major or life-threatening bleeding events (10.8% vs. 3.6% in the SAPT group, p = 0.038). There were no differences between groups in valve hemodynamic status post-TAVR. This small trial showed that SAPT (vs. DAPT) tended to reduce the occurrence of major adverse events following TAVR. SAPT reduced the risk for major or life-threatening events while not increasing the risk for MI or stroke. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results. (Aspirin Versus Aspirin + Clopidogrel Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: The ARTE Trial [ARTE], NCT01559298; Aspirin Versus Aspirin+Clopidogrel as Antithrombotic Treatment Following TAVI [ARTE], NCT02640794). Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Systematic Review of Validated Methods for Identifying Cerebrovascular Accident or Transient Ischemic Attack Using Administrative Data

PubMed Central

Andrade, Susan E.; Harrold, Leslie R.; Tjia, Jennifer; Cutrona, Sarah L.; Saczynski, Jane S.; Dodd, Katherine S.; Goldberg, Robert J.; Gurwitz, Jerry H.

2012-01-01

Purpose To perform a systematic review of the validity of algorithms for identifying cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) using administrative and claims data. Methods PubMed and Iowa Drug Information Service (IDIS) searches of the English language literature were performed to identify studies published between 1990 and 2010 that evaluated the validity of algorithms for identifying CVAs (ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, intracranial hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage) and/or TIAs in administrative data. Two study investigators independently reviewed the abstracts and articles to determine relevant studies according to pre-specified criteria. Results A total of 35 articles met the criteria for evaluation. Of these, 26 articles provided data to evaluate the validity of stroke, 7 reported the validity of TIA, 5 reported the validity of intracranial bleeds (intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage), and 10 studies reported the validity of algorithms to identify the composite endpoints of stroke/TIA or cerebrovascular disease. Positive predictive values (PPVs) varied depending on the specific outcomes and algorithms evaluated. Specific algorithms to evaluate the presence of stroke and intracranial bleeds were found to have high PPVs (80% or greater). Algorithms to evaluate TIAs in adult populations were generally found to have PPVs of 70% or greater. Conclusions The algorithms and definitions to identify CVAs and TIAs using administrative and claims data differ greatly in the published literature. The choice of the algorithm employed should be determined by the stroke subtype of interest. PMID:22262598

Dolichoectasia in vertebrobasilar arteries presented as transient ischemic attacks: A case report.

PubMed

Najafi, Mohammad Reza; Toghianifar, Nafiseh; Abdar Esfahani, Morteza; Najafi, Mohammad Amin; Mollakouchakian, Mohammad Javad

2016-01-01

Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD) is a rare vasculopathy. The etiology of this disease is unknown. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) of vertebrobasilar system refer to a transient (< 24 hours) lowering of blood flow in the posterior circulation of the brain. We present a case of dolichoectasia in the vertebrobasilar artery that presented with TIAs. A hypertensive 54-year-old man with true vertigo, nausea, imbalance, dysarthria, dysmetria, horizontal nystagmus, and gait ataxia was referred to Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. The symptoms improved in the 1st day, but recurred in the 2nd day, lasting for 6-7 hours. According to clinical manifestations, a diagnosis of TIAs in the vertebrobasilar circulation was made. Imaging studies showed vascular anomaly. The vascular anomaly was considered as the cause of the patient's symptoms. A medical management was started using antiplatelet and antihypertensive drugs. The patient was referred for a more evaluation for other vascular anomalies. Dolichoectasia usually affects vertebral and basilar arteries and simultaneous involvement of carotid arteries is rare seen in only 0.5% of these patients. The usual symptom of dolichoectasia is ischemia and rarely hemorrhages. The most common type of ischemic stroke is lacunar type. Ischemia evolves from embolic that originate from thrombi or plaques in the walls of the ectatic artery. While hemodynamic effects are the most common cause of the presenting signs and symptoms of the anomaly. We report a case of dolichoectasia that presented with TIAs of the verterbrobasilar artery. VBD is a distinct arteriopathy known as stroke risk.

Sustained long-term benefit of patent foramen ovale closure on migraine.

PubMed

Trabattoni, Daniela; Fabbiocchi, Franco; Montorsi, Piero; Galli, Stefano; Teruzzi, Giovanni; Grancini, Luca; Gatto, Pamela; Bartorelli, Antonio L

2011-03-01

This single-center, observational, prospective study evaluated the impact of patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure on migraine attacks over time. PFO closure may reduce the frequency and severity of migraine headaches in patients with significant right-to-left shunts. Between May 2000 and September 2009, 305 consecutive patients (mean age, 43 ± 12 years; 54.5% women) with a prior embolic cerebrovascular event underwent PFO closure with the Amplatzer PFO occluder for recurrence prevention. All patients had right-to-left shunts; the shunts were associated with migraine symptoms in 77 (25%), either alone (n = 64, 83%) or with aura (n = 13, 17%). Septal aneurysm was present in 15 (19.5%) migraine patients, and 43 (56%) had a previous transient brain ischemic attack. All migraine patients had a computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging, indicating a previous brain ischemic lesion. All 305 patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography with clinical follow-up at 24 hr, at 3, 6, and 12 months, and then yearly. An acute migraine attack occurred 24-48 hr after PFO closure in 28 (36.4%) of 77 patients. There was a significant reduction (>50%) in the number and intensity of attacks in 46 (60.5%) of 77 patients at the 3-month follow-up. At the 12-month follow-up, migraine had ceased in 23 (46%) patients, and 20 (40%) had a reduction in the migraine recurrence rate and disabling symptoms. These results were maintained at follow-up (mean, 28 ± 27 months). There was overall improvement in migraine in 89% of the treated patients. Percutaneous PFO closure in migraineurs may provide beneficial mid-term and long-term results, with significant reduction in the intensity and frequency of headache symptoms. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Incidence of Transient Ischemic Attack in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2011 to 2012.

PubMed

Barber, P Alan; Krishnamurthi, Rita; Parag, Varsha; Anderson, Neil E; Ranta, Annemarei; Kilfoyle, Dean; Wong, Edward; Green, Geoff; Arroll, Bruce; Bennett, Derrick A; Witt, Emma; Rush, Elaine; Minsun Suh, Flora; Theadom, Alice; Rathnasabapathy, Yogini; Te Ao, Braden; Parmar, Priyakumari; Feigin, Valery L

2016-09-01

There have been few recent population-based studies reporting the incidence (first ever) and attack rates (incident and recurrent) of transient ischemic attack (TIA). The fourth Auckland Regional Community Stroke study (ARCOS IV) used multiple overlapping case ascertainment methods to identify all hospitalized and nonhospitalized cases of TIA that occurred in people ≥16 years of age usually resident in Auckland (population ≥16 years of age is 1.12 million), during the 12 months from March 1, 2011. All first-ever and recurrent new TIAs (any new TIA 28 days after the index event) during the study period were recorded. There were 785 people with TIA (402 [51.2%] women, mean [SD] age 71.5 [13.8] years); 614 (78%) of European origin, 84 (11%) Māori/Pacific, and 75 (10%) Asian/Other. The annual incidence of TIA was 40 (95% confidence interval, 36-43), and attack rate was 63 (95% confidence interval, 59-68), per 100 000 people, age standardized to the World Health Organization world population. Approximately two thirds of people were known to be hypertensive or were being treated with blood pressure-lowering agents, half were taking antiplatelet agents and just under half were taking lipid-lowering therapy before the index TIA. Two hundred ten (27%) people were known to have atrial fibrillation at the time of the TIA, of whom only 61 (29%) were taking anticoagulant therapy, suggesting a failure to identify or treat atrial fibrillation. This study describes the burden of TIA in an era of aggressive primary and secondary vascular risk factor management. Education programs for medical practitioners and patients around the identification and management of atrial fibrillation are required. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

[Understanding the reasons behind the low utilization of thrombolysis in hyperacute ischemic stroke].

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoxue; Zhang, Jingfen; Li, Ruiming; Cheng, Guojuan; Chen, Qiang

2016-03-22

The study aimed to analyze the influencing factors of thrombolysis therapy in acute ischemic stroke patients with onset time less than 4.5 hours. We consecutively prospectively screened acute ischemic stroke patients with onset time less than 4.5 hours from emergency department, outpatients and inpatients of neurology department, and image center in our hospital over a 31-month time period (April 2012-November 2014). The rate of thrombolysis and the reasons for not receiving thrombolysis were analyzed. A total of 538 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included (68.2% males, mean age 67±13 years old). Only 104 (19.3%) patients received thrombolysis. The main reasons for the patients not receiving thrombolysis included minor symptoms (172 cases, 39.6%), rapidly improving symptoms and high possibility of transient ischemic attack (TIA) (59 cases, 13.6%), patients or families refusing thrombolysis (44, 10.1%), in-hospital delay (38, 8.8%), elderly people with age over than 80 years old (38, 8.8%). The thrombolysis rate within time window of acute ischemic stroke is remarkably higher than that of several years ago in China. The main reasons for not receiving thrombolysis are minor and rapidly improving symptoms, patients or families' refusal, in-hospital delay, elderly people with age over than 80 years old.

Prediction of Early Recurrent Thromboembolic Event and Major Bleeding in Patients With Acute Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation by a Risk Stratification Schema: The ALESSA Score Study.

PubMed

Paciaroni, Maurizio; Agnelli, Giancarlo; Caso, Valeria; Tsivgoulis, Georgios; Furie, Karen L; Tadi, Prasanna; Becattini, Cecilia; Falocci, Nicola; Zedde, Marialuisa; Abdul-Rahim, Azmil H; Lees, Kennedy R; Alberti, Andrea; Venti, Michele; Acciarresi, Monica; D'Amore, Cataldo; Mosconi, Maria Giulia; Cimini, Ludovica Anna; Procopio, Antonio; Bovi, Paolo; Carletti, Monica; Rigatelli, Alberto; Cappellari, Manuel; Putaala, Jukka; Tomppo, Liisa; Tatlisumak, Turgut; Bandini, Fabio; Marcheselli, Simona; Pezzini, Alessandro; Poli, Loris; Padovani, Alessandro; Masotti, Luca; Vannucchi, Vieri; Sohn, Sung-Il; Lorenzini, Gianni; Tassi, Rossana; Guideri, Francesca; Acampa, Maurizio; Martini, Giuseppe; Ntaios, George; Karagkiozi, Efstathia; Athanasakis, George; Makaritsis, Kostantinos; Vadikolias, Kostantinos; Liantinioti, Chrysoula; Chondrogianni, Maria; Mumoli, Nicola; Consoli, Domenico; Galati, Franco; Sacco, Simona; Carolei, Antonio; Tiseo, Cindy; Corea, Francesco; Ageno, Walter; Bellesini, Marta; Colombo, Giovanna; Silvestrelli, Giorgio; Ciccone, Alfonso; Scoditti, Umberto; Denti, Licia; Mancuso, Michelangelo; Maccarrone, Miriam; Orlandi, Giovanni; Giannini, Nicola; Gialdini, Gino; Tassinari, Tiziana; De Lodovici, Maria Luisa; Bono, Giorgio; Rueckert, Christina; Baldi, Antonio; D'Anna, Sebastiano; Toni, Danilo; Letteri, Federica; Giuntini, Martina; Lotti, Enrico Maria; Flomin, Yuriy; Pieroni, Alessio; Kargiotis, Odysseas; Karapanayiotides, Theodore; Monaco, Serena; Baronello, Mario Maimone; Csiba, Laszló; Szabó, Lilla; Chiti, Alberto; Giorli, Elisa; Del Sette, Massimo; Imberti, Davide; Zabzuni, Dorjan; Doronin, Boris; Volodina, Vera; Michel, Patrik; Vanacker, Peter; Barlinn, Kristian; Pallesen, Lars-Peder; Kepplinger, Jessica; Bodechtel, Ulf; Gerber, Johannes; Deleu, Dirk; Melikyan, Gayane; Ibrahim, Faisal; Akhtar, Naveed; Gourbali, Vanessa; Yaghi, Shadi

2017-03-01

This study was designed to derive and validate a score to predict early ischemic events and major bleedings after an acute ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. The derivation cohort consisted of 854 patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation included in prospective series between January 2012 and March 2014. Older age (hazard ratio 1.06 for each additional year; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.11) and severe atrial enlargement (hazard ratio, 2.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-2.87) were predictors for ischemic outcome events (stroke, transient ischemic attack, and systemic embolism) at 90 days from acute stroke. Small lesions (≤1.5 cm) were inversely correlated with both major bleeding (hazard ratio, 0.39; P =0.03) and ischemic outcome events (hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.30-1.00). We assigned to age ≥80 years 2 points and between 70 and 79 years 1 point; ischemic index lesion >1.5 cm, 1 point; severe atrial enlargement, 1 point (ALESSA score). A logistic regression with the receiver-operating characteristic graph procedure (C statistic) showed an area under the curve of 0.697 (0.632-0.763; P =0.0001) for ischemic outcome events and 0.585 (0.493-0.678; P =0.10) for major bleedings. The validation cohort consisted of 994 patients included in prospective series between April 2014 and June 2016. Logistic regression with the receiver-operating characteristic graph procedure showed an area under the curve of 0.646 (0.529-0.763; P =0.009) for ischemic outcome events and 0.407 (0.275-0.540; P =0.14) for hemorrhagic outcome events. In acute stroke patients with atrial fibrillation, high ALESSA scores were associated with a high risk of ischemic events but not of major bleedings. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness in ischemic stroke: the role of sleep-disordered breathing.

PubMed

Cereda, Carlo W; Tamisier, Renaud; Manconi, Mauro; Andreotti, Jennifer; Frangi, Jane; Pifferini, Valeria; Bassetti, Claudio L

2013-04-01

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) represents a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity after a cerebral ischemic event (acute ischemic event, ischemic stroke, or transient ischemic attack). In the present study, endothelial function and arterial stiffness were analyzed in patients who experienced a postacute ischemic event with relation to SDB, sleep disruption, and nocturnal oxygenation parameters. SDB was assessed by full polysomnography in patients with acute ischemic event 3 months after the admission at our stroke unit. Moderate-severe SDB was defined according to the apnea-hypopnea index as apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 20. Endothelial function and arterial stiffness were assessed by peripheral arterial tonometry using Endo-PAT 2000. Thirty-seven patients were included. The augmentation index was significantly different between patients with apnea-hypopnea index <20 and apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 20 (22.4 ± 15.6% versus 34.6 ± 21.6%; P=0.042), whereas reactive hyperemia index level was not (2.02 ± 0.65 versus 2.31 ± 0.61; P=0.127). Patients with apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 20 showed an increased risk for arterial stiffness (odds ratio, 5.98 [95% CI, 1.11-41.72]) even when controlling for age, sex, body mass index, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. The augmentation index was correlated with the arousal index (P=0.010) and with mean O2 saturation (P = 0.043). Poststroke patients with moderate-severe SDB were more prone to have increased arterial stiffness, although we did not find significant differences in endothelial function. Arterial stiffness also correlated with sleep disruption (arousal index) and mean O2 saturation.

Serum Sodium and Potassium Levels in Cerebro-vascular Accident Patients.

PubMed

Farahmand, Farahmand; Choobi Anzali, Babak; Heshmat, Ramin; Ghafouri, Hamed-Basir; Hamedanchi, Sepehr

2013-05-01

We aim to assess serum sodium and potassium levels in patients with different types of cerebro-vascular accidents (CVA) in comparison to control group. A comparative cross-sectional study conducted on patients admitted to the emergency department from January to August 2012. Control group consisted of patients admitted to emergency department due to common cold, urinary tract infection, low back pain, cluster, and tension headache or migraine. Serum sodium and potassium levels were measured via standard laboratory methods. There were 77 patients in control group and 78 in CVA group. Forty nine patients from the CVA group had ischemic CVA, 11 had hemorrhagic CVA and 18 suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Serum sodium level in control group was significantly lower than in patients with TIA, ischemic CVA, and hemorrhagic CVA (P < 0.001). Serum potassium level in control group was higher than patients with TIA, ischemic CVA, and hemorrhagic CVA (P < 0.001). Patients with hemorrhagic CVA showed significantly lower serum potassium level than patients with TIA and ischemic CVA (P < 0.001). Correspondingly, it was observed that serum sodium to potassium ratio was higher in patients with TIA, ischemic CVA, and hemorrhagic CVA (P < 0.001). In patients with hemorrhagic CVA serum sodium to potassium ratio was higher when compared to patients with TIA and ischemic CVA (P < 0.001). This study shows that higher serum sodium and lower serum potassium level may be associated with higher incidence of CVA. Further studies are paramount to elucidate the role of serum electrolyte levels in vascular events.

["Habitual" left branch block alternating with 2 "disguised" bracnch block].

PubMed

Lévy, S; Jullien, G; Mathieu, P; Mostefa, S; Gérard, R

1976-10-01

Two cases of alternating left bundle branch block and "masquerading block" (with left bundle branch morphology in the stnadard leads and right bundle branch block morphology in the precordial leads) were studied by serial tracings and his bundle electrocardiography. In case 1 "the masquerading" block was associated with a first degree AV block related to a prolongation of HV interval. This case is to our knowledge the first cas of alternating bundle branch block in which his bundle activity was recorded in man. In case 2, the patient had atrial fibrilation and His bundle recordings were performed while differents degrees of left bundle branch block were present: The mechanism of the alternation and the concept of "masquerading" block are discussed. It is suggested that this type of block represents a right bundle branch block associated with severe lesions of the "left system".

Migraine prophylaxis, ischemic depolarizations and stroke outcomes in mice

PubMed Central

Eikermann-Haerter, Katharina; Lee, Jeong Hyun; Yalcin, Nilufer; Yu, Esther Sori; Daneshmand, Ali; Wei, Ying; Zheng, Yi; Can, Anil; Sengul, Buse; Ferrari, Michel D.; van den Maagdenberg, Arn M. J. M.; Ayata, Cenk

2014-01-01

Background and Purpose Migraine with aura is an established stroke risk factor, and excitatory mechanisms such as spreading depression are implicated in the pathogenesis of both migraine and stroke. Spontaneous spreading depression waves originate within the peri-infarct tissue and exacerbate the metabolic mismatch during focal cerebral ischemia. Genetically enhanced spreading depression susceptibility facilitates anoxic depolarizations and peri-infarct spreading depressions and accelerates infarct growth, suggesting that susceptibility to spreading depression is a critical determinant of vulnerability to ischemic injury. Because chronic treatment with migraine prophylactic drugs suppresses spreading depression susceptibility, we tested whether migraine prophylaxis can also suppress ischemic depolarizations and improve stroke outcome. Methods We measured the cortical susceptibility to spreading depression and ischemic depolarizations, and determined tissue and neurological outcome after middle cerebral artery occlusion in wild type and familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 knock-in mice treated with vehicle, topiramate or lamotrigine daily for 7 weeks or as a single dose shortly before testing. Results Chronic treatment with topiramate or lamotrigine reduces the susceptibility to KCl- or electrical stimulation-induced spreading depressions as well as ischemic depolarizations in both wild-type and familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 mutant mice. Consequently, both tissue and neurological outcomes are improved. Notably, treatment with a single dose of either drug is ineffective. Conclusions These data underscore the importance of hyperexcitability as a mechanism for increased stroke risk in migraineurs, and suggest that migraine prophylaxis may not only prevent migraine attacks but also protect migraineurs against ischemic injury. PMID:25424478

Relationship of Preexisting Cardiovascular Comorbidities to Newly Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation After Ischemic Stroke.

PubMed

Bisson, Arnaud; Clementy, Nicolas; Bodin, Alexandre; Angoulvant, Denis; Babuty, Dominique; Lip, Gregory Y H; Fauchier, Laurent

2017-10-01

There remains uncertainty as whether newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) after ischemic stroke reflects underlying heart disease and represents an increased risk of cardioembolic stroke, or whether it is triggered by neurogenic mechanisms. We aimed to determine whether cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with new AF after ischemic stroke differ from patients with previous known AF or without AF. This French longitudinal cohort study was based on the database covering hospital care from 2009 to 2012 for the entire population. Of 336 291 patients with ischemic stroke, 240 459 (71.5%) had no AF and 95 832 (28.5%) had previously known AF at baseline. Patients without previous AF had a mean CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score of 4.98±1.63 SD. During a mean follow-up of 7.9±11.5 months, 14 095 (5.9%) of these patients had incident AF, representing an annual incidence of AF after ischemic stroke of 8.9 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval, 8.8-9.0). New AF patients had higher CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score, more likely comorbidities, and more frequent history of previous transient ischemic attack than patients with previous known AF or without AF. Preexisting cardiovascular comorbidities underlie AF newly diagnosed after stroke. Consequently, these high-risk patients should be closely monitored for incident AF to facilitate an earlier diagnosis of AF and avoid stroke with appropriate thromboprophylaxis. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Out-of-range INR values and outcomes among new warfarin patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Nelson, Winnie W; Wang, Li; Baser, Onur; Damaraju, Chandrasekharrao V; Schein, Jeffrey R

2015-02-01

Although efficacious in stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation, many warfarin patients are sub-optimally managed. To evaluate the association of international normalized ratio control and clinical outcomes among new warfarin patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Adult non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients (≥18 years) initiating warfarin treatment were selected from the US Veterans Health Administration dataset between 10/2007 and 9/2012. Valid international normalized ratio values were examined from the warfarin initiation date through the earlier of the first clinical outcome, end of warfarin exposure or death. Each patient contributed multiple in-range and out-of-range time periods. The relative risk ratios of clinical outcomes associated with international normalized ratio control were estimated. 34,346 patients were included for analysis. During the warfarin exposure period, the incidence of events per 100 person-years was highest when patients had international normalized ratio <2:13.66 for acute coronary syndrome; 10.30 for ischemic stroke; 2.93 for transient ischemic attack; 1.81 for systemic embolism; and 4.55 for major bleeding. Poisson regression confirmed that during periods with international normalized ratio <2, patients were at increased risk of developing acute coronary syndrome (relative risk ratio: 7.9; 95 % confidence interval 6.9-9.1), ischemic stroke (relative risk ratio: 7.6; 95 % confidence interval 6.5-8.9), transient ischemic attack (relative risk ratio: 8.2; 95 % confidence interval 6.1-11.2), systemic embolism (relative risk ratio: 6.3; 95 % confidence interval 4.4-8.9) and major bleeding (relative risk ratio: 2.6; 95 % confidence interval 2.2-3.0). During time periods with international normalized ratio >3, patients had significantly increased risk of major bleeding (relative risk ratio: 1.5; 95 % confidence interval 1.2-2.0). In a Veterans Health Administration non-valvular atrial fibrillation population, exposure to out-of-range international normalized ratio values was associated with significantly increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes.

Guideline-directed low-density lipoprotein management in high-risk patients with ischemic stroke: findings from Get with the Guidelines-Stroke 2003 to 2012.

PubMed

Saposnik, Gustavo; Fonarow, Gregg C; Pan, Wenquin; Liang, Li; Hernandez, Adrian F; Schwamm, Lee H; Smith, Eric E

2014-11-01

Limited information is available on stroke prevention in high-risk patients with preexisting cardiovascular disease. Our aim was to use admission low-density lipoprotein (LDL) values to evaluate differences in the attainment of National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines goals at the time of the index event in high-risk patients with stroke and preexisting cardio- or cerebrovascular disease. Observational study, using data from the Get-With-The-Guidelines-Stroke Registry including 913 436 patients with an acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack from April 2003 to September 2012. Participants were classified as high risk if they had history of transient ischemic attack (TIA), stroke (cardiovascular disease), and coronary artery disease (CAD). Of the 913 436 patients admitted with an acute stroke or TIA, 194 557 (21.3%) had previous stroke/TIA, 148 833 (16.3%) had previous CAD, and 88 605 (9.7%) had concomitant CAD and cardiovascular disease. Overall, only 68% of patients with stroke were at their preadmission National Cholesterol Education Program III guideline-recommended LDL target; 51.3% had LDL <100 mg/dL; and only 19.8% had LDL<70 mg/dL. Among those presenting with a recurrent stroke, >45% had LDL>100 mg/dL. When compared with patients with CAD, patients with previous TIA/stroke were less likely to have LDL<100 or <70 mg/dL. In multivariable analysis, older age, men, white race, lack of major vascular risk factors, previous use of cholesterol-lowering therapy, and care provided in larger hospitals were associated with meeting LDL targets on admission testing. Management of dyslipidemia in high-risk patients with preexistent CAD or stroke continues to be suboptimal. Only 1 in 5 patients with prior TIA/stroke had LDL levels <70 mg/dL. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Study design of the CLOSURE I Trial: a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the STARFlex septal closure system versus best medical therapy in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack due to presumed paradoxical embolism through a patent foramen ovale.

PubMed

Furlan, Anthony J; Reisman, Mark; Massaro, Joseph; Mauri, Laura; Adams, Harold; Albers, Gregory W; Felberg, Robert; Herrmann, Howard; Kar, Saibal; Landzberg, Michael; Raizner, Albert; Wechsler, Lawrence

2010-12-01

Some strokes of unknown etiology may be the result of a paradoxical embolism traversing through a nonfused foramen ovale (patent foramen ovale [PFO]). The utility of percutaneously placed devices for treatment of patients with cryptogenic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and PFO is unknown. In addition, there are no clear data about the utility of medical interventions or other surgical procedures in this situation. Despite limited data, many patients are being treated with PFO closure devices. Thus, there is a strong need for clinical trials that test the potential efficacy of PFO occlusive devices in this situation. To address this gap in medical knowledge, we designed the CLOSURE I trial, a randomized, clinical trial comparing the use of a percutaneously placed PFO occlusive device and best medical therapy versus best medical therapy alone for prevention of recurrent ischemic neurologic symptoms among persons with TIA or ischemic stroke. This prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial has finished enrollment. Two-year follow-up for all 910 patients is required. The primary end point is the 2-year incidence of stroke or TIA, all-cause mortality for the first 30 days, and neurologic mortality from ≥ 31 days of follow-up, as adjudicated by a panel of physicians who are unaware of treatment allocation. This article describes the rationale and study design of CLOSURE I. This trial should provide information as to whether the STARFlex septal closure system is safe and more effective than best medical therapy alone in preventing recurrent stroke/TIA and mortality in patients with PFO and whether the STARFlex septal closure device can demonstrate superiority compared with best medical therapy alone. Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00201461.

Annual Progress Report, Fiscal Year 1981.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-30

Ticlopidine Hydrochloride - A Clinical Trial in Patients with Transient Cerebral or Monocular Ischemic Attacks ............... 138 Work Unit No. 81/57...Hand Injuries .................................... 180 Work Unit No. 80/06 (FY8O,C) Evaluation of Antagonistic Knee Flexors and Extensors During Prone...Preventable Training Injury : Accepted for publication in Military Medicine(C). Smith WR, Lee SH, Vichick DA: Evaluation of Antagonistic Knee Flexors and

Huge Free-Floating Thrombus in the Internal Carotid Artery.

PubMed

Tanriverdi, Uygur; Kizilkilic, Osman; Ince, Birsen

2017-12-01

Free-floating thrombus in the carotid artery is extremely rare. A 70-year-old male patient with pre-existing Crohn's disease admitted to our clinic with recurrent transient ischemic attacks. Angiography showed a huge thrombus in internal carotid artery. He responded to anticoagulation treatment and delayed endovascular intervention. Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cumulative Lifetime Marijuana Use and Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Middle Age: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study.

PubMed

Reis, Jared P; Auer, Reto; Bancks, Michael P; Goff, David C; Lewis, Cora E; Pletcher, Mark J; Rana, Jamal S; Shikany, James M; Sidney, Stephen

2017-04-01

To investigate the effects of marijuana in the development of incident cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes. Participants were 5113 adults aged 18 to 30 years at baseline (1985-1986) from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, who were followed for more than 25 years. We estimated cumulative lifetime exposure to marijuana using repeated assessments collected at examinations every 2 to 5 years. The primary outcome was incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) through 2013. A total of 84% (n = 4286) reported a history of marijuana use. During a median 26.9 years (131 990 person-years), we identified 215 CVD events, including 62 strokes or transient ischemic attacks, 104 cases of coronary heart disease, and 50 CVD deaths. Compared with no marijuana use, cumulative lifetime and recent marijuana use showed no association with incident CVD, stroke or transient ischemic attacks, coronary heart disease, or CVD mortality. Marijuana use was not associated with CVD when stratified by age, gender, race, or family history of CVD. Neither cumulative lifetime nor recent use of marijuana is associated with the incidence of CVD in middle age.

Association of serum levels of antibodies against MMP1, CBX1, and CBX5 with transient ischemic attack and cerebral infarction

PubMed Central

Wang, Hao; Zhang, Xiao-Meng; Tomiyoshi, Go; Nakamura, Rika; Shinmen, Natsuko; Kuroda, Hideyuki; Kimura, Risa; Mine, Seiichiro; Kamitsukasa, Ikuo; Wada, Takeshi; Aotsuka, Akiyo; Yoshida, Yoichi; Kobayashi, Eiichi; Matsutani, Tomoo; Iwadate, Yasuo; Sugimoto, Kazuo; Mori, Masahiro; Uzawa, Akiyuki; Muto, Mayumi; Kuwabara, Satoshi; Takemoto, Minoru; Kobayashi, Kazuki; Kawamura, Harukiyo; Ishibashi, Ryoichi; Yokote, Koutaro; Ohno, Mikiko; Chen, Po-Min; Nishi, Eiichiro; Ono, Koh; Kimura, Takeshi; Machida, Toshio; Takizawa, Hirotaka; Kashiwado, Koichi; Shimada, Hideaki; Ito, Masaaki; Goto, Ken-Ichiro; Iwase, Katsuro; Ashino, Hiromi; Taira, Akiko; Arita, Emiko; Takiguchi, Masaki; Hiwasa, Takaki

2018-01-01

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a predictor for cerebral infarction (CI), and early diagnosis of TIA is extremely important for the prevention of CI. We set out to identify novel antibody biomarkers for TIA and CI, and detected matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1), chromobox homolog 1 (CBX1), and chromobox homolog 5 (CBX5) as candidate antigens using serological identification of antigens by recombinant cDNA expression cloning (SEREX) and Western blotting to confirm the presence of serum antibodies against the antigens. Amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay-linked immunosorbent assay (AlphaLISA) revealed that serum antibody levels were significantly higher in patients with TIA or acute-phase CI (aCI) compared with healthy donors (P < 0.01). Spearman’s correlation analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that levels of anti-MMP1, anti-CBX1, and anti-CBX5 antibodies were associated with age, cigarette-smoking habits, and blood pressure. Thus, serum levels of antibodies against MMP1, CBX1, and CBX5 could potentially serve as useful tools for diagnosing TIA and predicting the onset of aCI. PMID:29464021

Delayed-onset dementia after stroke or transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Mok, Vincent C T; Lam, Bonnie Y K; Wang, Zhaolu; Liu, Wenyan; Au, Lisa; Leung, Eric Y L; Chen, Sirong; Yang, Jie; Chu, Winnie C W; Lau, Alexander Y L; Chan, Anne Y Y; Shi, Lin; Fan, Florence; Ma, Sze H; Ip, Vincent; Soo, Yannie O Y; Leung, Thomas W H; Kwok, Timothy C Y; Ho, Chi L; Wong, Lawrence K S; Wong, Adrian

2016-11-01

Patients surviving stroke without immediate dementia are at high risk of delayed-onset dementia. Mechanisms underlying delayed-onset dementia are complex and may involve vascular and/or neurodegenerative diseases. Dementia-free patients with stroke and/or transient ischemic attack (TIA; n = 919) were studied for 3 years prospectively, excluding those who developed dementia 3 to 6 months after stroke and/or TIA. Forty subjects (4.4%) developed dementia during the study period. Imaging markers of severe small vessel disease (SVD), namely presence of ≥3 lacunes and confluent white matter changes; history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus independently predicted delayed-onset dementia after adjustment for age, gender, and education. Only 6 of 31 (19.4%) subjects with delayed cognitive decline harbored Alzheimer's disease-like Pittsburg compound B (PiB) retention. Most PiB cases (16/25, 64%) had evidence of severe SVD. Severe SVD contributes importantly to delayed-onset dementia after stroke and/or TIA. Future clinical trials aiming to prevent delayed-onset dementia after stroke and/or TIA should target this high-risk group. Copyright © 2016 The Alzheimer's Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Elevation of autoantibody level against PDCD11 in patients with transient ischemic attack

PubMed Central

Yoshida, Yoichi; Wang, Hao; Hiwasa, Takaki; Machida, Toshio; Kobayashi, Eiichi; Mine, Seiichiro; Tomiyoshi, Go; Nakamura, Rika; Shinmen, Natsuko; Kuroda, Hideyuki; Takizawa, Hirotaka; Kashiwado, Koichi; Kamitsukasa, Ikuo; Shin, Hideo; Wada, Takeshi; Aotsuka, Akiyo; Nishi, Eiichiro; Ohno, Mikiko; Takemoto, Minoru; Yokote, Koutaro; Takahashi, Sho; Matsushima, Jun; Zhang, Xiao-Meng; Takiguchi, Masaki; Iwadate, Yasuo

2018-01-01

Background Disease specific autoantibodies have been detected in the sera of patients with atherosclerosis-related diseases, such as cerebral infarction, cardiovascular disease. In the present study, we aimed to identify novel autoantibodies responsible for transient ischemic attack (TIA), a prodromal condition for cerebral infarction. Methods To identify candidate antigens, we screened a human aortic endothelial cell cDNA library using sera from 20 patients with TIA. Serum antibody levels were measured using amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay-linked immunosorbent assay (AlphaLISA) in 2 independent patient/healthy donor (HD) cohorts (n = 192 and n = 906 in the second screening and validation cohort, respectively). Results First screening identified 3 candidate antigens. Of these, programmed cell death 11 (PDCD11) was determined to be associated with stroke (p < 0.0001), as evidenced from the second screening using AlphaLISA. The validation cohort revealed significantly higher antibody levels against PDCD11 (PDCD11-Ab levels) in patients with TIA than in HDs. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the predictive value of PDCD11-Ab levels for TIA [Odds ratio (OR): 2.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33-4.57, p = 0.0039] was not inferior to other known risk factors for ischemic stroke, including age (OR: 4.97, 95% CI: 2.67–9.48, p < 0.0001); hypertension (OR: 3.21, 95% CI: 1.76–5.86, p = 0.0001); and diabetes (OR: 4.31, 95% CI: 1.74–11.2, p = 0.0015). Conclusion Serum PDCD11-Ab level may serve as a potential biomarker for TIA. PMID:29507658

Patent foramen ovale and stroke in childhood: A systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Khan, Rubeena; Chan, Anthony K; Mondal, Tapas K; Paes, Bosco A

2016-07-01

Stroke in association with a patent foramen ovale (PFO) may be due to paradoxical embolization via a right to left intracardiac shunt but the exact contribution of PFO to stroke or stroke recurrence in childhood remains unclear. To review the relationship of a PFO with stroke, and evaluate associated co-morbidities. An electronic database literature search of Pubmed, Cochrane and EMBASE was performed from January 2000-December 2014. 149 articles were retrieved, with overlap for diagnosis, management, treatment and outcome. 65 reports were utilized for the comprehensive review. Majority of childhood arterial ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attacks are associated with prothrombotic disorders or arteriopathy. Transthoracic echocardiography with a Valsalva maneuver is highly sensitive as a screening tool but may be falsely positive. Transthoracic echocardiography with color Doppler and a concurrent bubble contrast study are excellent for visualizing the atrial septum and PFO and identifying a right to left shunt. Current literature does not support PFO closure for cryptogenic stroke in young adults without an associated risk of thromboembolism. High quality research in the pediatric population is lacking and most of the data is extrapolated from adults. Paradoxical embolism from a PFO as a cause of transient ischemic attack or stroke is a diagnosis of exclusion. PFO closure should be individualized based on significant shunting and risk factors such that maximum benefit is derived from the procedure. A young person with a PFO and stroke should be thoroughly investigated to rule out other etiologies. Copyright © 2016 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cohort Study of ECG Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Trajectories: Ethnic Disparities, Associations With Cardiovascular Outcomes, and Clinical Utility.

PubMed

Iribarren, Carlos; Round, Alfred D; Lu, Meng; Okin, Peter M; McNulty, Edward J

2017-10-05

ECG left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a well-known predictor of cardiovascular disease. However, no prior study has characterized patterns of presence/absence of ECG LVH ("ECG LVH trajectories") across the adult lifespan in both sexes and across ethnicities. We examined: (1) correlates of ECG LVH trajectories; (2) the association of ECG LVH trajectories with incident coronary heart disease, transient ischemic attack, ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and heart failure; and (3) reclassification of cardiovascular disease risk using ECG LVH trajectories. We performed a cohort study among 75 412 men and 107 954 women in the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program who had available longitudinal exposures of ECG LVH and covariates, followed for a median of 4.8 (range <1-9.3) years. ECG LVH was measured by Cornell voltage-duration product. Adverse trajectories of ECG LVH (persistent, new development, or variable pattern) were more common among blacks and Native American men and were independently related to incident cardiovascular disease with hazard ratios ranging from 1.2 for ECG LVH variable pattern and transient ischemic attack in women to 2.8 for persistent ECG LVH and heart failure in men. ECG LVH trajectories reclassified 4% and 7% of men and women with intermediate coronary heart disease risk, respectively. ECG LVH trajectories were significant indicators of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure risk, independently of level and change in cardiovascular disease risk factors, and may have clinical utility. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of periprocedural cerebrovascular accidents during electrophysiologic procedures.

PubMed

Harb, Serge C; Thomas, George; Saliba, Walid I; Nakhoul, Georges N; Hussein, Ayman A; Duarte, Valeria E; Bhargava, Mandeep; Baranowski, Bryan; Tchou, Patrick; Dresing, Thomas; Callahan, Thomas; Kanj, Mohamed; Natale, Andrea; Lindsay, Bruce D; Wazni, Oussama M

2013-06-01

We sought to identify the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of periprocedural cerebrovascular accident (PCVA) during electrophysiologic (EP) procedures. Periprocedural cerebrovascular accident is one of the most feared complications during EP procedures with very few data regarding its characteristics, management, and outcomes. Between January 1998 and December 2008, we reviewed 30,032 invasive EP procedures for PCVA occurrence and characteristics. Management and outcomes were also determined. Thirty-eight CVAs were identified. Twenty (53 %) were intraprocedural and 18 (47 %) postprocedural. Thirty-two (84 %) were classified as strokes and six (16 %) as transient ischemic attacks. All CVAs except one (37, 97 %) were ischemic and the vast majority occurred during ablation procedures (36, 95 %). Among the 31 patients with ischemic stroke, 11 (35 %) were treated with reperfusion (eight catheter-based therapy and three intravenous t-PA) of whom five (46 %) had complete recovery, three (27 %) had partial recovery, and three (27 %) had no recovery. No hemorrhagic transformations occurred. Periprocedural cerebrovascular accident during EP procedures is rare and is almost always ischemic. It occurs more frequently during ablation procedures. Reperfusion therapy is feasible and safe.

Unilateral uveitis masquerade syndrome caused by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma diagnosed using multiparametric flow cytometry of the aqueous humor.

PubMed

Monsalvo, Silvia; Serrano, Cristina; Prieto, Elena; Fernández-Sanz, Guillermo; Puente, Maria-Camino; Rodriguez-Pinilla, Maria; Garcia Raso, Aranzazu; Llamas, Pilar; Cordoba, Raul

2017-07-01

The uveitis masquerade syndromes (UMS) are a group of ocular diseases that may mimic chronic intraocular inflammation. Many malignant entities such as non-Hodgkin's lymphomas may masquerade as uveitis. We report a case of an HIV-positive patient with masquerade syndrome presenting unilateral uveitis. 45-year-old Caucasian man with a diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The patient was diagnosed by a biopsy of an abdominal mass which showed fragments of gastric mucosa with diffuse growth of neoplastic cells. At diagnosis, the patient suffered from unilateral blurring of vision and a sudden decrease of left-eye visual acuity. A slit-lamp examination of the left eye revealed a diagnosis of anterior uveitis. The patient exhibited no signs of posterior uveitis. An anterior-chamber paracentesis was performed and analyzed by multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC), showing cells CD45, CD19, CD20, CD22, and CD38 positives, and moderate expression of CD10 with kappa light chain restriction, showing a monoclonal B-cell population. The patient received CHOP-R with intrathecal methotrexate followed by consolidation high dose methotrexate obtaining a complete response which is ongoing. Differential diagnosis between chronic uveitis and ocular lymphoma may be challenging. We advocate anterior-chamber paracentesis in cases of refractory uveitis in patients with hematologic malignancies. © 2016 International Clinical Cytometry Society. © 2016 International Clinical Cytometry Society.

Sensing muscle ischemia: coincident detection of acid and ATP via interplay of two ion channels.

PubMed

Birdsong, William T; Fierro, Leonardo; Williams, Frank G; Spelta, Valeria; Naves, Ligia A; Knowles, Michelle; Marsh-Haffner, Josephine; Adelman, John P; Almers, Wolfhard; Elde, Robert P; McCleskey, Edwin W

2010-11-18

Ischemic pain--examples include the chest pain of a heart attack and the leg pain of a 30 s sprint--occurs when muscle gets too little oxygen for its metabolic need. Lactic acid cannot act alone to trigger ischemic pain because the pH change is so small. Here, we show that another compound released from ischemic muscle, adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP), works together with acid by increasing the pH sensitivity of acid-sensing ion channel number 3 (ASIC3), the molecule used by sensory neurons to detect lactic acidosis. Our data argue that ATP acts by binding to P2X receptors that form a molecular complex with ASICs; the receptor on sensory neurons appears to be P2X5, an electrically quiet ion channel. Coincident detection of acid and ATP should confer sensory selectivity for ischemia over other conditions of acidosis. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Registry of patients with stroke stated in a public hospital of Peru, 2000-2009].

PubMed

Castañeda-Guarderas, Ana; Beltrán-Ale, Guillermo; Casma-Bustamante, Renzo; Ruiz-Grosso, Paulo; Málaga, Germán

2011-12-01

We performed a descriptive study taking on account the characteristics of the registries of the patients hospitalized at the Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia between the years 2000 and 2009 with stroke as hospitalization diagnosis. 2225 records were obtained from patients older than 18, with stroke. According to ICD-10, 1071 had diagnosis of ischemic stroke, 554 were hemorrhagic, 183 were subarachnoid hemorrhage, 49 were ischemic plus hemorrhagic, 10 were transient ischemic attack (TIA) and in 358 we were unable to specify the type of stroke. 352 deaths were recorded (19.6 %), most of them during the first 3 days. The male / female ratio was 1.09, the mean age 64.1 ± 17.2 years and the median length of hospital stay was 9 days. The most common associated conditions were high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The mortality found is the highest reported in our country, constant in all age groups and higher in women.

Tocotrienol vitamin E protects against preclinical canine ischemic stroke by inducing arteriogenesis.

PubMed

Rink, Cameron; Christoforidis, Greg; Khanna, Savita; Peterson, Laura; Patel, Yojan; Khanna, Suchin; Abduljalil, Amir; Irfanoglu, Okan; Machiraju, Raghu; Bergdall, Valerie K; Sen, Chandan K

2011-11-01

Vitamin E consists of tocopherols and tocotrienols, in which α-tocotrienol is the most potent neuroprotective form that is also effective in protecting against stroke in rodents. As neuroprotective agents alone are insufficient to protect against stroke, we sought to test the effects of tocotrienol on the cerebrovascular circulation during ischemic stroke using a preclinical model that enables fluoroscopy-guided angiography. Mongrel canines (mean weight=26.3±3.2 kg) were supplemented with tocotrienol-enriched (TE) supplement (200 mg b.i.d, n=11) or vehicle placebo (n=9) for 10 weeks before inducing transient middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed 1 hour and 24 hours post reperfusion to assess stroke-induced lesion volume. Tocotrienol-enriched supplementation significantly attenuated ischemic stroke-induced lesion volume (P<0.005). Furthermore, TE prevented loss of white matter fiber tract connectivity after stroke as evident by probabilistic tractography. Post hoc analysis of cerebral angiograms during MCA occlusion revealed that TE-supplemented canines had improved cerebrovascular collateral circulation to the ischemic MCA territory (P<0.05). Tocotrienol-enriched supplementation induced arteriogenic tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease 1 and subsequently attenuated the activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2. Outcomes of the current preclinical trial set the stage for a clinical trial testing the effects of TE in patients who have suffered from transient ischemic attack and are therefore at a high risk for stroke.

Apoptosis and Acute Brain Ischemia in Ischemic Stroke.

PubMed

Radak, Djordje; Katsiki, Niki; Resanovic, Ivana; Jovanovic, Aleksandra; Sudar-Milovanovic, Emina; Zafirovic, Sonja; Mousad, Shaker A; Isenovic, Esma R

2017-01-01

Apoptosis may contribute to a significant proportion of neuron death following acute brain ischemia (ABI), but the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. Brain ischemia may lead to stroke, which is one of the main causes of long-term morbidity and mortality in both developed and developing countries. Therefore, stroke prevention and treatment is clinically important. There are two important separate areas of the brain during ABI: the ischemic core and the ischemic penumbra. The ischemic core of the brain experiences a sudden reduction of blood flow, just minutes after ischemic attack with irreversible injury and subsequent cell death. On the other hand, apoptosis within the ischemic penumbra may occur after several hours or days, while necrosis starts in the first hours after the onset of ABI in the ischemic core. ABI is characterized by key molecular events that initiate apoptosis in many cells, such as overproduction of free radicals, Ca2+ overload and excitotoxicity. These changes in cellular homeostasis may trigger either necrosis or apoptosis, which often depends on cell type, cell age, and location in the brain. Apoptosis results in DNA fragmentation, degradation of cytoskeletal and nuclear proteins, cross-linking of proteins, formation of apoptotic bodies, expression of ligands for phagocytic cell receptors and finally uptake by phagocytic cells. This review focuses on recent findings based on animal and human studies regarding the apoptotic mechanisms of neuronal death following ABI and the development of potential neuroprotective agents that reduce morbidity. The effects of statins on stroke prevention and treatment as well as on apoptotic mediators are also considered. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Association between gastrointestinal bleeding and 3-year mortality in patients with acute, first-ever ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Chou, Yu-Fang; Weng, Wei-Chieh; Huang, Wen-Yi

2017-10-01

The influence of gastrointestinal bleeding on clinical presentation and outcomes of patients with acute ischemic stroke remains controversial. We investigate the effect of gastrointestinal bleeding on the outcomes of patients with acute, first-ever ischemic stroke. We enrolled 934 patients with acute, first-ever ischemic stroke and followed up them for 3years. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence or absence of gastrointestinal bleeding during acute stroke stage. Clinical presentation, stroke risk factors, laboratory data, co-morbidities, and outcomes were recorded. Seventy-six (8.1%) patients had gastrointestinal bleeding at admission. The prevalence of old age, atrial fibrillation, and previous transient ischemic attack was higher in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding (P<0.001, P=0.038, and P=0.018, respectively). Total anterior circulation syndrome occurred more frequently among patients with gastrointestinal bleeding (P<0.001). The mean length of acute ward stay, initial impaired consciousness, and stroke in evolution were higher in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding (P<0.001, P<0.001, and P<0.001, respectively). The occurrence of pneumonia and dependent functional outcome were higher in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). A multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that gastrointestinal bleeding is a significant risk factor for 3-year all-cause mortality (hazard ratio=2.76; 95% confidence interval=1.61-4.72; P<0.001). In conclusion, gastrointestinal bleeding is associated with increased risk of 3-year mortality in patients with acute, first-ever ischemic stroke. Prophylactic therapies for gastrointestinal bleeding might improve ischemic stroke outcome. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Neuronal Ischemic Tolerance Is Conditioned by the Tp53 Arg72Pro Polymorphism.

PubMed

Ramos-Araque, Maria E; Rodriguez, Cristina; Vecino, Rebeca; Cortijo Garcia, Elisa; de Lera Alfonso, Mercedes; Sanchez Barba, Mercedes; Colàs-Campàs, Laura; Purroy, Francisco; Arenillas, Juan F; Almeida, Angeles; Delgado-Esteban, Maria

2018-04-23

Cerebral preconditioning (PC) confers endogenous brain protection after stroke. Ischemic stroke patients with a prior transient ischemic attack (TIA) may potentially be in a preconditioned state. Although PC has been associated with the activation of pro-survival signals, the mechanism by which preconditioning confers neuroprotection is not yet fully clarified. Recently, we have described that PC-mediated neuroprotection against ischemic insult is promoted by p53 destabilization, which is mediated by its main regulator MDM2. Moreover, we have previously described that the human Tp53 Arg72Pro single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) controls susceptibility to ischemia-induced neuronal apoptosis and governs the functional outcome of patients after stroke. Here, we studied the contribution of the human Tp53 Arg72Pro SNP on PC-induced neuroprotection after ischemia. Our results showed that cortical neurons expressing the Pro72-p53 variant exhibited higher PC-mediated neuroprotection as compared with Arg72-p53 neurons. PC prevented ischemia-induced nuclear and cytosolic p53 stabilization in Pro72-p53 neurons. However, PC failed to prevent mitochondrial p53 stabilization, which occurs in Arg72-p53 neurons after ischemia. Furthermore, PC promoted neuroprotection against ischemia by controlling the p53/active caspase-3 pathway in Pro72-p53, but not in Arg72-p53 neurons. Finally, we found that good prognosis associated to TIA within 1 month prior to ischemic stroke was restricted to patients harboring the Pro72 allele. Our findings demonstrate that the Tp53 Arg72Pro SNP controls PC-promoted neuroprotection against a subsequent ischemic insult by modulating mitochondrial p53 stabilization and then modulates TIA-induced ischemic tolerance.

Recurrent epileptic Wernicke aphasia.

PubMed

Sahaya, Kinshuk; Dhand, Upinder K; Goyal, Munish K; Soni, Chetan R; Sahota, Pradeep K

2010-04-15

We report a patient with recurrent epileptic Wernicke aphasia who prior to this presentation, had been misdiagnosed as transient ischemic attacks for several years. This case report emphasizes the consideration of epileptic nature of aphasia when a clear alternate etiology is unavailable, even when EEG fails to show a clear ictal pattern. We also present a brief discussion of previously reported ictal aphasias. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Affordability Calculations on a Health Education Campaign to Promote the Use of Aspirin in Wales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Gareth

2008-01-01

Aspirin has far-reaching public health potential in reducing the risk of heart attacks, ischemic strokes and possibly cancer. Balanced against this potential are undesirable effects of the drug. It seems reasonable to allow every individual over the age of 50 years to make an informed choice about whether or not to take aspirin. A health education…

Hydroxychloroquine Use Is Associated With Decreased Incident Cardiovascular Events in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.

PubMed

Sharma, Tarun S; Wasko, Mary Chester M; Tang, Xiaoqin; Vedamurthy, Deepak; Yan, Xiaowei; Cote, Jonida; Bili, Androniki

2016-01-04

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. This study is the first to report the association of hydroxychloroquine (an antirheumatic medication that has been associated with decreased risk of diabetes, a less atherogenic lipid profile, and antithrombotic properties) with CVD in RA. A retrospective incident RA cohort from January 1, 2001, to October 31, 2013, excluding patients with CVD prior to RA diagnosis, was constructed. Patients were categorized as hydroxychloroquine users versus nonusers and were allowed to contribute time to either group according to hydroxychloroquine exposure. The primary outcome was adjudicated incident CVD defined as a composite of coronary artery disease, stroke, transient ischemic attack, sudden cardiac death, and peripheral artery disease with arterial revascularization procedure. The secondary outcome was a composite of incident coronary artery disease, stroke, and transient ischemic attack. Cox time-varying regression models were used to estimate the association between hydroxychloroquine exposure and development of CVD, after adjusting for propensity score and relevant confounders, including demographics, CVD-related comorbidities, RA severity, and activity indicators and medications. We included 1266 RA patients, 547 hydroxychloroquine users, and 719 nonusers. During the observation period, 102 CVD events occurred, 3 in hydroxychloroquine users and 99 in nonusers. The fully adjusted Cox model showed a hazard ratio of 0.28 (95% CI 0.12-0.63, P=0.002) for incident CVD and 0.30 (95% CI 0.13-0.68, P=0.004) for incident composite coronary artery disease, stroke, and transient ischemic attack for hydroxychloroquine users versus nonusers, respectively. In this hypothesis-generating study, hydroxychloroquine use was associated with a 72% decrease in the risk of incident CVD in RA patients. If these preliminary results are confirmed in larger studies, our findings may be used as a rationale for a randomized study of hydroxychloroquine use for primary prevention of CVD in RA or nonrheumatic high-risk patients. © 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Correlation analysis between the LDL-C in serum and the onset of transient ischemic attack caused by CSVD.

PubMed

Chen, Yaqi; Hu, Mei; Gong, Hongying

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in serum and the onset of transient ischemic attack caused by cerebral small vascular disease (CSVD). Between September 2012 and September 2015, 249 patients who were diagnosed as CSVD were randomly enrolled in this study. According to MRI results, patients were divided into the patient and control groups. In the patient group, the patients were further subdivided into the white matter lesion (WML) group (n=86) and lacunar infarction (LI) group (n=53). Head MRI and/or CT were conducted on all the patients. This included T1 and T2 phases, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR). Additionally, mini-mental status examination (MMSE) test and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) test were carried out on all the patients. As a result, the age, total cholesterol (TC) level and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in the patient group were higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). The MMSE and MoCA scores in the patient group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p<0.05). With all the risk factors being set as independent variables and small vessel disease (SVD) as the dependent variable, we performed the logistic regression analysis and correlation analysis for paired data, and found that the increase in LDL was correlated to the onset of SVD, OR=1,321. After adjustment of other risk factors, we enrolled the level of triglyceride (TG) into the multivariable analysis and obtained a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). In conclusion, LDL is a major risk factor affecting the onset of transient ischemic attack (TIA) induced by CSVD. Patients with hyperlipidemia should receive head MRI or CT examination to eliminate the probability of the existence of CSVD. To reduce the occurrence of adverse events in clinical practice, we can perform early intervention in SVD by decreasing the level of LDL, improving the endothelial function of small vessels and applying the anti-inflammation and nerve-protection methods.

Gravity-dependent nystagmus and inner-ear dysfunction suggest anterior and posterior inferior cerebellar artery infarct.

PubMed

Shaikh, Aasef G; Miller, Benjamin R; Sundararajan, Sophia; Katirji, Bashar

2014-04-01

Cerebellar lesions may present with gravity-dependent nystagmus, where the direction and velocity of the drifts change with alterations in head position. Two patients had acute onset of hearing loss, vertigo, oscillopsia, nausea, and vomiting. Examination revealed gravity-dependent nystagmus, unilateral hypoactive vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), and hearing loss ipsilateral to the VOR hypofunction. Traditionally, the hypoactive VOR and hearing loss suggest inner-ear dysfunction. Vertigo, nausea, vomiting, and nystagmus may suggest peripheral or central vestibulopathy. The gravity-dependent modulation of nystagmus, however, localizes to the posterior cerebellar vermis. Magnetic resonance imaging in our patients revealed acute cerebellar infarct affecting posterior cerebellar vermis, in the vascular distribution of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). This lesion explains the gravity-dependent nystagmus, nausea, and vomiting. Acute onset of unilateral hearing loss and VOR hypofunction could be the manifestation of inner-ear ischemic injury secondary to the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) compromise. In cases of combined AICA and PICA infarction, the symptoms of peripheral vestibulopathy might masquerade the central vestibular syndrome and harbor a cerebellar stroke. However, the gravity-dependent nystagmus allows prompt identification of acute cerebellar infarct. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparison of risperidone and haloperidol for the risk of ischemic stroke in the elderly: a propensity score-matched cohort analysis.

PubMed

Shin, Ju-Young; Choi, Nam-Kyong; Lee, Joongyub; Park, Mi-Ju; Lee, Shin Haeng; Park, Byung-Joo

2015-08-01

With an increase in antipsychotic use in the elderly, the safety profile of antipsychotics has been emphasized. Strong concerns have been raised about whether the risk of ischemic stroke differs between risperidone and haloperidol. This study compared the risk of ischemic stroke between elderly patients taking risperidone and haloperidol. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database, applying a propensity-matched analysis. The cohort consisted of elderly patients who were newly prescribed haloperidol or risperidone between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2009. Patients with prior cerebrovascular diseases (ICD-10, I60-I69), transient ischemic attack (ICD-10, G45), or cerebral tumors (ICD-10, C31) during 365 days prior to the initiation date were excluded. The study subjects were selected by propensity score matching. The outcome was defined as the first hospitalization for ischemic stroke (ICD-10, I63). Cox regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for ischemic stroke with haloperidol compared with risperidone use. A total of 14,103 patients were included in the propensity-matched cohort for each drug. Overall, the incidence rate was higher for haloperidol users compared to the risperidone users (6.43 per 1000 person-years vs. 2.88 per 1000 person-years). A substantially increased risk was observed in haloperidol users (adjusted HR = 2.02, 95% CI, 1.12-3.62). The evidence showed that haloperidol should be prescribed in the elderly with caution. © The Author(s) 2015.

Lipoprotein (a) as a risk factor for ischemic stroke: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Nave, Alexander H; Lange, Kristin S; Leonards, Christopher O; Siegerink, Bob; Doehner, Wolfram; Landmesser, Ulf; Steinhagen-Thiessen, Elisabeth; Endres, Matthias; Ebinger, Martin

2015-10-01

Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] harbors atherogenic potential but its role as a risk factor for ischemic stroke remains controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to determine the relative strength of the association between Lp(a) and ischemic stroke and identify potential subgroup-specific risk differences. A systematic search using the MeSH terms "lipoproteins" OR "lipoprotein a" AND "stroke" was performed in PubMed and ScienceDirect for case-control studies from June 2006 and prospective cohort studies from April 2009 until December 20th 2014. Data from eligible papers published before these dates were reviewed and extracted from previous meta-analyses. Studies that assessed the relationship between Lp(a) levels and ischemic stroke and reported generic data-i.e. odds ratio [OR], hazard ratio, or risk ratio [RR]-were eligible for inclusion. Studies that not distinguish between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and transient ischemic attack were excluded. Random effects meta-analyses with mixed-effects meta-regression were performed by pooling adjusted OR or RR. A total of 20 articles comprising 90,904 subjects and 5029 stroke events were eligible for the meta-analysis. Comparing high with low Lp(a) levels, the pooled estimated OR was 1.41 (95% CI, 1.26-1.57) for case-control studies (n = 11) and the pooled estimated RR was 1.29 (95% CI, 1.06-1.58) for prospective studies (n = 9). Sex-specific differences in RR were inconsistent between case-control and prospective studies. Study populations with a mean age of ≤55 years had an increased RR compared to older study populations. Reported Lp(a) contrast levels and ischemic stroke subtype significantly contributed to the heterogeneity observed in the analyses. Elevated Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke and may be especially relevant for young stroke patients. Sex-specific risk differences remain conflicting. Further studies in these subgroups may be warranted. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heart rate is a prognostic risk factor for myocardial infarction: a post hoc analysis in the PERFORM (Prevention of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular Events of ischemic origin with teRutroban in patients with a history oF ischemic strOke or tRansient ischeMic attack) study population.

PubMed

Fox, Kim; Bousser, Marie-Germaine; Amarenco, Pierre; Chamorro, Angel; Fisher, Marc; Ford, Ian; Hennerici, Michael G; Mattle, Heinrich P; Rothwell, Peter M

2013-10-09

Elevated resting heart rate is known to be detrimental to morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular disease, though its effect in patients with ischemic stroke is unclear. We analyzed the effect of baseline resting heart rate on myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with a recent noncardioembolic cerebral ischemic event participating in PERFORM. We compared fatal or nonfatal MI using adjusted Cox proportional hazards models for PERFORM patients with baseline heart rate <70 bpm (n=8178) or ≥70 bpm (n=10,802). In addition, heart rate was analyzed as a continuous variable. Other cerebrovascular and cardiovascular outcomes were also explored. Heart rate ≥70 bpm was associated with increased relative risk for fatal or nonfatal MI (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.03-1.69, P=0.029). For every 5-bpm increase in heart rate, there was an increase in relative risk for fatal and nonfatal MI (11.3%, P=0.0002). Heart rate ≥70 bpm was also associated with increased relative risk for a composite of fatal or nonfatal ischemic stroke, fatal or nonfatal MI, or other vascular death (excluding hemorrhagic death) (P<0001); vascular death (P<0001); all-cause mortality (P<0001); and fatal or nonfatal stroke (P=0.04). For every 5-bpm increase in heart rate, there were increases in relative risk for fatal or nonfatal ischemic stroke, fatal or nonfatal MI, or other vascular death (4.7%, P<0.0001), vascular death (11.0%, P<0.0001), all-cause mortality (8.0%, P<0.0001), and fatal and nonfatal stroke (2.4%, P=0.057). Elevated heart rate ≥70 bpm places patients with a noncardioembolic cerebral ischemic event at increased risk for MI. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

GRECOS Project (Genotyping Recurrence Risk of Stroke): The Use of Genetics to Predict the Vascular Recurrence After Stroke.

PubMed

Fernández-Cadenas, Israel; Mendióroz, Maite; Giralt, Dolors; Nafria, Cristina; Garcia, Elena; Carrera, Caty; Gallego-Fabrega, Cristina; Domingues-Montanari, Sophie; Delgado, Pilar; Ribó, Marc; Castellanos, Mar; Martínez, Sergi; Freijo, Marimar; Jiménez-Conde, Jordi; Rubiera, Marta; Alvarez-Sabín, José; Molina, Carlos A; Font, Maria Angels; Grau Olivares, Marta; Palomeras, Ernest; Perez de la Ossa, Natalia; Martinez-Zabaleta, Maite; Masjuan, Jaime; Moniche, Francisco; Canovas, David; Piñana, Carlos; Purroy, Francisco; Cocho, Dolores; Navas, Inma; Tejero, Carlos; Aymerich, Nuria; Cullell, Natalia; Muiño, Elena; Serena, Joaquín; Rubio, Francisco; Davalos, Antoni; Roquer, Jaume; Arenillas, Juan Francisco; Martí-Fábregas, Joan; Keene, Keith; Chen, Wei-Min; Worrall, Bradford; Sale, Michele; Arboix, Adrià; Krupinski, Jerzy; Montaner, Joan

2017-05-01

Vascular recurrence occurs in 11% of patients during the first year after ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack. Clinical scores do not predict the whole vascular recurrence risk; therefore, we aimed to find genetic variants associated with recurrence that might improve the clinical predictive models in IS. We analyzed 256 polymorphisms from 115 candidate genes in 3 patient cohorts comprising 4482 IS or transient ischemic attack patients. The discovery cohort was prospectively recruited and included 1494 patients, 6.2% of them developed a new IS during the first year of follow-up. Replication analysis was performed in 2988 patients using SNPlex or HumanOmni1-Quad technology. We generated a predictive model using Cox regression (GRECOS score [Genotyping Reurrence Risk of Stroke]) and generated risk groups using a classification tree method. The analyses revealed that rs1800801 in the MGP gene (hazard ratio, 1.33; P =9×10 - 03 ), a gene related to artery calcification, was associated with new IS during the first year of follow-up. This polymorphism was replicated in a Spanish cohort (n=1.305); however, it was not significantly associated in a North American cohort (n=1.683). The GRECOS score predicted new IS ( P =3.2×10 - 09 ) and could classify patients, from low risk of stroke recurrence (1.9%) to high risk (12.6%). Moreover, the addition of genetic risk factors to the GRECOS score improves the prediction compared with previous Stroke Prognosis Instrument-II score ( P =0.03). The use of genetics could be useful to estimate vascular recurrence risk after IS. Genetic variability in the MGP gene was associated with vascular recurrence in the Spanish population. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Feasibility of Multiple Burr Hole With Erythropoietin in Acute Moyamoya Patients.

PubMed

Hong, Ji Man; Lee, Seong-Joon; Lee, Jin Soo; Choi, Mun Hee; Lee, Sung Eun; Choi, Jin Wook; Lim, Yong Cheol

2018-05-01

In patients with acute symptomatic moyamoya (<2 weeks), the feasibility of a combination therapy of multiple burr hole procedure under local anesthesia and intravenous erythropoietin pretreatment was assessed. We also identified the factors associated with transdural revascularization. In this prospective single-arm study, perfusion-impaired patients presenting with transient ischemic attack or acute cerebral infarction were assessed. Combination therapy was performed to patients lacking transdural collaterals. Primary outcomes were evaluated clinically with modified Rankin Scale scores and radiologically with revascularization success (transhemispheric, trans-burr hole, and sufficient revascularizations [filling ≥33% of ipsilateral supratentorium]) at 6 months. Treatment-related adverse events were analyzed in 3 phases: pre burr hole, post burr hole, and after-discharge as secondary outcome. Factors associated with sufficient revascularization were investigated. Fifty hemispheres from 37 patients were included. Compared with discharge, modified Rankin Scale score at 6 months significantly improved (2.0 [0.0-5.0] versus 1.0 [0.0-4.0]; P <0.001). Majority had successful revascularization: trans-burr hole arteriogenesis (89.5%), transhemispheric arteriogenesis (98.0%), and sufficient revascularization (52.0%). There was no significant pre burr hole or post burr hole complication. Two (5.4%) transient ischemic attack and 1 (2.7%) cerebral infarction occurred after discharge. Presentation with acute infarction (odds ratio, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-21.4), ipsilateral basal moyamoya vessels (odds ratio, 13.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-144.2), and delayed mean transit time (odds ratio, 3.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-12.2) predicted sufficient revascularization. Combination therapy allows safe and effective revascularization in moyamoya patients with acute ischemic presentation. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT03162588. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Validation of the Chinese version of the NUCOG cognitive screening tool in patients with epilepsy, dementia and other neurological disorders.

PubMed

Gao, Lan; Li, Shu-Chuen; Xia, Li; Pan, Songqing; Velakoulis, Dennis; Walterfang, Mark

2014-06-01

We aimed to develop and validate a Chinese version of the Neuropsychiatry Unit Cognitive Assessment Tool (NUCOG) for use in Chinese-speaking subjects internationally. Patients and healthy controls were recruited from two hospitals between July and October 2012. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were utilized to test criterion validity. Convergent validity was assessed via correlations between NUCOG and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Reliability was measured by internal consistency (Cronbach's α). Patients with epilepsy (n=144), neurological diseases (n=81), dementia (n=44), and controls (n=260) completed the NUCOG and the MMSE. Overall, both NUCOG and MMSE scores differed significantly across the four groups with the highest scores in the control group and the lowest in the dementia group (p<0.0001). The NUCOG scores could differentiate between patients with certain seizure types, stroke and transient ischemic attack. Compared to the MMSE, the NUCOG exhibited a higher area under the ROC curve. The convergent validity was substantially correlated, and internal consistency was very high (0.922). The Chinese version of NUCOG was demonstrated to be a sensitive and reliable screening tool for cognitive impairment in a Chinese-speaking population not only in China, but also in countries where there is a sizeable population of ethnic Chinese. Additionally, our study also showed the NUCOG could better differentiate cognitive function in patients with certain seizure types, stroke and transient ischemic attack than the MMSE. This potentially expands the clinical usefulness of NUCOG, enabling clinicians to measure the cognitive profile of patients with epilepsy and ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Children with sickle cell anemia with normal transcranial Doppler ultrasounds and without silent infarcts have a low incidence of new strokes.

PubMed

Jordan, Lori C; Roberts Williams, Dionna O; Rodeghier, Mark J; Covert Greene, Brittany V; Ponisio, Maria R; Casella, James F; McKinstry, Robert C; Noetzel, Michael J; Kirkham, Fenella J; Meier, Emily R; Fuh, Beng; McNaull, Melissa; Sarnaik, Sharada; Majumdar, Suvankar; McCavit, Timothy L; DeBaun, Michael R

2018-06-01

In a prospective cohort study, we tested the hypothesis that children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) with normal transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) velocities and without silent cerebral infarcts (SCIs) would have a lower incidence rate of new neurological events (strokes, seizures or transient ischemic attacks) compared to children with normal TCD measurements and SCIs, not receiving regular blood transfusions. Nonrandomized participants from the silent cerebral infarct transfusion (SIT) Trial who had screening magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and normal TCD measurements were included. Follow-up ended at the time of first neurological event (stroke, seizure or transient ischemic attack), start of regular blood transfusion, or loss to follow-up, whichever came first. The primary endpoint was a new neurological event. Of 421 participants included, 68 had suspected SCIs. Mean follow-up was 3.6 years. Incidence rates of new neurological events in nontransfused participants with normal TCD values with SCIs and without SCIs were 1.71 and 0.47 neurological events per 100 patient-years, respectively, P = .065. The absence of SCI(s) at baseline was associated with a decreased risk of a new neurological event (hazard ratio 0.231, 95% CI 0.062-0.858; P = .029). Local pediatric neurologists examined 67 of 68 participants with suspected SCIs and identified 2 with overt strokes classified as SCIs by local hematologists; subsequently one had a seizure and the other an ischemic stroke. Children with SCA, without SCIs, and normal TCD measurements have a significantly lower rate of new neurological events when compared to those with SCIs and normal TCD measurements. Pediatric neurology assessment may assist risk stratification. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Risk of Stroke/Transient Ischemic Attack or Myocardial Infarction with Herpes Zoster: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Yanting; Luo, Ganfeng; Huang, Yuanwei; Yu, Qiuyan; Wang, Li; Li, Ke

2017-08-01

Accumulating evidence indicates that herpes zoster (HZ) may increase the risk of stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) or myocardial infarction (MI), but the results are inconsistent. We aim to explore the relationship between HZ and risk of stroke/TIA or MI and between herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) and stroke. We estimated the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with the meta-analysis. Cochran's Q test and Higgins I 2 statistic were used to check for heterogeneity. HZ infection was significantly associated with increased risk of stroke/TIA (RR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.17-1.46) or MI (RR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.07-1.30). The risk of stroke after HZO was 1.91 (95% CI 1.32-2.76), higher than that after HZ. Subgroup analyses revealed increased risk of ischemic stroke after HZ infection but not hemorrhagic stroke. The risk of stroke was increased more at 1 month after HZ infection than at 1-3 months, with a gradual reduced risk with time. The risk of stroke after HZ infection was greater with age less than 40 years than 40-59 years and more than 60 years. Risk of stroke with HZ infection was greater without treatment than with treatment and was greater in Asia than Europe and America but did not differ by sex. Our study indicated that HZ infection was associated with increased risk of stroke/TIA or MI, and HZO infection was the most marked risk factor for stroke. Further studies are needed to explore whether zoster vaccination could reduce the risk of stoke/TIA or MI. Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of a provincial system of stroke care delivery on stroke care and outcomes

PubMed Central

Kapral, Moira K.; Fang, Jiming; Silver, Frank L.; Hall, Ruth; Stamplecoski, Melissa; O’Callaghan, Christina; Tu, Jack V.

2013-01-01

Background: Systems of stroke care delivery have been promoted as a means of improving the quality of stroke care, but little is known about their effectiveness. We assessed the effect of the Ontario Stroke System, a province-wide strategy of regionalized stroke care delivery, on stroke care and outcomes in Ontario, Canada. Methods: We used population-based provincial administrative databases to identify all emergency department visits and hospital admissions for acute stroke and transient ischemic attack from Jan. 1, 2001, to Dec. 31, 2010. Using piecewise regression analyses, we assessed the effect of the full implementation of the Ontario Stroke System in 2005 on the proportion of patients who received care at stroke centres, and on rates of discharge to long-term care facilities and 30-day mortality after stroke. Results: We included 243 287 visits by patients with acute stroke or transient ischemic attack. The full implementation of the Ontario Stroke System in 2005 was associated with an increase in rates of care at stroke centres (before implementation: 40.0%; after implementation: 46.5%), decreased rates of discharge to long-term care facilities (before implementation: 16.9%; after implementation: 14.8%) and decreased 30-day mortality for hemorrhagic (before implementation: 38.3%; after implementation: 34.4%) and ischemic stroke (before implementation: 16.3%; after implementation: 15.7%). The system’s implementation was also associated with marked increases in the proportion of patients who received neuroimaging, thrombolytic therapy, care in a stroke unit and antithrombotic therapy. Interpretation: The implementation of an organized system of stroke care delivery was associated with improved processes of care and outcomes after stroke. PMID:23713072

Moderate sensitivity and high specificity of emergency department administrative data for transient ischemic attacks.

PubMed

Yu, Amy Y X; Quan, Hude; McRae, Andrew; Wagner, Gabrielle O; Hill, Michael D; Coutts, Shelagh B

2017-09-18

Validation of administrative data case definitions is key for accurate passive surveillance of disease. Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a condition primarily managed in the emergency department. However, prior validation studies have focused on data after inpatient hospitalization. We aimed to determine the validity of the Canadian 10th International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10-CA) codes for TIA in the national ambulatory administrative database. We performed a diagnostic accuracy study of four ICD-10-CA case definition algorithms for TIA in the emergency department setting. The study population was obtained from two ongoing studies on the diagnosis of TIA and minor stroke versus stroke mimic using serum biomarkers and neuroimaging. Two reference standards were used 1) the emergency department clinical diagnosis determined by chart abstractors and 2) the 90-day final diagnosis, both obtained by stroke neurologists, to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) of the ICD-10-CA algorithms for TIA. Among 417 patients, emergency department adjudication showed 163 (39.1%) TIA, 155 (37.2%) ischemic strokes, and 99 (23.7%) stroke mimics. The most restrictive algorithm, defined as a TIA code in the main position had the lowest sensitivity (36.8%), but highest specificity (92.5%) and PPV (76.0%). The most inclusive algorithm, defined as a TIA code in any position with and without query prefix had the highest sensitivity (63.8%), but lowest specificity (81.5%) and PPV (68.9%). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were overall lower when using the 90-day diagnosis as reference standard. Emergency department administrative data reflect diagnosis of suspected TIA with high specificity, but underestimate the burden of disease. Future studies are necessary to understand the reasons for the low to moderate sensitivity.

Clopidogrel With Aspirin in Acute Minor Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack (CHANCE) Trial: One-Year Outcomes.

PubMed

Wang, Yilong; Pan, Yuesong; Zhao, Xingquan; Li, Hao; Wang, David; Johnston, S Claiborne; Liu, Liping; Meng, Xia; Wang, Anxin; Wang, Chunxue; Wang, Yongjun

2015-07-07

The Clopidogrel in High-risk patients with Acute Non-disabling Cerebrovascular Events (CHANCE) trial showed that the combined treatment of clopidogrel and aspirin decreases the 90-day risk of stroke without increasing hemorrhage in comparison with aspirin alone, but provided insufficient data to establish whether the benefit persisted over a longer period of time beyond the trial termination. We report the 1-year follow-up outcomes of this trial. The trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted at 114 centers in China. We randomly assigned 5170 patients within 24 hours after onset of minor stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack to clopidogrel-aspirin therapy (loading dose of 300 mg of clopidogrel on day 1, followed by 75 mg of clopidogrel per day for 90 days, plus 75 mg of aspirin per day for the first 21 days) or to the aspirin-alone group (75 mg/d for 90 days). The primary outcome was stroke event (ischemic or hemorrhagic) during 1-year follow-up. Differences in outcomes between groups were assessed by using the Cox proportional hazards model. Stroke occurred in 275 (10.6%) patients in the clopidogrel-aspirin group, in comparison with 362 (14.0%) patients in the aspirin group (hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.93; P=0.006). Moderate or severe hemorrhage occurred in 7 (0.3%) patients in the clopidogrel-aspirin group and in 9 (0.4%) patients in the aspirin group (P=0.44). The early benefit of clopidogrel-aspirin treatment in reducing the risk of subsequent stroke persisted for the duration of 1-year of follow-up. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00979589. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Epidemiology of non-fatal cerebrovascular stroke and transient ischemic attacks in Al Quseir, Egypt.

PubMed

El-Tallawy, Hamdy N; Farghaly, Wafaa M A; Shehata, Ghaydaa A; Abdel-Hakeem, Nabil M; Rageh, Tarek A; Badry, Reda; Kandil, Mahmoud R

2013-01-01

Stroke is a medical emergency that can cause permanent neurological damage, complications, and disability. We aim to determine the epidemiology of non-fatal cerebrovascular stroke (CVS) and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) in Al Quseir City, Red Sea, Egypt. The total population (n=33,285) was screened through a door to door study by three specialists of neurology and 15 female social workers (for demographic data collection). All suspected stroke patients were subjected to a full clinical examination, computerized tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of their brain, blood sugar, lipogram, serum uric acid, complete blood cells, blood urea, and serum creatinine, as well as evaluated by Barthel Index and Scandinavian Stroke Scale. Carotid doppler, echocardiography, and thyroid functions were done for selected cases. CVS was recorded among 130 patients out of 19,848 subjects aged 20 years and more, yielding a total prevalence of 6.55/1,000 population. From June 1, 2010 to May 31, 2011, 36 patients were recorded to have stroke within 1-year, yielding an incidence rate of 1.81/1,000. Prevalence and incidence rates were higher among males than females, and both indices increased steadily with advancing age to reach the highest prevalence (37.02/1,000) and incidence rate (9.5/1,000) among aged persons 60 years and more. The prevalence of non-fatal stroke in Al Quseir city (6.55/1,000) was at the lower range of that recorded in developing countries (5-10/1,000) and slightly higher than that recorded in industrialized countries (5/1,000 population). Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke. The prevalence of TIAs was 0.15/1,000.

Annual Research Progress Report. Fiscal Year 2003. Volume’s 1 and 2

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-01

transient ischemic attack, amaurosis fugax or stroke in the cerebral distribution of the operated side, 3) the occurrence of criteria for reoperation...Functional Severity and Recovery of Motor Limbs in Acute Brain Injury KEYWORDS: Stroke /Diagnostic assessment. PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: LTC...A Randomized Trial. (1/16/2001) 02-86002 655Knapik, Joseph, PhD DAC. Injury Control and Running Footwear. (3/12/2002) CHPPM 02-98001E

National survey of emergency physicians for transient ischemic attack (TIA) risk stratification consensus and appropriate treatment for a given level of risk.

PubMed

Perry, Jeffrey J; Losier, Justin H; Stiell, Ian G; Sharma, Mukul; Abdulaziz, Kasim

2016-01-01

Five percent of transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients have a subsequent stroke within 7 days. The Canadian TIA Score uses clinical findings to calculate the subsequent stroke risk within 7 days. Our objectives were to assess 1) anticipated use; 2) component face validity; 3) risk strata for stroke within 7 days; and 4) actions required, for a given risk for subsequent stroke. After a rigorous development process, a survey questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 300 emergency physicians selected from those registered in a national medical directory. The surveys were distributed using a modified Dillman technique. From a total of 271 eligible surveys, we received 131 (48.3%) completed surveys; 96.2% of emergency physicians would use a validated Canadian TIA Score; 8 of 13 components comprising the Canadian TIA Score were rated as Very Important or Important by survey respondents. Risk categories for subsequent stroke were defined as minimal-risk: 10% risk of subsequent stroke within 7 days. A validated Canadian TIA Score will likely be used by emergency physicians. Most components of the TIA Score have high face validity. Risk strata are definable, which may allow physicians to determine immediate actions, based on subsequent stroke risk, in the emergency department.

Impact of MCA stenosis on the early outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients

PubMed Central

Jeng, Jiann-Shing; Hsieh, Fang-I; Yeh, Hsu-Ling; Chen, Wei-Hung; Chiu, Hou-Chang; Tang, Sung-Chun; Liu, Chung-Hsiang; Lin, Huey-Juan; Hsu, Shih-Pin; Lo, Yuk-Keung; Chan, Lung; Chen, Chih-Hung; Lin, Ruey-Tay; Chen, Yu-Wei; Lee, Jiunn-Tay; Yeh, Chung-Hsin; Sun, Ming-Hui; Lai, Ta-Chang; Sun, Yu; Sun, Mu-Chien; Chen, Po-Lin; Chiang, Tsuey-Ru; Lin, Shinn-Kuang; Yip, Bak-Sau; Chen, Chin-I; Bai, Chi-Huey; Chen, Sien-Tsong; Chiou, Hung-Yi; Lien, Li-Ming; Hsu, Chung Y.

2017-01-01

Background Asians have higher frequency of intracranial arterial stenosis. The present study aimed to compare the clinical features and outcomes of ischemic stroke patients with and without middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis, assessed by transcranial sonography (TCS), based on the Taiwan Stroke Registry (TSR). Methods Patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack registered in the TSR, and received both carotid duplex and TCS assessment were categorized into those with stenosis (≥50%) and without (<50%) in the extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) and MCA, respectively. Logistic regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard model were applied to assess relevant variables between groups. Results Of 6003 patients, 23.3% had MCA stenosis, 10.1% ICA stenosis, and 3.9% both MCA and ICA stenosis. Patients with MCA stenosis had greater initial NIHSS, higher likelihood of stroke-in-evolution, and more severe disability than those without (all p<0.001). Patients with MCA stenosis had higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. Patients with combined MCA and extracranial ICA stenosis had even higher NIHSS, worse functional outcome, higher risk of stroke recurrence or death (hazard ratio, 2.204; 95% confidence intervals, 1.440–3.374; p<0.001) at 3 months after stroke than those without MCA stenosis. Conclusions In conclusion, MCA stenosis was more prevalent than extracranial ICA stenosis in ischemic stroke patients in Taiwan. Patients with MCA stenosis, especially combined extracranial ICA stenosis, had more severe neurological deficit and worse outcome. PMID:28388675

Tocotrienol vitamin E protects against preclinical canine ischemic stroke by inducing arteriogenesis

PubMed Central

Rink, Cameron; Christoforidis, Greg; Khanna, Savita; Peterson, Laura; Patel, Yojan; Khanna, Suchin; Abduljalil, Amir; Irfanoglu, Okan; Machiraju, Raghu; Bergdall, Valerie K; Sen, Chandan K

2011-01-01

Vitamin E consists of tocopherols and tocotrienols, in which α-tocotrienol is the most potent neuroprotective form that is also effective in protecting against stroke in rodents. As neuroprotective agents alone are insufficient to protect against stroke, we sought to test the effects of tocotrienol on the cerebrovascular circulation during ischemic stroke using a preclinical model that enables fluoroscopy-guided angiography. Mongrel canines (mean weight=26.3±3.2 kg) were supplemented with tocotrienol-enriched (TE) supplement (200 mg b.i.d, n=11) or vehicle placebo (n=9) for 10 weeks before inducing transient middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed 1 hour and 24 hours post reperfusion to assess stroke-induced lesion volume. Tocotrienol-enriched supplementation significantly attenuated ischemic stroke-induced lesion volume (P<0.005). Furthermore, TE prevented loss of white matter fiber tract connectivity after stroke as evident by probabilistic tractography. Post hoc analysis of cerebral angiograms during MCA occlusion revealed that TE-supplemented canines had improved cerebrovascular collateral circulation to the ischemic MCA territory (P<0.05). Tocotrienol-enriched supplementation induced arteriogenic tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease 1 and subsequently attenuated the activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2. Outcomes of the current preclinical trial set the stage for a clinical trial testing the effects of TE in patients who have suffered from transient ischemic attack and are therefore at a high risk for stroke. PMID:21673716

[Actual review of diagnostics and endovascular therapy of intracranial arterial stenoses].

PubMed

Gizewski, E R; Weber, R; Forsting, M

2011-02-01

Approximately 6 - 50% of all ischemic strokes are caused by intracranial arterial stenosis (IAS). Despite medical prevention, patients with symptomatic IAS have a high annual risk for recurrent ischemic stroke of about 12%, and up to 19% in the case of high-grade IAS (≥ 70%). Digital subtraction angiography remains the gold standard for the diagnosis and grading of IAS. However, noninvasive imaging techniques including CT angiography, MR angiography, or transcranial Doppler and duplex ultrasound examinations are used in the clinical routine to provide additional information about the brain structure and hemodynamic. However, for technical reasons, the grading of stenoses is sometimes difficult and inaccurate. To date, aspirin is recommended as the treatment of choice in the prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke in patients with IAS. IAS patients who suffer a recurrent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack while taking aspirin can be treated with endovascular stenting or angioplasty in specialized centers. The periprocedural complication rate of these endovascular techniques is about 2 - 7% at experienced neuro-interventional centers. The rate of re-stenosis is reported between 10 and 40% depending on patient age and stenosis location. Further randomized studies comparing medical secondary prevention and endovascular therapy are currently being performed. With regard to the improvement of endovascular methods and lower complication rates, the indication for endovascular therapy in IAS could be broadened especially for stenosis in the posterior circulation. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Cerebral microbleeds are not associated with long-term cognitive outcome in patients with transient ischemic attack or minor stroke.

PubMed

Brundel, Manon; Kwa, Vincent I H; Bouvy, Willem H; Algra, Ale; Kappelle, L Jaap; Biessels, Geert Jan

2014-01-01

Cerebral microbleeds have been related to cerebrovascular disease and dementia. They occur more frequently in patients with ischemic stroke than in the general population, but their relation to cognition in these patients is uncertain, particularly in the long run. We examined the relationship between microbleeds in patients with a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor ischemic stroke, and cognitive performance 4 years later. Participants were recruited from a prospective multicenter cohort of patients with a TIA or minor ischemic stroke (n=397). They underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including a T2*-weighted sequence, within 3 months after their ischemic event. Microbleeds, atrophy, lacunae and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) were rated visually. Cognitive status was examined in 94% of all patients who were still alive after a mean interval of 3.8 years by the Dutch version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS; n=280) or by an Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) obtained from a close relative if a TICS could not be obtained (n=48). The relationship between presence of microbleeds and TICS or IQCODE score was assessed with linear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, educational level and time interval between MRI and cognitive evaluation. The mean age was 65±12 years at inclusion. The vascular event at inclusion was a TIA in 170 patients (52%) and a minor ischemic stroke in 155 patients (47%). Microbleeds were present in 11.6% of the patients. Patients with microbleeds were significantly older than patients without microbleeds (70±9 vs. 64±12 years), more often had hypertension, and had more cerebral atrophy, WMH and lacunae on MRI (all p<0.05). The mean TICS score was 35.3±5.9 for patients with microbleeds (n=29) and 34.6±5.2 for patients without microbleeds (n=251); the adjusted mean difference (95% CI) was 1.69 (-0.01 to 3.38). The total IQCODE score was 66.0±10.8 for patients with microbleeds (n=9) and 63.1±12.9 for patients without microbleeds (n=39); the adjusted mean difference was 2.43 (-7.55 to 12.41). The relative risk (adjusted for age) for abnormal cognitive performance when having microbleeds was 1.19 (95% CI: 0.63-2.26). Subcortical atrophy was associated with lower TICS score [standardized regression coefficient β: -0.12 (-0.23 to 0.00); p=0.04] and with lower IQCODE score [0.51 (0.19-0.83); p=0.00]. The adjusted mean difference of IQCODE scores between patients with and those without a lacunar infarct was 0.39 (0.12-0.65; p=0.01). In this sample of patients with a recent TIA or minor ischemic stroke, microbleeds were not associated with cognitive performance 4 years later. Apparently, this association is different from other markers of small vessel disease. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

1.4 times increase in atrial fibrillation-related ischemic stroke and TIA over 12years in a stroke center.

PubMed

Yang, Qiong; Churilov, Leonid; Fan, Dongsheng; Davis, Stephen; Yan, Bernard

2017-08-15

Prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) has quadrupled in the past 50years in the general population. However, there is uncertainty regarding prevalence of AF over time in ischemic stroke patients given the aging population and enhanced surveillance of AF. We aimed to explore the changing prevalence of AF as well as other risk factors, stroke subtypes, investigations and pre-stroke medications among ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients. We performed a retrospective analysis of data from a prospective database of consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke and TIA from 2004 to 2015. Trends in risk factors and other variables year by year were analyzed using logistic regression or median regression. Among 6275 patients (median age [interquartile range] 74 [62-82] years, 56% males), the prevalence of AF increased 1.4 times over 12years (from 23.3% to 32.7%, P<0.001). The increase in the prevalence of AF remained significant after adjustment for age and the use of Holter monitoring. There was also a significant increase in prevalence of hypertension (67.4% to 77.3%), structural heart disease (9.8% to 10.5%), and previous TIA (10.9% to 13.7%) and a significant decrease in prevalence of dyslipidemia (71.8% to 49.4%). There was a 1.4 times increase in the prevalence of AF among consecutive ischemic stroke and TIA patients in the past 12years in a hospital-based registry. More active screening of the general population for AF may be warranted in order to decrease the overall stroke burden. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Efficacy and Safety of Cilostazol Therapy in Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Tan, Liang; Margaret, Barnhart; Zhang, John H; Hu, Rong; Yin, Yi; Cao, Liu; Feng, Hua; Zhang, Yanqi

2015-05-01

Antiplatelet therapy is recommended for patients who have experienced ischemic stroke. We performed a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of cilostazol with other antiplatelet therapies in patients with ischemic stroke. PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials published in English from May 1999 to May 2013. Clinical outcomes were compared by pooled and meta-regression analyses. Nine studies involving 6328 patients satisfied our inclusion criteria. Stroke recurrence (including hemorrhagic and ischemic) with cilostazol use was 5.3% (157) versus 8.3% (248) in control group (risk ratio .63 [.52-.76], 95% confidence interval [CI]). Poststroke intracranial hemorrhage was .5% (16) with cilostazol versus 1.6% (46) in control group (risk ratio .36 [.21-.63], 95% CI). Poststroke extracranial bleeding complications occurred in 2.4% (66) of the patients taking cilostazol versus 3.9% (108) in control group (risk ratio .62 [.46-.83], 95% CI). No significant difference in cerebrovascular events (nonfatal stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, and transient ischemic attack) was found between the cilostazol group (8.2%, 246) versus control group (12.0%, 360; risk ratio .71 [.50-1.01], 95% CI). In addition, the cilostazol therapy brought about a nonsignificant reduction of cardiac adverse events (heart failure, myocardial infarction, and angina pectoris) comparing with control groups, with 3.8% (99) of the cilostazol group versus 4.7% (123) of control group (risk ratio, .81 [.62-1.04], 95% CI). Cilostazol, alone or in combination with aspirin, significantly reduces stroke recurrence, poststroke intracranial hemorrhage, and extracranial bleeding in patients with a prior ischemic stroke as compared with other antiplatelet therapies. Copyright © 2015 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictors of stroke recurrence in patients with recent lacunar stroke and response to interventions according to risk status: secondary prevention of small subcortical strokes trial.

PubMed

Hart, Robert G; Pearce, Lesly A; Bakheet, Majid F; Benavente, Oscar R; Conwit, Robin A; McClure, Leslie A; Talbert, Robert L; Anderson, David C

2014-04-01

Among participants in the Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes randomized trial, we sought to identify patients with high versus low rates of recurrent ischemic stroke and to assess effects of aggressive blood pressure control and dual antiplatelet therapy according to risk status. Multivariable analyses of 3020 participants with recent magnetic resonance imaging-defined lacunar strokes followed for a mean of 3.7 years with 243 recurrent ischemic strokes. Prior symptomatic lacunar stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) (hazard ratio [HR] 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6, 2.9), diabetes (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.5, 2.5), black race (HR 1.7, 95% CI 1.3, 2.3), and male sex (HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 1.9) were each independently predictive of recurrent ischemic stroke. Recurrent ischemic stroke occurred at a rate of 4.3% per year (95% CI 3.4, 5.5) in patients with prior symptomatic lacunar stroke or TIA (15% of the cohort), 3.1% per year (95% CI 2.6, 3.9) in those with more than 1 of the other 3 risk factors (27% of the cohort), and 1.3% per year (95% CI 1.0, 1.7) in those with 0-1 risk factors (58% of the cohort). There were no significant interactions between treatment effects and stroke risk status. In this large, carefully followed cohort of patients with recent lacunar stroke and aggressive blood pressure management, prior symptomatic lacunar ischemia, diabetes, black race, and male sex independently predicted ischemic stroke recurrence. The effects of blood pressure targets and dual antiplatelet therapy were similar across the spectrum of independent risk factors and recurrence risk. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. All rights reserved.

Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale Versus Medical Therapy in Patients With Cryptogenic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Ntaios, George; Papavasileiou, Vasileios; Sagris, Dimitrios; Makaritsis, Konstantinos; Vemmos, Konstantinos; Steiner, Thorsten; Michel, Patrik

2018-02-01

Previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses compared the efficacy and safety of patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure versus medical treatment in patients with cryptogenic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Recently, new evidence from randomized trials became available. We searched PubMed until September 24, 2017, for trials comparing PFO closure with medical treatment in patients with cryptogenic stroke/TIA using the items: stroke or cerebrovascular accident or TIA and patent foramen ovale or paradoxical embolism and trial or study. Among 851 identified articles, 5 were eligible. In 3627 patients with 3.7-year mean follow-up, there was significant difference in ischemic stroke recurrence (0.53 versus 1.1 per 100 patient-years, respectively; odds ratio [OR], 0.43; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 0.21-0.90; relative risk reduction, 50.5%; absolute risk reduction, 2.11%; and number needed to treat to prevent 1 event, 46.5 for 3.7 years). There was no significant difference in TIAs (0.78 versus 0.98 per 100 patient-years, respectively; OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.53-1.19) and all-cause mortality (0.18 versus 0.23 per 100 patient-years, respectively; OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.34-1.56). New-onset atrial fibrillation occurred more frequently in the PFO closure arm (1.3 versus 0.25 per 100 patient-years, respectively; OR, 5.15; 95% CI, 2.18-12.15) and resolved in 72% of cases within 45 days, whereas rates of myocardial infarction (0.12 versus 0.09 per 100 patient-years, respectively; OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.25-5.91) and any serious adverse events (7.3 versus 7.3 per 100 patient-years, respectively; OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.92-1.25) were similar. In patients with cryptogenic stroke/TIA and PFO who have their PFO closed, ischemic stroke recurrence is less frequent compared with patients receiving medical treatment. Atrial fibrillation is more frequent but mostly transient. There is no difference in TIA, all-cause mortality, or myocardial infarction. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Usefulness of left ventricular speckle tracking echocardiography and novel measures of left atrial structure and function in diagnosing paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack patients.

PubMed

Skaarup, Kristoffer Grundtvig; Christensen, Hanne; Høst, Nis; Mahmoud, Masti Mahdy; Ovesen, Christian; Olsen, Flemming Javier; Jensen, Jan Skov; Biering-Sørensen, Tor

2017-12-01

Asymptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is often assumed to be the cause of cryptogenic ischemic strokes (IS) and transient ischemic attacks (TIA). We examined the usefulness of measures obtained by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography and novel left atrial measurements, in the diagnosis of PAF in patients with IS and TIA. We retrospectively included 205 patients who after acute IS or TIA underwent an echocardiogram in sinus rhythm. Patients were designated as PAF-patients if they had one or more reported incidents of AF before or after their echocardiographic examination. None of the conventional echocardiographic parameters were significantly associated with PAF. Of the speckle tracking measurements, only early diastolic strain rate (0.7±0.2 s -1 vs. 0.8±0.3 s -1 , p = 0.048) and global longitudinal displacement (GLD) (3.15 ± 1.40 mm vs. 3.87 ± 1.56 mm, p = 0.007) proved significantly different. Of the left atrial parameters both minimal and maximal left atrium volume divided by left ventricular length (min LAV/LVL and max LAV/LVL, respectively) were significantly impaired (min LAV/LVL: 3.7 ± 2.1 cm 2 vs. 2.8 ± 1.11 cm 2 , p = 0.012; max LAV/LVL: 6.6 ± 3.1 cm 2 vs. 5.6 ± 1.7 cm 2 , p = 0.012). GLD, min max LAV/LVL proved significant after adjustment for age, gender, CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and NIHSS. By combining information regarding age, GLD, min and max LAV/LVL the diagnostic accuracy of PAF improved, resulting in a significantly increased area under the curve (p = 0.037). In patients with IS and TIA GLD, min and max LAV/LVL were independently associated with the presence of PAF.

18F-Fluoride and 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography After Transient Ischemic Attack or Minor Ischemic Stroke

PubMed Central

Jenkins, William S. A.; Irkle, Agnese; Moss, Alastair; Sng, Greg; Forsythe, Rachael O.; Clark, Tim; Roberts, Gemma; Fletcher, Alison; Lucatelli, Christophe; Rudd, James H. F.; Davenport, Anthony P.; Mills, Nicholas L.; Al-Shahi Salman, Rustam; Dennis, Martin; Whiteley, William N.; van Beek, Edwin J. R.; Dweck, Marc R.; Newby, David E.

2017-01-01

Background— Combined positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) can assess both anatomy and biology of carotid atherosclerosis. We sought to assess whether 18F-fluoride or 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose can identify culprit and high-risk carotid plaque. Methods and Results— We performed 18F-fluoride and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT in 26 patients after recent transient ischemic attack or minor ischemic stroke: 18 patients with culprit carotid stenosis awaiting carotid endarterectomy and 8 controls without culprit carotid atheroma. We compared standardized uptake values in the clinically adjudicated culprit to the contralateral asymptomatic artery, and assessed the relationship between radiotracer uptake and plaque phenotype or predicted cardiovascular risk (ASSIGN score [Assessing Cardiovascular Risk Using SIGN Guidelines to Assign Preventive Treatment]). We also performed micro PET/CT and histological analysis of excised plaque. On histological and micro PET/CT analysis, 18F-fluoride selectively highlighted microcalcification. Carotid 18F-fluoride uptake was increased in clinically adjudicated culprit plaques compared with asymptomatic contralateral plaques (log10standardized uptake valuemean 0.29±0.10 versus 0.23±0.11, P=0.001) and compared with control patients (log10standardized uptake valuemean 0.29±0.10 versus 0.12±0.11, P=0.001). 18F-Fluoride uptake correlated with high-risk plaque features (remodeling index [r=0.53, P=0.003], plaque burden [r=0.51, P=0.004]), and predicted cardiovascular risk [r=0.65, P=0.002]). Carotid 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake appeared to be increased in 7 of 16 culprit plaques, but no overall differences in uptake were observed in culprit versus contralateral plaques or control patients. However, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose did correlate with predicted cardiovascular risk (r=0.53, P=0.019), but not with plaque phenotype. Conclusions— 18F-Fluoride PET/CT highlights culprit and phenotypically high-risk carotid plaque. This has the potential to improve risk stratification and selection of patients who may benefit from intervention. PMID:28292859

Wingspan stenting can effectively prevent long-term strokes for patients with severe symptomatic atherosclerotic basilar stenosis

PubMed Central

Bai, Wei-Xing; Gao, Bu-Lang; Wang, Zi-Liang; Cai, Dong-Yang; Zhu, Liang-Fu; Xue, Jiang-Yu; Li, Zhao-Shuo

2016-01-01

Objective To investigate the safety and long-term effect of using the Wingspan stent for severe symptomatic atherosclerotic basilar artery stenosis (≥70%). Materials and methods Between July 2007 and April 2013, we had 91 consecutive patients (age range 41–82 years old) with symptomatic severe basilar stenosis (70–99%) who underwent Wingspan stenting at our center. All patients had stenosis-related temporary ischemic attack or strokes. We analyzed the demographic data, pre- and post-procedural cerebral angiography, technical success rate, peri-procedural complications, and clinical and imaging follow-ups. Results The Wingspan stenting procedure was successful in all patients: The stenosis was reduced from 82.2% ± 5.8% pre-stenting to 15.9% ± 5.7% post-stenting. The 30-day peri-operative rate for stroke or death was 14.3%, which included ischemic stroke in 12 cases (12/91 = 13.2%) and subarachnoid hemorrhage in one case (1/91 = 1.1%), with a fatal or disabling stroke rate of 2.2%. Among the 77 patients with clinical follow-up assessment within 7–60 months (mean 31.3 ± 15.1 months) after stenting, four patients (5.2%) had posterior ischemia, including one patient with disabling ischemic stroke (1.3%) and three patients (3.9%) with temporary ischemic attack. The 2-year cumulative stroke rate was 16% (95% CI: 8.2–23.8%). Among 46 patients with imaging assessments at 3–45 months (mean, 9.5 ± 8.3) post-stenting, six (13.0%) patients had restenosis, including two (2/46 = 4.3%) with symptomatic restenosis. Conclusions The benefit of stenting for patients with severe basilar artery stenosis (> 70%) may lie in lowering the long-term fatal and disabling stroke rate; and as long as the peri-operative stroke rate can be kept at a relatively lower level, patients with severe basilar stenosis can benefit from basilar artery stenting. PMID:26823331

Higher risk of venous thrombosis associated with drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives: a population-based cohort study

PubMed Central

Gronich, Naomi; Lavi, Idit; Rennert, Gad

2011-01-01

Background: Combined oral contraceptives are a common method of contraception, but they carry a risk of venous and arterial thrombosis. We assessed whether use of drospirenone was associated with an increase in thrombotic risk relative to third-generation combined oral contraceptives. Methods: Using computerized records of the largest health care provider in Israel, we identified all women aged 12 to 50 years for whom combined oral contraceptives had been dispensed between Jan. 1, 2002, and Dec. 31, 2008. We followed the cohort until 2009. We used Poisson regression models to estimate the crude and adjusted rate ratios for risk factors for venous thrombotic events (specifically deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism) and arterial thromboic events (specifically transient ischemic attack and cerebrovascular accident). We performed multivariable analyses to compare types of contraceptives, with adjustment for the various risk factors. Results: We identified a total of 1017 (0.24%) venous and arterial thrombotic events among 431 223 use episodes during 819 749 woman-years of follow-up (6.33 venous events and 6.10 arterial events per 10 000 woman-years). In a multivariable model, use of drospirenone carried an increased risk of venous thrombotic events, relative to both third-generation combined oral contraceptives (rate ratio [RR] 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15–1.78) and second-generation combined oral contraceptives (RR 1.65, 95% CI 1.02–2.65). There was no increase in the risk of arterial thrombosis with drospirenone. Interpretation: Use of drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives was associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, but not transient ischemic attack or cerebrovascular attack, relative to second- and third-generation combined oral contraceptives. PMID:22065352

Tactical decisions for changeable cuttlefish camouflage: visual cues for choosing masquerade are relevant from a greater distance than visual cues used for background matching.

PubMed

Buresch, Kendra C; Ulmer, Kimberly M; Cramer, Corinne; McAnulty, Sarah; Davison, William; Mäthger, Lydia M; Hanlon, Roger T

2015-10-01

Cuttlefish use multiple camouflage tactics to evade their predators. Two common tactics are background matching (resembling the background to hinder detection) and masquerade (resembling an uninteresting or inanimate object to impede detection or recognition). We investigated how the distance and orientation of visual stimuli affected the choice of these two camouflage tactics. In the current experiments, cuttlefish were presented with three visual cues: 2D horizontal floor, 2D vertical wall, and 3D object. Each was placed at several distances: directly beneath (in a circle whose diameter was one body length (BL); at zero BL [(0BL); i.e., directly beside, but not beneath the cuttlefish]; at 1BL; and at 2BL. Cuttlefish continued to respond to 3D visual cues from a greater distance than to a horizontal or vertical stimulus. It appears that background matching is chosen when visual cues are relevant only in the immediate benthic surroundings. However, for masquerade, objects located multiple body lengths away remained relevant for choice of camouflage. © 2015 Marine Biological Laboratory.

Cardiac Calcified Amorphous Tumor of the Mitral Valve Presenting as Transient Ischemic Attack

PubMed Central

Abbasi Teshnizi, Mohammad; Ghorbanzadeh, Atefeh; Zirak, Nahid; Manafi, Babak

2017-01-01

Cardiac calcified amorphous tumors (CATs) are an extremely rare nonneoplastic intracardiac masses. They have been reported in the literature in only a few cases. Thus, the incidence, pathogenesis, and best approach to the treatment are not certain. We report a case of CATs on the atrial surface of the anterior mitral valve leaflet in a 37-year-old female who was diagnosed by histopathological examination after surgical removal. PMID:28194283

Cardiac Calcified Amorphous Tumor of the Mitral Valve Presenting as Transient Ischemic Attack.

PubMed

Abbasi Teshnizi, Mohammad; Ghorbanzadeh, Atefeh; Zirak, Nahid; Manafi, Babak; Moeinipour, Aliasghar

2017-01-01

Cardiac calcified amorphous tumors (CATs) are an extremely rare nonneoplastic intracardiac masses. They have been reported in the literature in only a few cases. Thus, the incidence, pathogenesis, and best approach to the treatment are not certain. We report a case of CATs on the atrial surface of the anterior mitral valve leaflet in a 37-year-old female who was diagnosed by histopathological examination after surgical removal.

Adjusting to Random Demands of Patient Care: A Predictive Model for Nursing Staff Scheduling at Naval Medical Center San Diego

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

rich mix of medical services that range from simple ambulatory visits to plastic surgery , neuro- surgery , general surgery , bariatric , ophthalmology...CENTER SAN DIEGO NMCSD is a 266-bed tertiary care facility providing patient services ranging from same day surgery to brain surgery . The hospital...orthopedics, cardiology, thoracic surgery , vascular surgery , transient ischemic attack/cerebro vascular accident (TIA/CVA), OB/GYN, urology, non

Burden of Intracranial Atherosclerosis Is Associated With Long-Term Vascular Outcome in Patients With Ischemic Stroke.

PubMed

Kim, Byung-Su; Chung, Pil-Wook; Park, Kwang-Yeol; Won, Hong-Hee; Bang, Oh Young; Chung, Chin-Sang; Lee, Kwang Ho; Kim, Gyeong-Moon

2017-10-01

Ischemic stroke patients often have intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS), despite heterogeneity in the cause of stroke. We tested the hypothesis that ICAS burden can independently reflect the risk of long-term vascular outcome. This was a retrospective cohort study analyzing data from a prospective stroke registry enrolling consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. A total of 1081 patients were categorized into no ICAS, single ICAS, and advanced ICAS (ICAS ≥2 different intracranial arteries) groups. Primary and secondary end points were time to occurrence of recurrent ischemic stroke and composite vascular outcome, respectively. Study end points by ICAS burden were compared using Cox proportional hazards models in overall and propensity-matched patients. ICAS was present in 405 patients (37.3%). During a median 5-year follow-up, recurrent stroke and composite vascular outcome occurred in 6.8% and 16.8% of patients, respectively. As the number of ICAS increased, the risk for study end points increased after adjustment of potential covariates (hazard ratio per 1 increase in ICAS, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.42 for recurrent ischemic stroke and hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.33 for composite vascular outcome). The hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for recurrent stroke and composite vascular outcome in patients with advanced ICAS compared with those without ICAS were 1.56 (0.88-2.74) and 1.72 (1.17-2.53), respectively, in the overall patients. The corresponding values in the propensity-matched patients were 1.28 (0.71-2.30) and 1.95 (1.27-2.99), respectively. ICAS burden was independently associated with the risk of subsequent composite vascular outcome in patients with ischemic stroke. These findings suggest that ICAS burden can reflect the risk of long-term vascular outcome. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Adding left atrial appendage closure to open heart surgery provides protection from ischemic brain injury six years after surgery independently of atrial fibrillation history: the LAACS randomized study.

PubMed

Park-Hansen, Jesper; Holme, Susanne J V; Irmukhamedov, Akhmadjon; Carranza, Christian L; Greve, Anders M; Al-Farra, Gina; Riis, Robert G C; Nilsson, Brian; Clausen, Johan S R; Nørskov, Anne S; Kruuse, Christina R; Rostrup, Egill; Dominguez, Helena

2018-05-23

Open heart surgery is associated with high occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF), subsequently increasing the risk of post-operative ischemic stroke. Concomitant with open heart surgery, a cardiac ablation procedure is commonly performed in patients with known AF, often followed by left atrial appendage closure with surgery (LAACS). However, the protective effect of LAACS on the risk of cerebral ischemia following cardiac surgery remains controversial. We have studied whether LAACS in addition to open heart surgery protects against post-operative ischemic brain injury regardless of a previous AF diagnosis. One hundred eighty-seven patients scheduled for open heart surgery were enrolled in a prospective, open-label clinical trial and randomized to concomitant LAACS vs. standard care. Randomization was stratified by usage of oral anticoagulation (OAC) planned to last at least 3 months after surgery. The primary endpoint was a composite of post-operative symptomatic ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack or imaging findings of silent cerebral ischemic (SCI) lesions. During a mean follow-up of 3.7 years, 14 (16%) primary events occurred among patients receiving standard surgery vs. 5 (5%) in the group randomized to additional LAACS (hazard ratio 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1-0.8, p = 0.02). In per protocol analysis (n = 141), 14 (18%) primary events occurred in the control group vs. 4 (6%) in the LAACS group (hazard ratio 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1-1.0, p = 0.05). In a real-world setting, LAACS in addition to elective open-heart surgery was associated with lower risk of post-operative ischemic brain injury. The protective effect was not conditional on AF/OAC status at baseline. LAACS study, clinicaltrials.gov NCT02378116 , March 4th 2015, retrospectively registered.

Atrial fibrillation is not uncommon among patients with ischemic stroke and transient ischemic stroke in China.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaomeng; Li, Shuya; Zhao, Xingquan; Liu, Liping; Jiang, Yong; Li, Zixiao; Wang, Yilong; Wang, Yongjun

2017-12-04

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is reported to be a less frequent cause of ischemic stroke in China than in Europe and North America, but it is not clear whether this is due to underestimation. Our aim was to define the true frequency of AF-associated stroke, to determine the yield of 6-day Holter ECG to detect AF in Chinese stroke patients, and to elucidate predictors of newly detected AF. Patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) were enrolled in a prospective, multicenter cohort study of 6-day Holter monitoring within 7 days after stroke onset at 20 sites in China between 2013 and 2015. Independent predictors of newly-detected AF were determined by multivariate analysis. Among 1511 patients with ischemic stroke and TIA (mean age 63 years, 33.1% women), 305 (20.2%) had either previously known (196, 13.0%) or AF newly-detected by electrocardiography (53, 3.5%) or by 6-day Holter monitoring (56/1262, 4.4%). A history of heart failure (OR = 4.70, 95%CI, 1.64-13.5), advanced age (OR = 1.06, 95%CI, 1.04-1.09), NIHSS at admission (OR = 1.06, 95%CI, 1.02-1.10), blood high density lipoprotein (HDL) (OR = 1.52, 95%CI, 1.09-2.13), together with blood triglycerides (OR = 0.64, 95%CI, 0.45-0.91) were independently associated with newly-detected AF. Contrary to previous reports, AF-associated stroke is frequent (20%) in China if systemically sought. Prolonged noninvasive cardiac rhythm monitoring importantly increases AF detection in patients with recent ischemic stroke and TIA in China. Advanced age, history of heart failure, and higher admission NIHSS and higher level of HDL were independent indicators of newly-detected AF. NCT02156765 (June 5, 2014).

Squamous cell carcinoma of penis with bullous pemphigoid masquerading as lymphogranuloma venereum

PubMed Central

Venugopal, V.; Gnanaraj, Pushpa; Fernandes, S. D.; Narasimhan, Murali; Karthikeyan, Subashini; Rahul, Shwetha

2013-01-01

We report a case of a 60-year old unmarried male who presented with multiple ulcers and foul smelling discharge from the groin since 4 months and multiple tense bullae over the trunk of 1 month duration. Groove sign was present. Investigations for lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) and other sexually transmitted diseases were negative. Histopathology from the ulcer in the groin and growth in the penis revealed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Skin biopsy of bulla was diagnostic of bullous pemphigoid (BP). We report a rare case of SCC masquerading as LGV with BP occurring as a paraneoplastic phenomenon. PMID:23919055

Systemic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma masquerading as neovascular glaucoma.

PubMed

Bawankar, Pritam; Das, Dipankar; Bhattacharjee, Harsha; Tayab, Shahinur; Deori, Nilutparna; Paulbuddhe, Vivek; Dhar, Shriya; Deka, Apurba

2018-02-01

We describe a case of spontaneous hyphema associated with anterior uveitis presents in a 69-year old female as the prominent sign of the intraocular spread of systemic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). She had a history of diabetes and initially misdiagnosed as neovascular glaucoma. Clinical history of systemic lymphoma, characteristic findings on B-scan ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging scan, and identification of atypical lymphoid cells in aqueous sample established the diagnosis of intraocular metastasis of systemic DLBCL. Therefore, this report highlights that life-threatening malignant systemic lymphoma may masquerade as anterior segment ocular inflammation or neovascular glaucoma.

Current management of symptomatic intracranial stenosis.

PubMed

Taylor, Robert A; Weigele, John B; Kasner, Scott E

2011-08-01

Intracranial arterial stenosis (IAS) is the cause of about 10% of all ischemic strokes in the United States, but may account for about 40% of strokes in some populations. After a stroke or transient ischemic attack due to IAS, patients face a 12% annual risk of recurrent stroke on medical therapy, with most strokes occurring in the first year. Warfarin is no better than aspirin in preventing recurrent strokes but poses a higher risk of serious bleeding and death. Groups with the highest risk of recurrent stroke are those with high-grade (≥ 70%) stenosis, those with recent symptom onset, those with symptoms precipitated by hemodynamic maneuvers, and women. Endovascular treatment of IAS is a rapidly evolving therapeutic option. Antiplatelet agents are currently recommended as the primary treatment for symptomatic IAS, with endovascular therapy reserved for appropriate high-risk cases refractory to medical therapy.

Front-loading with clopidogrel plus aspirin followed by dual antiplatelet therapy in the prevention of early stroke recurrence.

PubMed

Censori, Bruno

2014-07-01

Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin plus clopidogrel is not recommended for secondary stroke prevention because of lack of effectiveness and increased hemorrhagic risk. Recent studies show that in patients with a very recent transient ischemic attack or minor ischemic stroke loading with 300 mg clopidogrel plus aspirin, followed by clopidogrel 75 mg plus aspirin once daily for up to 90 days significantly decreases the rate of recurrent stroke, especially strokes that occur within few days from the event that led to medical attention, without an increase in severe bleedings. This article reviews the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of clopidogrel, focusing on loading doses, and summarizes the results of the studies that have shown the effectiveness of the front-loading approach in the early secondary prevention of stroke.

Prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon in young Greek males.

PubMed

Tzilalis, Vassilios; Panagiotopoulos, Nikolaos; Papatheodorou, George; Rallis, Efstathios; Kassimos, Dimitrios

2011-01-01

The aim of this paper is to study the prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon in young males. Young males were examined prospectively in a district hospital, and laboratory tests were performed on the basis of the clinical history. Young males (3.912), age 18-28 years old, were examined. Raynaud's phenomenon was present in seven men (1,79 per 1.000, 95% CI 0.72-3.68). Three of them had at least one member in their family diagnosed with Raynaud's phenomenon. Three were smokers. All had negative immunological test. Five patients reported having severe attacks and two had only mild ischemic attacks. The treatment was conservative for all patients, two of them necessitated vasodilators. Very low prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon was observed in this young male group compared with the previous studies.

[Stroke. are there any difference between patients with or without patent foramen ovale in left atrial appendage systolic function?].

PubMed

Contreras, Alejandro E; Perrote, Federico; Concari, Ignacio; Brenna, Eduardo J; Lucero, Cecilia

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the systolic function of the left atrial appendage (LAA) in a group with and without patent foramen ovale (PFO) who suffered ischemic cerebrovascular events. Between September 2010 and October 2011, 17 patients were referred for transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) after suffering a stroke. PFO was defined as the passage of at least one bubble through atrial septum with bubble test. We compared systolic velocity in the appendage between patients with and without PFO and a control group. Were 8 women and 9 men, mean age 54.1 ± 19.5 years and 8 patients were under 55 years of age. All patients had suffered a ischemic cerebrovascular events, 41.2% had stroke, 52.9% transient ischemic attack and amaurosis fugax 5.9%. In the assessment of TEE, 11.8% had atrial septal aneurysm and 35.3% PFO. Mean LAA systolic velocity was 66.3 ± 20.3 cm / sec. There was no difference in systolic velocity of the LAA between patients with and without PFO (67.5 ± 11.8 cm / sec vs 65.7 ± 24.3 cm / sec respectively, p = 0.87). The control group of 8 patients, 5 women and 3 men, mean age 39.5 ± 18 years, had a LAA systolic velocity of 77.6 ± 28.9 cm / sec, no significant differences with ischemic patients. There were no differences in systolic function of the LAA between patients with and without PFO with ischemic cerebrovascular event.

[Cellular and molecular biology of ischemic retina].

PubMed

Honda, Y

1996-12-01

We introduce our studies on the retinal ischemia in light of both pre- and post-Noell viewpoints. For several years now, we have employed in vivo intraretinal microelectrodes for this field of experiments. This series of studies on the cat eye revealed that the sensory retina as well as the retinal pigment epithelium is severely damaged after only a ten-minute stoppage of blood flow. This phenomenon in usually masked in the routine electroretinogram, a mass electrical response of the retina monitored from the ocular surface. Our studies, employing cultured amacrine cells from embryonic rat eyes, revealed that ischemic changes in neural cells are induced by an increase in extracellular glutamate. Among the glutamate analogs, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) is responsive to this change. An influx of calcium through NMDA receptor channels activates nitric oxide synthase (NOS), inducing intracellular nitric oxide (NO) in selected amacrine cells. Nitric oxide reacts with free radicals in the cell and induces peroxinitrite, which is toxic. This cascade triggered by ischemia is interrupted by extracellular zinc, magnesium, hemoglobin, nitroprusside, s-nitrosocysteine, and some NMDA antagonists. In terms of clinical application, there is a possibility that dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), as well as vitamins B6 and B12, are important candidates for administration before an ischemic attack for prevention of damage to the retinal neurons. Gene expression of NOS, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, tumor necrosing factor (TNF), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta in the ischemic retina was investigated in order to discover reaction substances common to ischemic change and inflammation.

Extended-release niacin therapy and risk of ischemic stroke in patients with cardiovascular disease: the Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with low HDL/High Triglycerides: Impact on Global Health Outcome (AIM-HIGH) trial.

PubMed

Teo, Koon K; Goldstein, Larry B; Chaitman, Bernard R; Grant, Shannon; Weintraub, William S; Anderson, David C; Sila, Cathy A; Cruz-Flores, Salvador; Padley, Robert J; Kostuk, William J; Boden, William E

2013-10-01

In Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with low HDL/High Triglycerides: Impact on Global Health Outcomes (AIM-HIGH) trial, addition of extended-release niacin (ERN) to simvastatin in participants with established cardiovascular disease, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high triglycerides had no incremental benefit, despite increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Preliminary analysis based on incomplete end point adjudication suggested increased ischemic stroke risk among participants randomized to ERN. This final analysis was conducted after complete AIM-HIGH event ascertainment to further explore potential relationship between niacin therapy and ischemic stroke risk. There was no group difference in trial primary composite end point at a mean 36-month follow-up among 3414 patients (85% men; mean age, 64±9 years) randomized to simvastatin plus ERN (1500-2000 mg/d) versus simvastatin plus matching placebo. In the intention-to-treat analysis, there were 50 fatal or nonfatal ischemic strokes: 18 (1.06%) in placebo arm versus 32 (1.86%) in ERN arm (hazard ratio [HR], 1.78 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.00-3.17; P=0.050). Multivariate analysis showed independent associations between ischemic stroke risk and >65 years of age (HR, 3.58; 95% CI, 1.82-7.05; P=0.0002), history of stroke/transient ischemic attack/carotid disease (HR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.23-3.88; P=0.0079), elevated baseline Lp(a) (HR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.25-6.27 comparing the middle with the lowest tertile; HR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.002-5.30 comparing the highest with the lowest tertile; overall P=0.042) but a nonsignificant association with ERN (HR, 1.74; 95% CI, 0.97-3.11; P=0.063). Although there were numerically more ischemic strokes with addition of ERN to simvastatin that reached nominal significance, the number was small, and multivariable analysis accounting for known risk factors did not support a significant association between niacin and ischemic stroke risk. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00120289.

Enteric-coated aspirin versus other antiplatelet drugs in acute non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke: post-marketing study in Japan.

PubMed

Takahashi, Shunichi; Mizuno, Osamu; Sakaguchi, Toshiaki; Yamada, Takashi; Inuyama, Lyo

2014-01-01

Japanese guidelines recommend aspirin 160-300 mg/day, starting within 48 h, for patients with acute cerebral infarction. However, there are few reports evaluated in Japanese patients. Our objective was to examine the safety and efficacy of enteric-coated aspirin, compared with other oral antiplatelet drugs, in Japanese patients with acute ischemic stroke. We performed a prospective, non-randomized, observational and multicenter study between June 2005 and December 2007. Patients with symptomatic acute ischemic stroke, including transient ischemic attack (TIA), who started enteric-coated aspirin or other antiplatelet drugs within 7 days of hospitalization were registered. Outcome measures evaluated within 3 months were incidence of cerebral and non-cerebral hemorrhagic events, recurrence of ischemic stroke or TIA, non-cerebral ischemic events and death from any cause. Overall, 2,548 and 830 patients treated with enteric-coated aspirin (100-300 mg/day) or other antiplatelet drugs, respectively, were registered; approximately 60% were male, mean age was 70 years, 85% had pre-existing cardiovascular disease or other complications. Enteric-coated aspirin of 100 mg was mainly prescribed, and only approximately half of the patients were started on it within 48 h after onset of ischemic stroke. Safety and efficacy population excluded patients without follow-up data were 2,521 in enteric-coated aspirin and 807 in other antiplatelets. Hemorrhagic events occurred in 46 (1.8%) in the enteric-coated aspirin group and in 13 (1.6%) in the other antiplatelet drugs group, there was not significant. Recurrent ischemic stroke or TIA occurred in 39 (1.5%) of the enteric-coated aspirin and in 18 (2.2%) of other antiplatelet drugs, and there were any-cause death in 16 (0.6%) and 8 (1.0%). Incidences were slightly lower in the enteric-coated aspirin group compared with the other antiplatelet drugs group, but not statistically significant. It seems that these results showed the safety and efficacy of the enteric-coated aspirin in acute stroke care in Japanese patients. Incidence of hemorrhagic events was comparable between the enteric-coated aspirin group and the other antiplatelet drugs group.

Ethnic differences in risk factors for ischemic stroke: a European case-control study.

PubMed

Hajat, Cother; Tilling, Kate; Stewart, Judy A; Lemic-Stojcevic, Nada; Wolfe, Charles D A

2004-07-01

The aim is to estimate the relative risk and population attributable risk (PAR) of risk factors for ischemic stroke by ethnic group. In this case-control study, cases of first ischemic stroke were taken from the South London Stroke Register and controls from a cross-sectional prevalence survey covering the same area. PAR was determined for each risk factor by ethnic group. Multivariable analysis was used to examine the association between risk factors and ischemic stroke across all ethnic groups. 664 cases and 716 controls aged 45 to 74 years were included, with ethnicity of white 78%:42%, black Caribbean 16%:43%, and black African 6%:15%, respectively. For the white group, high PAR was found for ischemic heart disease (IHD) on ECG (56% [95% CI, 49% to 62%]), obesity (49% [95% CI, 40% to 56%]), hypertension (HT) (38% [95% CI, 29% to 46%]), smoking (31% [95% CI, 19% to 41%]), transient ischemic attack (TIA) (23% [95% CI, 19% to 27%]), and atrial fibrillation (AF) (16% [95% CI, 10% to 21%]). In the black Caribbean compared with the white group, PAR was higher for HT (46% [95% CI, 21% to 63%]) and diabetes mellitus (DM) (29% [95% CI, 14% to 42%]), and lower for current smoking (18% [95% CI, 1% to 32%]) and AF (10% [95% CI, 0% to 18%]). In the black African group HT had a higher PAR (59% [95% CI, 91% to 82%]) than the other groups. PAR for AF (11% [95% CI, -11% to 29%]), obesity (30% [95% CI, -20% to 60%]), and DM (4% [95% CI, -25% to 26%]) was low compared with the other groups. In multivariable analysis, risk factors associated with ischemic stroke included TIA, AF, IHD on ECG, smoking, excess alcohol, obesity, HT, and DM. In the first European case-control study examining risk factors for ischemic stroke in black Caribbean and African populations, some differences were demonstrated in the impact of risk factors between these groups. It may be important to address such differences when developing stroke preventative strategies.

A New Therapeutic Paradigm for Breast Cancer Exploiting Low Dose Estrogen-Induced Apoptosis

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-01

incidences of stroke, pulmonary embolism , colorectal cancer, hip fractures , and death from other causes. After a mean follow-up of 6.8 years, no signifi- cant... embolism , DVT, transient ischemic attack, osteoporotic fracture , cataracts, death, and quality of life. The data was reported at a median follow-up time...injected into the axillary mammary fat pads of ovariectomized athymic mice. The mice were then divided into 4 groups and treated as follows: placebo

A New Therapeutic Paradigm for Breast Cancer Exploiting Low Dose Estrogen-Induce Apoptosis

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

pulmonary embolism , DVT, transient ischemic attack, osteoporotic fractures , cataracts, death and quality of life (Vogel, Costantino et al. 2006...transplanting 1 mm3 tumor pieces (from other tumor bearing animals) into recipient mouse axillary mammary fat pads. This procedure was also used to...per site into the axillary mammary fat pads to generate tumors. In culture, MCF-7/RAL2 were maintained in phenol red-free MEM supplemented with 1 µM

Heavy cannabis users at elevated risk of stroke: evidence from a general population survey.

PubMed

Hemachandra, Dilini; McKetin, Rebecca; Cherbuin, Nicolas; Anstey, Kaarin J

2016-06-01

Case reports and hospital-based case-control studies suggest that cannabis use may increase the risk of stroke. We examined the risk of non-fatal stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) among cannabis users in the general community. A general population survey of Australians aged 20-24 years (n=2,383), 40-44 years (n=2,525) and 60-64 years (n=2,547) was used to determine the odds of lifetime stroke or TIA among participants who had smoked cannabis in the past year while adjusting for other stroke risk factors. There were 153 stroke/TIA cases (2.1%). After adjusting for age cohort, past year cannabis users (n=1,043) had 3.3 times the rate of stroke/TIA (95% CI 1.8-6.3, p<0.001). The incidence rate ratio (IRR) reduced to 2.3 after adjustment for covariates related to stroke, including tobacco smoking (95% CI 1.1-4.5). Elevated stroke/TIA was specific to participants who used cannabis weekly or more often (IRR 4.7, 95% CI 2.1-10.7) with no elevation among participants who used cannabis less often. Heavy cannabis users in the general community have a higher rate of non-fatal stroke or transient ischemic attack than non-cannabis users. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

A Proposed Roadmap for Inpatient Neurology Quality Indicators

PubMed Central

Douglas, Vanja C.; Josephson, S. Andrew

2011-01-01

Background/Purpose: In recent years, there has been increasing pressure to measure and report quality in health care. However, there has been little focus on quality measurement in the field of neurology for conditions other than stroke and transient ischemic attack. As the number of evidence-based treatments for neurological conditions grows, so will the demand to measure the quality of care delivered. The purpose of this study was to review essential components of hospital performance measures for neurological disease and propose potential quality indicators for commonly encountered inpatient neurological diagnoses. Methods: We determined the most common inpatient neurological diagnoses at a major tertiary care medical center by reviewing the billing database. We then searched PubMed and the National Guidelines Clearinghouse to identify treatment guidelines for these conditions. Guideline recommendations with class I/level A evidence were evaluated as possible quality indicators. Results: We found 94 guidelines for 14 inpatient neurological conditions other than stroke and transient ischemic attack. Of these, 36 guidelines contained at least 1 recommendation with class I evidence. Based on these, potential quality indicators for intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, pneumococcal meningitis, coma following cardiac arrest, encephalitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo are proposed. Conclusions: There are several inpatient neurological conditions with treatments or diagnostic test routines supported by high levels of evidence that could be used in the future as quality indicators. PMID:23983832

Systemic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma masquerading as neovascular glaucoma

PubMed Central

Bawankar, Pritam; Das, Dipankar; Bhattacharjee, Harsha; Tayab, Shahinur; Deori, Nilutparna; Paulbuddhe, Vivek; Dhar, Shriya; Deka, Apurba

2018-01-01

We describe a case of spontaneous hyphema associated with anterior uveitis presents in a 69-year old female as the prominent sign of the intraocular spread of systemic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). She had a history of diabetes and initially misdiagnosed as neovascular glaucoma. Clinical history of systemic lymphoma, characteristic findings on B-scan ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging scan, and identification of atypical lymphoid cells in aqueous sample established the diagnosis of intraocular metastasis of systemic DLBCL. Therefore, this report highlights that life-threatening malignant systemic lymphoma may masquerade as anterior segment ocular inflammation or neovascular glaucoma. PMID:29380792

Idiopathic subvalvular aortic aneurysm masquerading as acute coronary syndrome.

PubMed

Natarajan, Balaji; Ramanathan, Sundar; Subramaniam, Natarajan; Janardhanan, Rajesh

2016-09-02

Subvalvular aneurysms are the least common type of left ventricular (LV) aneurysms and can be fatal. Subaortic LV aneurysms are much rarer than submitral LV aneurysms and mostly reported in infancy. They can be congenital or acquired secondary to infections, cardiac surgery or trauma. Here, we report a unique presentation of a large, idiopathic subaortic aneurysm in an adult masquerading as an acute coronary syndrome. Diagnosis was made with the help of a CT aortography. Aneurysm was surgically resected with good results. This case highlights the clinical presentation and management of subaortic aneurysms, an important differential for congenital aortic malformations. 2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Joan Riviere and the masquerade.

PubMed

Hughes, Athol

2004-01-01

Although she published her paper "Womanliness as a masquerade" in 1929, Joan Riviere wrote it in 1928, the year that women in England got the vote. I want to consider the paper, her first original contribution to psychoanalytic thought, in the social and cultural context of the time, and then I shall focus on elements in it that relate to Joan Riviere's personal experiences and family influences that shaped her understanding of women and their sexuality. As well, I shall look at her views in relation to those of Freud, Klein and Jones. There is evidence that Riviere was speaking of herself in her descriptions of the "patient" in her paper, evidence that can be found in her diary and in the diary of her mother; as well as from interviews that I had with her daughter Diana. In addition there is a letter from Freud to Riviere that gives further evidence that she is writing about herself in this paper. The correspondence between Freud and Jones concerning Riviere and her analysis with Freud in 1922 also throws light on her experiences and on her personality that are similar to those of the "patient" she describes in "Womanliness as a masquerade."

Innate inflammation as the common pathway of risk factors leading to TIAs and stroke.

PubMed

del Zoppo, Gregory J; Gorelick, Philip B

2010-10-01

In the early moments of ischemic stroke, the processes of thrombosis, ischemia, and inflammation are intimately interrelated, setting in motion an injury that leads to infarction and permanent damage. Of these, the potential roles that innate inflammation can play in the evolution of brain tissue damage in response to the ischemic injury are not well understood. Observations in the settings of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and cerebral ischemia have much to teach each other. The following provides an introductory overview of the conference "Innate Inflammation as the Common Pathway of Risk Factors Leading to Transient Ischemic Attacks and Stroke: Pathophysiology and Potential Interventions," which took place May 9-10, 2010 at the New York Academy of Sciences. This meeting was convened to explore aspects of the cellular and tissue responses to innate inflammation. A faculty of leading experts was assembled to discuss the role of inflammation in laboratory models of stroke and myocardial infarction, define possible novel means from laboratory evidence to alleviate or prevent inflammation underlying stroke and cardiovascular disease, and present information on current examples of clinical translation of these understandings in relation to human stroke and myocardial infarction. © 2010 New York Academy of Sciences.

Indications and applications of arterial stents for stroke prevention in atherosclerotic intracranial stenosis.

PubMed

Fields, Jeremy D; Liu, Kenneth C; Barnwell, Stanley L; Clark, Wayne M; Lutsep, Helmi L

2010-01-01

Intracranial stenosis accounts for 8-10% of all ischemic strokes in North America, a frequency slightly less than that of extracranial carotid stenosis. Among patients presenting with transient ischemic attack or stroke due to intracranial stenosis, the risk of recurrent stroke in the first year after initial symptoms is about 14%. Those with high-risk features (recent stroke and severe stenosis) have up to a 23% rate of recurrent stroke in the year after their initial event. Angioplasty with stenting has emerged as a potential treatment strategy, particularly in high-risk patients, although evidence is currently limited to uncontrolled prospective trials and retrospective case series. In this article, we critically review the clinical results supporting the use of stenting and highlight some key considerations in the application of this technology, including patient selection, procedural management, technical issues, and risk factors for complications and in-stent restenosis.

[Silent myocardial ischemia in patients with transient ischemic attacks].

PubMed

Sánchez Valiente, S; Mostacero, E; del Río, A; Morales, F

1994-10-01

Given evidence that ischemic heart disease is the most frequent cause of death in patients with cerebrovascular disease, we used ergometrics to screen 80 patients with TIA for silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) at the neurological unit of Hospital Clínico Universitario in Zaragoza, Spain. The patients were compared with a control group of 80 with no signs of heart disease. Neither the patients nor the controls had ever shown clinical signs of coronary ischemia and their baseline electrocardiograms were normal. Stress test results were positive in 25 (31%) of the TIA patients, and in 4 (5%) (p < 0.001) of the controls, showing that the prevalence of SMI is significantly higher in TIA patients than in the general population. Hiperlipidemia (75% testing positive versus 43% negative, p < 0.01) and diabetes (31% testing positive versus 13% negative, p < 0.01) were the risk factors statistically related with a positive stress test.

Ticagrelor for the treatment of atherosclerotic disease: insights from the PARTHENON clinical development program.

PubMed

Held, Peter; Himmelmann, Anders; Ditmarsch, Marc

2016-07-01

Ticagrelor (P2Y12 receptor antagonist) is presently indicated for preventing atherothrombotic events in patients with acute coronary syndrome and patients with a history of myocardial infarction. The PARTHENON clinical development program comprises five randomized, controlled, cardiovascular, indication-seeking outcome studies, aiming to evaluate ticagrelor across the spectrum of patients with atherothrombotic disease. Results of two large-scale trials support a benefit for ticagrelor in patients with acute coronary syndrome (PLATO; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00391872) and in patients with a history of myocardial infarction (PEGASUS-TIMI 54; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01225562). Ongoing trials will provide information on the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (SOCRATES; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01994720), peripheral artery disease (EUCLID; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01732822) and coronary artery disease in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (THEMIS: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01991795).

Cryptogenic embolic stroke in a girl with a trisomy 21 mosaic.

PubMed

Stöllberger, Claudia; Weiss, Simone; Zlabinger, Gerhard; Finsterer, Josef

2012-06-01

Stroke in trisomy 21 may be due to cardioembolism, atherosclerosis, vasculitis, moyamoya disease, sinus venous thrombosis, internal carotid hypoplasia or infections like endocarditis with septic emboli, meningitis or brain abscess. In rare cases, however, stroke etiology remains unexplained. We present a 19 year old Caucasian girl with trisomy 21 with a 47XX+21 karyotype who suffered at age 11 years from a transient ischemic attack with left hemiparesis, and at age 17 years from an ischemic stroke in the territory of the right cerebral medial artery. She suffered from arterial hypertension, obesity and hypercholesterolemia. Since blood coagulation studies, immunologic parameters, blood cultures, 24-h Holter monitoring, transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, magnetic resonance angiography of the extra- and intracranial vessels, thoracic and abdominal aorta and renal arteries did not provide any explanation for the stroke, implantation of a loop recorder is considered in order to detect episodes of clinically silent atrial fibrillation.

Hospitalized stroke surveillance in the community of Durango, Mexico: the brain attack surveillance in Durango study.

PubMed

Cantu-Brito, Carlos; Majersik, Jennifer J; Sánchez, Brisa N; Ruano, Angel; Quiñones, Gerardo; Arzola, José; Morgenstern, Lewis B

2010-05-01

Vascular conditions are becoming the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Few studies exist in Latin America. We aimed to perform a rigorous stroke surveillance study in Durango, Mexico. Active and passive surveillance were used to identify all patients with potential stroke presenting to Durango Municipality hospitals from August 2007 to July 2008. Exclusion criteria were subjects younger than 25 years old, stroke attributable to head trauma, and non-Durango Municipality residents. Brain Attack Surveillance in Durango-trained neurologists validated cases as stroke using source documentation. Stroke hospitalization rates were defined to include patients examined in the emergency department or admitted to the hospital. Abstractors identified 435 potential cases; 309 (71%) were validated as stroke. Of the validated stroke cases, the median age was 71 and 49% were female. Subtypes were 61.5% ischemic stroke, 20.7% intracerebral hemorrhage, 7.4% subarachnoid hemorrhage, and 10.4% undetermined. Overall initial NIHSS was a median of 11 (interquartile range, 7-17); in-hospital mortality was 39%. When adjusted to the world population, the age-adjusted hospitalization rate of first-ever stroke was 118.2 per 100 000; rates by type were: ischemic stroke, 69.1 (95% CI, 57.5-80.7); intracerebral hemorrhage, 26.7 (95% CI, 19.6-33.8); subarachnoid hemorrhage, 9.5 (95% CI, 5.3-13.8); and unknown, 12.3 (95% CI, 7.4-17.3). Of 190 patients with validated ischemic stroke, 44.2% received lipid testing and 7.4% received carotid imaging and echocardiography; 1.1% received tissue plasminogen activator. To our knowledge, this is the first estimate of stroke hospitalization rates in a Mexican community and it provides information important for design of interventions to prevent and treat stroke. This information is critical to reduce Mexico's stroke burden.

Department of Clinical Investigation, Annual Research Progress Report, Fiscal Year 2007 (Madigan Army Medical Center)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-30

Midyer Clinical Mtg, Anaheim, CA, December 2006. Hudak ME. Consequences of Triple Therapy: Evaluation of Bleeding and Embolic Events in a Cohort of...6.5 mm cancellous screws in acute Jones fractures . Foot Ankle Int, 27(10): p. 821-5, 2006. Woebkenberg BJ, Devine JG, Rush R, Starnes B, Stinger H...Closure System Versus Best Medical Therapy in Patients with a Stroke and/or Transient Ischemic Attack Due to a Presumed Paradoxical Embolism Through

Quantitative analysis and predictors of embolic filter debris load during carotid artery stenting in asymptomatic patients.

PubMed

Piazza, Michele; Squizzato, Francesco; Chincarini, Chiara; Fedrigo, Marny; Castellani, Chiara; Angelini, Annalisa; Grego, Franco; Antonello, Michele

2018-03-01

The objective of this study was to perform a quantitative analysis and to identify predictors of embolic filter debris (EFD) load during carotid artery stenting (CAS) in asymptomatic patients. All patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis >70% undergoing CAS between 2008 and 2016 were included in a prospective database. A distal filter protection device was used in all patients. At the end of the procedure, the filter was fixed in formalin and then analyzed with a stereomicroscope. Morphometric analysis was performed with Image-Pro Plus software (Media Cybernetics, Rockville, Md). The total area of the filter membrane and the area covered by particulate material were quantified. The quantity of membrane occupied by debris was expressed as percentage of covered surface area. Anatomic and clinical variables were evaluated for their association with EFD load using multiple logistic regression. Among the 278 patients undergoing CAS, an open-cell stent was implanted in 211 patients (76%); 67 patients (24%) received a closed-cell stent. Overall technical success and clinical success were both 99%; no perioperative death was reported. Stroke rate was 1.8% (major, n = 1 [0.4%]; minor, n = 4 [1.4%]); transient ischemic attacks occurred in 5% of cases (n = 14). The quantitative analysis of the filter revealed that EFD was present in 74% of cases (n = 207). The mean EFD load was 10% of the filter surface (median, 1; range, 0-80); it was <10% in 203 patients (73%), between 11% and 20% in 39 patients (14%), between 21% and 30% in 14 patients (5%), and >31% in 22 (8%). Patients with any type of ischemic neurologic event after CAS (stroke and transient ischemic attack) had a significantly higher mean EFD load compared with uneventful cases (26.7% ± 19.0% vs 8.5% ± 13.5%; P < .001). The observational frequency distribution analysis identified the presence of >12.5% EFD load as the optimal cutoff for the association with clinically relevant perioperative ischemic events (sensitivity, 78%; specificity, 77%; area under the curve, 0.81). The multivariate analysis demonstrated that age >75 years (odds ratio [OR], 2.56; P = .003), pre-existing ipsilateral ischemic cerebral lesions (OR, 2.09; P = .047), hypoechogenic plaque on the preoperative duplex ultrasound examination (OR, 6.05; P < .001), and plaque length >15 mm (OR, 1.79; P = .049) were independent predictors of EFD load >12.5%. The majority of asymptomatic carotid stenoses treated with CAS have detectable embolic debris in the protecting filter. Age >75 years, pre-existing ipsilateral cerebral ischemic lesions, hypoechogenic plaque, and plaque length >15 mm should be taken into consideration as independent predictors of clinically relevant embolic debris during the procedure. Copyright © 2017 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transient ischameic attack/stroke electronic decision support: a 14-month safety audit.

PubMed

Lavin, Timothy L; Ranta, Annemarei

2014-02-01

To assess the safety of a Transient Ischameic Attack (TIA)/Stroke Electronic Decision Support (EDS) tool in the primary care setting intended to aid general practitioners in the timely management of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). A 14-month safety audit reviewing all patients managed with the help of the TIA/Stroke EDS tool. Major morbidity and mortality were assessed by screening patients for subsequent hospital admissions and investigating potential links to EDS use. Seventy-nine patients were managed with the aid of the TIA/Stroke EDS. EDS use resulted in 8 appropriate immediate hospital admissions because of patients being at high risk of stroke. Three patients had delayed admission, but care was fully guideline based and patients had no adverse outcome. Eleven admissions were unrelated to EDS use. Two deaths occurred; these did not result from inappropriate EDS advice. Results suggest that TIA/Stroke EDS use is not associated with major morbidity or mortality. Larger studies are needed to draw more definite conclusions regarding the utility of this TIA/Stroke EDS in preventing strokes. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. All rights reserved.

Remote Ischemic Postconditioning for Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

PubMed Central

Zhao, Jing-Jing; Xiao, Hui; Zhao, Wen-Bo; Zhang, Xiao-Pei; Xiang, Yu; Ye, Zeng-Jie; Mo, Miao-Miao; Peng, Xue-Ting; Wei, Lin

2018-01-01

Background: Remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPostC) appears to protect distant organs from ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). However, cerebral protection results have remained inconclusive. In the present study, a meta-analysis was performed to compare stroke patients with and without RIPostC. Methods: CNKI, WanFang, VIP, CBM, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases were searched up to July 2016. Data were analyzed using both fixed-effects and random-effects models by Review Manager. For each outcome, risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Results: A total of 13 randomized controlled trials that enrolled a total of 794 study participants who suffered from or are at risk for brain IRI were selected. Compared with controls, RIPostC significantly reduced the recurrence of stroke or transient ischemic attacks (RR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.26–0.55; P < 0.00001). Moreover, it can reduce the levels of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (MD: 1.96; 95% CI: 2.18–1.75; P < 0.00001), modified Rankin Scale score (MD: 0.73; 95% CI: 1.20–0.25; P = 0.00300), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (MD: 4.17; 95% CI: 4.71–3.62; P < 0.00001) between the two groups. There was no side effect of RIPostC using tourniquet cuff around the limb on ischemic stroke treating based on different intervention duration. Conclusion: The present meta-analysis suggests that RIPostC might offer cerebral protection for stroke patients suffering from or are at risk of brain IRI. PMID:29664057

Clinical implications of increased use of MRI in TIA.

PubMed

Kvistad, C E; Thomassen, L; Waje-Andreassen, U; Moen, G; Logallo, N; Naess, H

2013-07-01

Transient ischemic attack has been redefined as a tissue-based diagnosis and MRI recommended as the preferred imaging modality. We aimed to investigate whether an increased use of MRI leads to a decrease in the proportion of TIA as compared to cerebral infarction. We also sought to see whether DWI-positive patients with transient ischemic symptoms <24 h differ from DWI-negative TIA patients in terms of performed diagnostic investigations and clinical characteristics. Patients admitted with cerebral infarction or TIA in the period 2006-2011 were prospectively registered. The use of MRI in patients with transient ischemic symptoms <24 h and proportion of TIA were annually recorded. DWI-positive and DWI-negative patients with transient ischemic symptoms <24 h were compared in univariate analyses regarding baseline data, diagnostic investigations, and etiology. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors of DWI lesions. The use of MRI increased from 65.0% in 2006-2008 to 89.0% in 2009-2011 (P < 0.001). The proportion of TIA as compared to cerebral infarction decreased from 12.2% in 2006-2008 to 8.3% in 2009-2011 (P = 0.002). DWI-positive patients were more often examined with 24-h Holter monitoring (P < 0.001) and echocardiography (P < 0.001). Lower age (P < 0.001) and prior myocardial infarction (P < 0.029) were independently associated with DWI lesions in patients with transient ischemic symptoms <24 h. An increased use of MRI and a tissue-based TIA definition resulted in a decrease in the proportion of TIA at discharge as compared to cerebral infarction. DWI-positive patients had a more extensive cardiac work-up and were associated with lower age and prior myocardial infarction. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Clopidogrel plus aspirin versus aspirin alone for preventing early neurological deterioration in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

PubMed

He, Fan; Xia, Cheng; Zhang, Jing-Hua; Li, Xiao-Qiu; Zhou, Zhong-He; Li, Feng-Peng; Li, Wei; Lv, Yan; Chen, Hui-Sheng

2015-01-01

Recent studies have suggested that combination antiplatelet therapy may be superior to monotherapy in the treatment of acute stroke. However, additional prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding. The present trial compared the efficacy and safety of clopidogrel plus aspirin versus aspirin alone in the treatment of non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke within 72 hours of onset. Six hundred and ninety patients aged ⩾ 40 years with minor stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) were identified for enrollment. Experienced physicians determined baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores at the time of admission. All patients were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive aspirin alone (300 mg/day) or clopidogrel (300 mg for the first day, 75 mg/day thereafter) plus aspirin (100mg/day). The main endpoints were neurological deterioration, recurrent stroke, and development of stroke in patients with TIA within 14 days of admission. After 43 patients were excluded, 321 patients in the dual therapy group and 326 patients in the monotherapy group completed the treatment. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. During the 2 week period, stroke deterioration occurred in nine patients in the dual therapy group and 19 patients in the monotherapy group. Stroke occurred after TIA in one patient in the dual therapy group and three patients in the monotherapy group. Similar numbers of adverse events occurred in both groups. This study showed that early dual antiplatelet treatment reduced early neurological deterioration in patients with acute ischemic stroke, compared with antiplatelet monotherapy. These results imply that dual antiplatelet therapy is superior to monotherapy in the early treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determining the Number of Ischemic Strokes Potentially Eligible for Endovascular Thrombectomy: A Population-Based Study.

PubMed

Chia, Nicholas H; Leyden, James M; Newbury, Jonathan; Jannes, Jim; Kleinig, Timothy J

2016-05-01

Endovascular thrombectomy (ET) is standard-of-care for ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusion, but estimates of potentially eligible patients from population-based studies have not been published. Such data are urgently needed to rationally plan hyperacute services. Retrospective analysis determined the incidence of ET-eligible ischemic strokes in a comprehensive population-based stroke study (Adelaide, Australia 2009-2010). Stroke patients were stratified via a prespecified eligibility algorithm derived from recent ET trials comprising stroke subtype, pathogenesis, severity, premorbid modified Rankin Score, presentation delay, large vessel occlusion, and target mismatch penumbra. Recognizing centers may interpret recent ET trials either loosely or rigidly; 2 eligibility algorithms were applied: restrictive (key criteria modified Rankin Scale score 0-1, presentation delay <3.5 hours, and target mismatch penumbra) and permissive (modified Rankin Scale score 0-3 and presentation delay <5 hours). In a population of 148 027 people, 318 strokes occurred in the 1-year study period (crude attack rate 215 [192-240] per 100 000 person-years). The number of ischemic strokes eligible by restrictive criteria was 17/258 (7%; 95% confidence intervals 4%-10%) and by permissive criteria, an additional 16 were identified, total 33/258 (13%; 95% confidence intervals 9%-18%). Two of 17 patients (and 6/33 permissive patients) had thrombolysis contraindications. Using the restrictive algorithm, there were 11 (95% confidence intervals 4-18) potential ET cases per 100 000 person-years or 22 (95% confidence intervals 13-31) using the permissive algorithm. In this cohort, ≈7% of ischemic strokes were potentially eligible for ET (13% with permissive criteria). In similar populations, the permissive criteria predict that ≤22 strokes per 100 000 person-years may be eligible for ET. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Cardiac Outcomes After Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: Effects of Pioglitazone in Patients With Insulin Resistance Without Diabetes Mellitus.

PubMed

Young, Lawrence H; Viscoli, Catherine M; Curtis, Jeptha P; Inzucchi, Silvio E; Schwartz, Gregory G; Lovejoy, Anne M; Furie, Karen L; Gorman, Mark J; Conwit, Robin; Abbott, J Dawn; Jacoby, Daniel L; Kolansky, Daniel M; Pfau, Steven E; Ling, Frederick S; Kernan, Walter N

2017-05-16

Insulin resistance is highly prevalent among patients with atherosclerosis and is associated with an increased risk for myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. The IRIS trial (Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke) demonstrated that pioglitazone decreased the composite risk for fatal or nonfatal stroke and MI in patients with insulin resistance without diabetes mellitus, after a recent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. The type and severity of cardiac events in this population and the impact of pioglitazone on these events have not been described. We performed a secondary analysis of the effects of pioglitazone, in comparison with placebo, on acute coronary syndromes (MI and unstable angina) among IRIS participants. All potential acute coronary syndrome episodes were adjudicated in a blinded fashion by an independent clinical events committee. The study cohort was composed of 3876 IRIS participants, mean age 63 years, 65% male, 89% white race, and 12% with a history of coronary artery disease. Over a median follow-up of 4.8 years, there were 225 acute coronary syndrome events, including 141 MIs and 84 episodes of unstable angina. The MIs included 28 (19%) with ST-segment elevation. The majority of MIs were type 1 (94, 65%), followed by type 2 (45, 32%). Serum troponin was 10× to 100× upper limit of normal in 49 (35%) and >100× upper limit of normal in 39 (28%). Pioglitazone reduced the risk of acute coronary syndrome (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.94; P =0.02). Pioglitazone also reduced the risk of type 1 MI (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.40-0.96; log-rank P =0.03), but not type 2 MI (hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 0.58-1.91; P =0.87). Similarly, pioglitazone reduced the risk of large MIs with serum troponin >100× upper limit of normal (hazard ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-0.87; P =0.02), but not smaller MIs. Among patients with insulin resistance without diabetes mellitus, pioglitazone reduced the risk for acute coronary syndromes after a recent cerebrovascular event. Pioglitazone appeared to have its most prominent effect in preventing spontaneous type 1 MIs. URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00091949. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

[Pharmacological possibilities for the prevention of complications following myocardial infarction].

PubMed

Szekeres, L

1986-01-01

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is mostly the result of ventricular fibrillation (VP) which is an electrical accident appearing on the basis of electrical instability of the myocardium. In addition to the chronic electrical instability predisposing to ventricular arrhythmias the trigger effect of a precipitating factor also seems necessary which may disrupt the normal sequence of cardiac contractions. In view of this hypothesis the following strategy of therapeutic interventions aimed at preventing SCD from AMI seems to be logical: Prophylactic measures to prevent pathological processes underlying chronic electrical instability of the heart i.e. elimination of identified risk factors of ischemic heart disease. Protection from SCD due to AMI: by using drugs which could, prevent further electrical destabilization as shifts in myocardial and plasma ionic balance, in pH, in pCO2, accumulation of potentially arrhythmogenic metabolites: Inhibit the trigger effect of sudden changes: in hemodynamics, in the autonomic nervous outflow and balance. The general supportive measures include therapeutic interventions which are not directly connected with appearance of lethal arrhythmias but may indirectly contribute to their development as pain, arterial Hb desaturation, deep vein thrombosis. Some of the measures listed above are capable of limiting the size of the developing infarct, a major determinant of the future conditions of life and prognosis of the patient. In the prehospital phase of AMI when two thirds of all coronary deaths occur general supportive measures and drug treatment of life threatening arrhythmias should be applied simultaneously. Sedatives and anxiolytics, furthermore analgetics are widely used. They are however often associated with bradycardia and sometimes with hypotension. This latter is dominant in patients with inferior infarction, showing a parasympathetic hyperactivity, when atropine treatment is needed. Sympathetic hyperactivity responds to analgesia and sedation but beta blockers may be required to reduce increased MVO2. These agents belong to the group of anti-ischemic drugs. The beneficial anti-ischemic action of beta-blockers is mostly due to their negative chronotropic and inotropic effect. A direct metabolic action was shown by use as well as the presence of a positive steal phenomenon in the experimental angina model in dogs. Anti-ischemic action of coronary vasodilators. The most reliable drug for preventing or abolishing anginal attack is still the classic nitroglycerin. On the other hand persantine a potent coronary dilator failed to protect against anginal attack in man.

Noninvasive Ventilatory Correction in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Tsivgoulis, Georgios; Alexandrov, Andrei V; Katsanos, Aristeidis H; Barlinn, Kristian; Mikulik, Robert; Lambadiari, Vaia; Bonakis, Anastasios; Alexandrov, Anne W

2017-08-01

Even though current guidelines suggest that noninvasive ventilatory correction (NIVC) could be considered for acute ischemic stroke patients with obstructive sleep apnea, available evidence is conflicting, with no adequately powered randomized clinical trial being available to date. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all available literature data evaluating the effect of NIVC on neurological improvement (based on decrease in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score), vascular events (recurrent stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction and unstable angina), and mortality during the follow-up period. We identified 4 randomized clinical trials and 1 prospectively matched observational cohort, comprising a total of 389 patients (59.8% males, mean age: 64.4 years). The risk of both performance and detection bias was considered high in most of the included randomized clinical trials because of the lack of blinding in participants, personnel and/or outcome assessors. The mean decrease in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores during the first (≤30) days of acute ischemic stroke was found to be greater in NIVC-treated patients in comparison to controls (standardized mean difference, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.11-0.66; P =0.007). However, no significant differences were detected between NIVC-treated acute ischemic stroke patients and controls on both the risk of vascular events (risk ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-1.14; P =0.11) and mortality (risk ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.37-1.36; P =0.30). No evidence of heterogeneity ( I 2 =0%; P for Cochran Q>0.50) or publication bias were detected in all analyses. NIVC seems to be associated with greater short-term neurological improvement in acute ischemic stroke patients with obstructive sleep apnea. This finding deserves further investigation within the settings of an adequately powered, sham-control, randomized clinical trial. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Comparison of Warfarin use in terms of efficacy and safety in two different polyclinics

PubMed Central

Kılıç, Salih; Kemal, Hatice Soner; Yüce, Elif İlkay; Şimşek, Evrim; Yağmur, Burcu; Akgül, Nuray Memişoğlu; Çınar, Cahide Soydaş; Zoghi, Mehdi; Gürgün, Cemil

2017-01-01

Objective: This study compared the efficacy and safety of warfarin in specialized international normalized ratio (INR) outpatient clinic (INR-C) and in general cardiology outpatient clinic (General-C). Methods: Herein, 381 consecutive patients with a regular follow-up at INR-C (n=233) or General-C (n=148) for at least 1 year were retrospectively included. While INR-C patients were followed by a single experienced trained nurse, General-C patients were followed by a different cardiologist who worked in a rotational principle every month. During controls, demographic characteristics, INR levels, bleeding events, ischemic stroke, and transient ischemic attacks in the last 1 year were recorded. Primary endpoint was defined as the evaluation of the combined major bleeding and ischemic event, and secondary endpoint was defined as the evaluation of them separately. Results: The mean age of the patients was 62±12.86 and 43.8% were male. Mean time in therapeutic range (TTR) level was statistically higher in INR-C than that in General-C (68.8%±15.88 and 51.6%±23.04, respectively; p<0.001). Primary outcomes were significantly higher in General-C than that in INR-C [13.5% (20) and 6.4% (15); respectively, p=0.020]. Overall, major bleeding was observed in 25 patients (6.5%) and (2.6%) ischemic event was observed in 10 patients. In General-C patients, both major bleeding (8.8% vs. 5.2%; p=0.163) and the ischemic event (4.7% vs. 1.3%; p=0.051) were more, and no statistically significant differences were detected between the two clinics. Conclusion: The findings of our study demonstrate that patients followed in INR-C had higher TTR levels and lower bleeding and ischemic events rates that those followed in General-C. PMID:29145216

Short-term exposures to ambient air pollution and risk of recurrent ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Wing, Jeffrey J; Adar, Sara D; Sánchez, Brisa N; Morgenstern, Lewis B; Smith, Melinda A; Lisabeth, Lynda D

2017-01-01

To investigate the association between short-term changes in ambient pollution (particulate matter <2.5µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM 2.5 ) and ozone (O 3 )) and the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke among individuals living in a bi-ethnic community. We identified recurrent ischemic stroke cases from the population-based Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project between 2000 and 2012. Associations between PM 2.5 (mean 24-h) and O 3 (maximal 8-h) levels, measured on the previous day, and odds of ischemic stroke were assessed using a time-stratified case-crossover design and modeled using conditional logistic regression. There were 317 recurrent ischemic strokes after excluding 41 strokes that occurred on days with missing air pollution data. Mean age was 72 years (SD=12) and median time to stroke recurrence was 1.1 years (IQR: 0.2-2.8 years). Median levels of PM 2.5 and O 3 over the study period were 7.7μg/m 3 (IQR: 5.6-10.7μg/m 3 ) and 35.2 ppb (IQR: 25.0-46.1 ppb), respectively. We observed no associations between previous-day PM 2.5 and O 3 and odds of recurrent stroke (OR=0.95 per 10µg/m 3 of PM 2.5 , 95% CI: 0.71-1.28 and OR=0.97 per 10ppb of O 3 , 95% CI: 0.87-1.07) after adjusting for ambient temperature and relative humidity. Co-adjustment of both pollutants did not change the results. We found no evidence of associations between previous-day air pollution levels and recurrent ischemic stroke. Research on the influence of air pollutants on risk of stroke recurrence is still in its infancy, and more research is necessary in studies that are adequately powered to understand the relation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictors of long-term recurrent vascular events after ischemic stroke at young age: the Italian Project on Stroke in Young Adults.

PubMed

Pezzini, Alessandro; Grassi, Mario; Lodigiani, Corrado; Patella, Rosalba; Gandolfo, Carlo; Zini, Andrea; Delodovici, Maria Luisa; Paciaroni, Maurizio; Del Sette, Massimo; Toriello, Antonella; Musolino, Rossella; Calabrò, Rocco Salvatore; Bovi, Paolo; Adami, Alessandro; Silvestrelli, Giorgio; Sessa, Maria; Cavallini, Anna; Marcheselli, Simona; Bonifati, Domenico Marco; Checcarelli, Nicoletta; Tancredi, Lucia; Chiti, Alberto; Del Zotto, Elisabetta; Spalloni, Alessandra; Giossi, Alessia; Volonghi, Irene; Costa, Paolo; Giacalone, Giacomo; Ferrazzi, Paola; Poli, Loris; Morotti, Andrea; Rasura, Maurizia; Simone, Anna Maria; Gamba, Massimo; Cerrato, Paolo; Micieli, Giuseppe; Melis, Maurizio; Massucco, Davide; De Giuli, Valeria; Iacoviello, Licia; Padovani, Alessandro

2014-04-22

Data on long-term risk and predictors of recurrent thrombotic events after ischemic stroke at a young age are limited. We followed 1867 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke who were 18 to 45 years of age (mean age, 36.8±7.1 years; women, 49.0%), as part of the Italian Project on Stroke in Young Adults (IPSYS). Median follow-up was 40 months (25th to 75th percentile, 53). The primary end point was a composite of ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, or other arterial events. One hundred sixty-three patients had recurrent thrombotic events (average rate, 2.26 per 100 person-years at risk). At 10 years, cumulative risk was 14.7% (95% confidence interval, 12.2%-17.9%) for primary end point, 14.0% (95% confidence interval, 11.4%-17.1%) for brain ischemia, and 0.7% (95% confidence interval, 0.4%-1.3%) for myocardial infarction or other arterial events. Familial history of stroke, migraine with aura, circulating antiphospholipid antibodies, discontinuation of antiplatelet and antihypertensive medications, and any increase of 1 traditional vascular risk factor were independent predictors of the composite end point in multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis. A point-scoring system for each variable was generated by their β-coefficients, and a predictive score (IPSYS score) was calculated as the sum of the weighted scores. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the 0- to 5-year score was 0.66 (95% confidence interval, 0.61-0.71; mean, 10-fold internally cross-validated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.65). Among patients with ischemic stroke aged 18 to 45 years, the long-term risk of recurrent thrombotic events is associated with modifiable, age-specific risk factors. The IPSYS score may serve as a simple tool for risk estimation.

Dabigatran in Secondary Stroke Prevention: Clinical Experience with 106 Patients

PubMed Central

DeFelipe-Mimbrera, Alicia; Cánovas, Araceli Alonso; Guillán, Marta; Matute, Consuelo; Cruz, Antonio; Vera, Rocío; Masjuan, Jaime

2014-01-01

Introduction. Our aim was to analyze our clinical experience with dabigatran etexilate in secondary stroke prevention. Methods. We retrospectively included patients starting dabigatran etexilate for secondary stroke prevention from March 2010 to December 2012. Efficacy and safety variables were registered. Results. 106 patients were included, median follow-up of 12 months (range 1–31). Fifty-six females (52.8%), mean age 76.4 (range 50–95, SD 9.8), median CHADS2 4 (range 2–6), CHA2DS2-VASc 5 (range 2–9), and HAS-BLED 2 (range 1–5). Indication for dabigatran etexilate was ischemic stroke in 101 patients and acute cerebral hemorrhage (CH) due to warfarin in 5 (4.7%). Dabigatran etexilate 110 mg bid was prescribed in 71 cases (67%) and 150 mg bid was prescribed in the remaining. Seventeen patients (16%) suffered 20 complications during follow-up. Ischemic complications (10) were 6 transient ischemic attacks (TIA), 3 ischemic strokes, and 1 acute coronary syndrome. Hemorrhagic complications (10) were CH (1), gastrointestinal bleeding (6), mild hematuria (2), and mild metrorrhagia (1), leading to dabigatran etexilate discontinuation in 3 patients. Patients with previous CH remained uneventful. Three patients died (pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and acute cholecystitis) and 9 were lost during follow-up. Conclusions. Dabigatran etexilate was safe and effective in secondary stroke prevention in clinical practice, including a small number of patients with previous history of CH. PMID:25133166

Lipoprotein(a) Levels and Recurrent Vascular Events After First Ischemic Stroke.

PubMed

Lange, Kristin S; Nave, Alexander H; Liman, Thomas G; Grittner, Ulrike; Endres, Matthias; Ebinger, Martin

2017-01-01

The association of elevated lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) levels and the incidence of cardiovascular disease, especially coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke, is well established. However, evidence on the association between Lp(a) levels and residual vascular risk in stroke survivors is lacking. We aimed to elucidate the risk for recurrent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in the patients with first-ever ischemic stroke with elevated Lp(a). All patients with acute ischemic stroke who participated in the prospective Berlin C&S study (Cream & Sugar) between January 2009 and August 2014 with available 12-month follow-up data and stored blood samples were eligible for inclusion. Lp(a) levels were determined in serum samples using an isoform-insensitive nephelometry assay. We assessed the risk for the composite vascular end point of ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, nonelective coronary revascularization, and cardiovascular death with elevated Lp(a) defined as >30 mg/dL using Cox regression analyses. Of 465 C&S study participants, 250 patients were included into this substudy with a median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 2 (1-4). Twenty-six patients (10%) experienced a recurrent vascular event during follow-up. Among patients with normal Lp(a) levels, 11 of 157 subjects (7%) experienced an event at a median time of 161 days (interquartile range, 19-196 days), whereas in patients with elevated Lp(a) levels, 15 of 93 subjects (16%) experienced an event at a median time of 48 days (interquartile range, 9-194 days; P=0.026). The risk for a recurrent event was significantly higher in patients with elevated Lp(a) levels after adjustment for potential confounders (hazard ratio, 2.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-5.67; P=0.016). Elevated Lp(a) levels are associated with a higher risk for combined vascular event recurrence in patients with acute, first-ever ischemic stroke. This finding should be validated in larger, multicenter trials. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01378468. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Masquerading bundle branch block as a presenting manifestation of complete atrioventricular block that caused syncope.

PubMed

Jiao, Zhenyu; Tian, Ying; Yang, Xinchun; Liu, Xingpeng

2017-10-01

A 59-year-old male patient was admitted with the main complaints of stuffiness and shortness of breath. An ECG from precordial leads on admission showed masquerading bundle branch block. Syncope frequently occurred after admission. During syncope episodes, ECG telemetry showed that the syncope was caused by intermittent complete atrioventricular block, with the longest RR interval lasting for 4.36 s. At the gap of syncope, ECG showed complete right bundle branch block accompanied by alternation of left anterior fascicular block and left posterior fascicular block. The patient was implanted with a dual-chamber permanent pacemaker. Follow-up of 9 months showed no reoccurrence of syncope.

Cerebrovascular adaptations to cocaine-induced transient ischemic attacks in the rodent brain

PubMed Central

You, Jiang; Volkow, Nora D.; Park, Kicheon; Zhang, Qiujia; Clare, Kevin; Du, Congwu

2017-01-01

Occurrence of transient ischemic attacks (TIA) and cerebral strokes is a recognized risk associated with cocaine abuse. Here, we use a rodent model along with optical imaging to study cocaine-induced TIA and the associated dynamic changes in cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFv) and cerebrovasculature. We show that chronic cocaine exposure in mice resulted in marked cortical hypoperfusion, in significant arterial and venous vasoconstriction, and in a sensitized vascular response to an acute cocaine injection. Starting after 10 days of exposure, an acute cocaine challenge to these mice resulted in a TIA, which presented as hemiparalysis and was associated with an abrupt exacerbation of CBFv. The severity of the TIA correlated with the decreases in cortical CBFv such that the greater the decreases in flow, the longer the TIA duration. The severity of TIA peaked around 17–22 days of cocaine exposure and decreased thereafter in parallel to a reorganization of CBFv from superficial to deep cortical layers, along with an increase in vessel density into these layers. Here, we document for the first time to our knowledge evidence of a TIA in an animal model of chronic cocaine exposure that was associated with profound decreases in CBFv, and we revealed that while the severity of the TIA initially increased with repeated exposures, it subsequently improved in parallel to an increase in the vessel density. This suggests that strategies to accelerate cerebrovascular recovery might be therapeutically beneficial in cocaine abusers. PMID:28289715

Transient global amnesia and transient ischemic attack. Natural history, vascular risk factors, and associated conditions.

PubMed

Zorzon, M; Antonutti, L; Masè, G; Biasutti, E; Vitrani, B; Cazzato, G

1995-09-01

The purpose of the present study was to make an attempt to ascertain the etiology of transient global amnesia (TGA), which is still disputed more than 30 years after the first description of this clinical entity. In a case-control study, we compared the prevalence of vascular risk factors in 64 TGA patients with 64 first-ever transient ischemic attack (TIA) control subjects and 108 normal community-based control subjects matched for age and sex. We prospectively studied the vascular events and mortality rates of the TGA cases and of the TIA control subjects. Then we compared the outcome of the two groups using actuarial analysis based on survival curves. We did not find evidence of an increased risk of TGA associated with any vascular risk factor. In contrast to TIA control subjects, no TGA patient suffered stroke, myocardial infarction, or TIA during the follow-up period. Migraine was more common in TGA patients than in both normal and TIA control subjects. In three patients (4.5%), the TGA was eventually considered to be of epileptic origin. The results of our case-control and longitudinal studies point to the conclusion that TGA and TIA do not share the same etiology. Since half of our patients had a precipitating event in their history, it is reasonable to hypothesize that spreading depression may play a role in TGA. The significant positive association between migraine and TGA may support this hypothesis. Epilepsy may mimic TGA in a minority of cases.

CASE-REPORT Dysregulation of gene expression in a patient with depressive disorder after transient ischemic attack confirmed by a neurophysiological neuromarker.

PubMed

Trystuła, M; Żychowska, M; Wilk-Frańczuk, M; Kropotov, J D; Pąchalska, M

2017-02-16

The aim of this study was to evaluate dysregulation of gene expression associated with the cellular stress response in a patient with a post-"warning stroke" depressive disorder confirmed by the presence of a neurophysiological neuromarker through the use of quantitative EEG and event-related potentials. The patient was tested for seven genes associated with the stress reaction: HSPA1A, HSPB1, IL6, IL10, CRP, and HSF-1 along with NF-κB, compared to gene expression in health controls. A 54-year-old patient with a past history of schizophrenia (at the age of 20), and of transient ischemic attack (at the age of 53) and depressive disorder confirmed by functional, cognitive, emotional, and affectional diagnostics underwent additional testing for expression of the genes associated with stress response. The expression of genes coding for heat shock protein (HSPA1A, HSPB1), interleukins (IL6, IL10), and C-reactive protein was tested along with factors that regulate their expression. The results of the tests conducted on this patient were compared with 42 healthy control subjects. Diagnostic testing revealed upregulation in expression of these genes, presenting as increased expression of the target genes and of the regulatory genes. A post-"warning stroke" depressive disorder appears to be associated with overexpression of the genes coding for HSP and interleukins. Further research on larger groups of people may provide grounds for treatment modification.

[Behavioral phenotypes: cognitive and emotional explanation].

PubMed

Pérez-Alvarez, F; Timoneda-Gallart, C

We present a series of Behavioural phenotypes treated with neurocognitive and neuroemotional procedure. A sample of 26 cases were selected according to qualitative methodology from neuropediatric patients. The method was based on using the PASS theory of intelligence to approach the cognitive problem and the theory of masquerade behaviour as self-defence to solve the emotional problem. Both theories have neurological bases. DN:CAS battery was utilized for assessment of cognitive processes. On the other hand, analysis of cases was carried out doing data analysis with video recorder device. All cases were considered responder cases although in different degree. The responder was defined as the patient which reached better intellectual achievement with respect to cognitive function and which gave up, at least partially, masquerade Behaviour with respect to emotional function. The Behaviour of the Behavioural phenotypes has neurological rationale. The PASS theory and the planning, in particular, supported by prefrontal cortex justifies consistently some behaviours. The masquerade Behaviour theory is explained by the fear emotional response mechanism which means emotion is a cerebral processing with neurological rationale. The Behavioural phenotypes are Behaviours and every Behaviour can be explained by neurological reasons both cognitive and emotional reasons. So, they can be treated by a cognitive and emotional procedure understood in the light of the neurology.

A diagnostic approach for cerebral palsy in the genomic era.

PubMed

Lee, Ryan W; Poretti, Andrea; Cohen, Julie S; Levey, Eric; Gwynn, Hilary; Johnston, Michael V; Hoon, Alexander H; Fatemi, Ali

2014-12-01

An ongoing challenge in children presenting with motor delay/impairment early in life is to identify neurogenetic disorders with a clinical phenotype, which can be misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy (CP). To help distinguish patients in these two groups, conventional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain has been of great benefit in "unmasking" many of these genetic etiologies and has provided important clues to differential diagnosis in others. Recent advances in molecular genetics such as chromosomal microarray and next-generation sequencing have further revolutionized the understanding of etiology by more precisely classifying these disorders with a molecular cause. In this paper, we present a review of neurogenetic disorders masquerading as cerebral palsy evaluated at one institution. We have included representative case examples children presenting with dyskinetic, spastic, and ataxic phenotypes, with the intent to highlight the time-honored approach of using clinical tools of history and examination to focus the subsequent etiologic search with advanced neuroimaging modalities and molecular genetic tools. A precise diagnosis of these masqueraders and their differentiation from CP is important in terms of therapy, prognosis, and family counseling. In summary, this review serves as a continued call to remain vigilant for current and other to-be-discovered neurogenetic masqueraders of cerebral palsy, thereby optimizing care for patients and their families.

A Diagnostic Approach for Cerebral Palsy in the Genomic Era

PubMed Central

Lee, Ryan W.; Poretti, Andrea; Cohen, Julie S.; Levey, Eric; Gwynn, Hilary; Johnston, Michael V.; Hoon, Alexander H.; Fatemi, Ali

2014-01-01

An ongoing challenge in children presenting with motor delay/impairment early in life is to identify neurogenetic disorders with a clinical phenotype which can be misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy (CP). To help distinguish patients in these two groups, conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain has been of great benefit in “unmasking” many of these genetic etiologies and has provided important clues to differential diagnosis in others. Recent advances in molecular genetics such as chromosomal microarray and next generation sequencing have further revolutionized the understanding of etiology by more precisely classifying these disorders with a molecular cause. In this paper, we present a review of neurogenetic disorders masquerading as cerebral palsy evaluated at one institution. We have included representative case examples children presenting with dyskinetic, spastic and ataxic phenotypes, with the intent to highlight the time honored approach of using clinical tools of history and examination to focus the subsequent etiologic search with advanced neuroimaging modalities and molecular genetic tools. A precise diagnosis of these masqueraders and their differentiation from CP is important in terms of therapy, prognosis, and family counseling. In summary, this review serves as a continued call to remain vigilant for current and other to-be-discovered neurogenetic masqueraders of cerebral palsy, thereby optimizing care for patients and their families. PMID:25280894

Risk of Ischemic Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack Is Increased up to 90 Days after Non-Carotid and Non-Cardiac Surgery.

PubMed

Grau, Armin J; Eicke, Martin; Burmeister, Christoph; Hardt, Roland; Schmitt, Eberhard; Dienlin, Sieghard

2017-01-01

The risk of stroke after cardiac and carotid surgery is well established. In contrast, stroke risk in association with non-cardiac and non-carotid surgery and its time course are insufficiently known. We investigated the prevalence of recent and planned surgery among patients with stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA), time dependency of stroke risk, stroke etiology, and interruption of antithrombotic medication in association with surgery. Data on type and date of surgery and similar interventions within the last year or planned for the next 2 weeks were anonymously collected together with demographic data, vascular risk factors, stroke severity, handicap before stroke and stroke etiology within a state-wide, mandatory, hospital-based acute stroke care quality monitoring project (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) for 1 year (2010). Non-carotid and non-cardiothoracic surgery was reported as performed within 1 year before the index event or as planned for the next 2 weeks thereafter in 532 out of 12,120 patients with ischemic stroke/TIA (4.4%). Compared to 91-365 days before stroke/TIA as reference period, risk of cerebral ischemia (per day analysis) was increased for surgery within 61-90 days before ischemia (rate ratio 2.0, 95% CI 1.5-2.8) and continuously increased along shorter intervals between stroke and surgery (31-60 days: rate ratio 3.6, 95% CI 2.9-4.5; 15-30 days: rate ratio 8.2, 95% CI 6.7-10.1; 8-14 days: rate ratio 13.2, 95% CI 10.3-16.8; 4-7 days: rate ratio 16.5, 95% CI 12.2-22.1) peaking at an interval of 1-3 days before ischemia (rate ratio 34.0, 95% CI 26.9-42.8). On the day of surgery, rate ratio was 14.8 (95% CI 7.8-27.9) and for planned surgery it was 2.7 (95% CI 1.8-4.0). Results were similar for first-ever and for recurrent ischemic stroke. Perioperative stroke/TIA was positively associated with atrial fibrillation and cardioembolic stroke etiology, higher mortality, more severe neurological deficits at discharge, and longer hospital stay; and it was inversely associated with microangiopathic etiology and discharge at home. In 34.5% of patients with recent/planned surgery, prior antithrombotic or anticoagulant medication had been interrupted. Recent or planned surgery imposes a considerable short-term stroke risk particularly by cardioembolism with cessation of medication as an important contributor. Stroke after surgery is associated with poor outcome and high mortality. Better strategies to reduce the burden of perioperative stroke are urgently required. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Recent surgery or invasive procedures and the risk of stroke.

PubMed

Urbanek, Christian; Palm, Frederick; Buggle, Florian; Wolf, Joachim; Safer, Anton; Becher, Heiko; Grau, Armin J

2014-01-01

A recent surgery may be one of the trigger factors precipitating stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA). While stroke in cardiac and carotid surgery has been well studied, less is known on stroke risk after surgery outside the heart and brain supplying arteries. We tested the hypothesis that preceding non-neurosurgical, non-cardiothoracic, and non-carotid surgery and other interventions temporarily increase the risk of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) and investigated the risk related to different time periods between interventions and stroke/TIA. In the Ludwigshafen Stroke Study, a population-based stroke registry, we assessed surgery and other interventions within the year preceding stroke and TIA. The risk factor profiles of patients with and without prior intervention were compared and rate ratios (RR) were calculated for different time periods with 91-365 days before stroke and TIA serving as reference period. In 2006 and 2007, 803 patients without and 116 patients with non-neurosurgical, non-cardiothoracic, and non-carotid intervention within the preceding year were identified. Elective (n = 21) and posttraumatic orthopedic (n = 14), eye (n = 14), and visceral surgery (n = 11) dominated. Interventions within 0-30 days (n = 34; RR 4.72; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.70-8.26) but not within 31-60 or 61-90 days before stroke/TIA were observed more often than in the reference period. Interventions were more common within day 8-30 before stroke/TIA (RR 3.26; 95% CI 1.66-6.39), particularly common within the preceding week (RR 9.52; 95% CI 3.77-24.1) and most common in the preceding 2 days (RR 27.1; 95% CI 5.97-123) as compared to the reference period. Atrial fibrillation (AF) but not other risk factors was more common in patients with interventions within 30 days (n = 15; 44.1%) as compared to patients with more antecedent interventions (n = 19; 23.2%, p = 0.022) and those without surgery (n = 222; 27.6%, p = 0.031). Interventions within 30 days before stroke/TIA, were associated with total ischemic stroke (RR 6.11; 95% CI 3.32-11.2), first-ever in a lifetime ischemic stroke (RR 5.62; 95% CI 2.83-11.1) and recurrent ischemic stroke (RR 7.50; 95% CI 2.88-19.6). Recent non-cardiothoracic, non-carotid, and non-neurosurgical interventions are associated with an increased risk of stroke lasting for about 1 month and being particularly high within the first days. AF may be among the mechanisms linking interventions and stroke besides induction of a procoagulant state and interruption of medication. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Stroke and transient ischemic attack incidence rate in Spain: the IBERICTUS study.

PubMed

Díaz-Guzmán, Jaime; Egido, Jose-A; Gabriel-Sánchez, Rafael; Barberá-Comes, Gloria; Fuentes-Gimeno, Blanca; Fernández-Pérez, Cristina

2012-01-01

In Spain, stroke is a major public health concern, but large population-based studies are scarce and date from the 1990s. We estimated the incidence and in-hospital mortality of stroke through a multicentered population-based stroke register in 5 geographical areas of Spain, i.e. Lugo, Almería, Segovia, Talavera de la Reina and Mallorca, representing north, south, central (×2) and Mediterranean areas of Spain, respectively, the aim and novelty being that all methodologies were standardized, and diagnoses were verified by a neurologist using neuroimaging techniques. The register identified subjects >17 years of age who suffered a first-ever stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) between 1 January and 31 December 2006. Stroke and TIA were defined according to the WHO criteria. The Lausanne Stroke Registry definitions were used to classify ischemic stroke subtypes, as follows: (1) large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA); (2) cardioembolism (CE); (3) lacunar stroke or small-artery occlusion (SAO); (4) stroke of other infrequent cause (SIC), and (5) stroke of undetermined cause (UND). We used several complementary data sources such as hospital discharge registers, emergency room registers and primary care surveillance systems. In the 1-year study period, we identified 2,700 first-ever cerebrovascular episodes (53% men; 2,257 strokes + 443 TIA episodes). Brain CT in the acute stage was performed in 99% of cases. Of a total of 2,257 stroke patients, 1,817 (81%) had cerebral infarction, 350 (16%) had intracerebral hemorrhage, 59 (3%) had subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and 31 (1%) had unclassifiable stroke. The overall unadjusted annual incidence for all cerebrovascular events was 187 per 100,000 [95% confidence interval (CI) 180-194; incidence for men: 202, 95% CI 189-210; incidence for women: 187, 95% CI 180-194]. The subtype of ischemic stroke could be determined in 1,779 patients and was classified as LAA in 624 (35%), CE in 352 (20%), SAO in 316 (18%), SIC in 56 (3%) and UND in 431 (24%). The incidence rates per 100,000 (95% CI) standardized to the 2006 European population were as follows: all cerebrovascular events, 176 (169-182); all stroke (non-TIA), 147 (140-153); TIA, 29 (26-32); ischemic stroke, 118 (112-123); intracerebral hemorrhage, 23 (21-26), and SAH, 4.2 (3.1-5.2). Incidence rates clearly increased with age in both genders, with a peak at or above 85 years of age. The in-hospital mortality was 14%. Our results show that the incidence of stroke and TIA in Spain is moderate compared to other Western and European countries. However, it is expected that these figures will change due to progressively aging populations. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Features of oxygen utilization by the body of patients with arterial hypertension in the days of magnetic storms depending on the psychosomatic status and treatment options].

PubMed

Usenko, G A; Usenko, A G; Vasendin, D V

2015-01-01

During magnetic storms the observed increase in γ-background environment and the reduction of the rate of oxygen utilization by the tissues, but the increase in the number of angina attacks per day to magnetic storms the choleric, in the days of magnetic storms in sanguine, for 3-4 days at a phlegmatic, and 4-5 days in the melancholic especially in groups high anxiety phlegmatic and melancholic. Last-risk group severe arterial hypertension and ischemic heart disease. Antihypertensive therapy based on the blockade of the features of the psychosomatic status, significantly reduced the number of attacks and brought the values of the utilization of oxygen and coefficient of oxygen utilization bu the tissues of all the days to those in healthy individual relevant anxiety and temperament.

Prevention of ischemic stroke in clinical practice: a role of internists and general practitioners.

PubMed

Niewada, Maciej; Członkowska, Anna

2014-01-01

Stroke constitutes a substantial clinical and socio-economic burden. It is currently the third cause of death worldwide and results in mortality or disability in every third patient at the end of the first year following an acute cerebrovascular event. Although in-hospital mortality rates in stroke patients have decreased, prevention and cardiovascular risk control remain critical for improving the prognosis and reducing stroke burden worldwide. The definitions of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) have been recently modified following the findings from neuroimaging and thrombolysis research. Both stroke and TIA are recurrent and preventable disorders. Both patients with stroke and those with TIA require prompt clinical workup, risk assessment, and appropriate management because the risk of recurrence, stroke, and coronary events is significant. The 5 most common cardiovascular risk factors (high blood pressure, smoking, abdominal obesity, diet, and lack of physical activity) are responsible for 80% of the cases. Stroke prevention involves lifestyle modification and specific treatment. Secondary prevention of ischemic stroke involves early treatment (antiplatelets and carotid interventions) and long-term management including lifestyle changes, antihypertensive therapy, antiplatelets, antithrombotic drugs in patients with atrial fibrillation, and the use of statins and other lipid-lowering drugs. Stroke patients are at risk of depression, dementia, epilepsy, and other complications that also require targeted treatment.

Patent Foramen Ovale: Association between the Degree of Shunt by Contrast Transesophageal Echocardiography and the Risk of Future Ischemic Neurologic Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, David A.; Godard, Joel; Godard, Joel; Corretti, mary C.; Kittner, Steven J.; Sample, Cindy; Price, Thomas R.; Plotnick, Gary D.

1996-01-01

This study investigated whether there is an association between the degree of interatrial shunting across a patent foramen ovale, as determined by saline contrast transesophageal echocardiography, and the risk of subsequent systemic embolic events, including stroke. Thirty-four patients found to have patent foramen ovale during transesophageal echocardiography were divided into two groups on the basis of the maximum number of microbubbles in the left heart in any single frame after intravenous saline contrast injection: group 1 (n = 16) with a "large" degree of shunt (220 microbubbles) and group 2 (n = 18) with a "small" degree of shunt (23 but <20 microbubbles). Patients were followed up over a mean period of 21 months for subsequent systemic embolic events, including transient ischemic attack and stroke. Five (31%) of the patients with large shunts had subsequent ischemic neurologic events, whereas none of the patients with small shunts had embolic events (p= 0.03). These events occurred in spite of antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy. We conclude that patients with a large degree of shunt across a patent foramen ovale, as determined by contrast transesophageal echocardiography, are at a significantly higher risk for subsequent adverse neurologic events compared with patients with a small degree of shunt.

Which risk factors are more associated with ischemic rather than hemorrhagic stroke in black Africans?

PubMed

Owolabi, Mayowa O; Agunloye, Atinuke M

2013-10-01

To comprehensively examine the relationship of vascular risk factors to stroke type in native black Africans. We explored 34 candidate demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables in 282 consecutive adult stroke patients with brain imaging. Ischemic stroke (IS) was found in 61.7% (174). Gender, alcohol, cigarette, homocysteine, C-reactive peptide, anthropometry, and carotid parameters were not significantly associated with stroke type (p>0.05). Patients with IS had relatively lower BP, were significantly older, and more frequently had diabetes mellitus, cardiac disease, or previous transient ischemic attack than patients with hemorrhagic stroke (HS). However, in multivariate regression model predicting 69% of stroke type correctly, age≥62 years (OR: 4.0, 95% CI: 2.0-7.9), previous TIA (OR: 4.3, 95% CI: 1.2-15.7) and systolic BP≥140 mmHg (OR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.9) were the only independent significant predictors of IS. With increasing proportion of the population over 61 years and better BP control, the proportion of IS is expected to rise in black African countries currently undergoing epidemiological transition (changing lifestyle/disease pattern). Therefore, relevant components of the stroke intervention quadrangle (stroke surveillance, acute care, preventive and rehabilitation services) should be tailored toward this need. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of risk factors of acute ischemic stroke for different ethnic groups in Changde.

PubMed

Xu, Ping; Kang, Jin; Xiang, Xu-Lin; Guo, Gui-Xiang; Gao, Chun-Yun; Zhu, Shi-Jin; Wen, Jun; Li, Yan-Deng; Xiao, Bo

2014-01-01

The aim of our study was to explore the risk factors of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) for different ethnic groups in Changde city (a multi-ethnic residence inhabited mainly by Han and Tujia), Hunan Province, China. A multicenter study was performed and the demography data, etiology data and clinical features of 5338 AIS patients from 17 hospitals in Changde city were collected from January 2011 through December 2011. Student's t-test and Chi2-test were used to compare the differences between the Han and Tujia ethnic group in the AIS. In Changde, the incidence of AIS in the Tujia ethnic group was higher than that in the Han ethnic group (233.14 per million vs. 84.38 million, respectively). We found statistically significant differences between the Tujia and Han ethnicities in demographic, etiology and clinical data (eg, sex, living environment, diet, smoking, payment methods, cerebral hemorrhage and transient ischemic attack [P < .05]). In addition, compared with the Han population, the Tujia patients had a higher rate of the incidence of the anterior circulation infarction, partial anterior circulation infarction, lacunar infarction and cerebral hemorrhage. Our results indicate that lifestyle choices (eg, diet, smoking cigarettes), location, family heritage, and sex are associated with AIS and is useful for informing AIS rates and treatment for AIS.

Vestibular syncope: A disorder associated with drop attack in Ménière's disease.

PubMed

Pyykkö, Ilmari; Manchaiah, Vinaya; Zou, Jing; Levo, Hilla; Kentala, Erna

2018-04-01

Experiments in humans and animals indicate that vestibular influx through vestibular sympathetic reflex is an important and vital part of the regulatory system of circulation. The otolith organ adjusts the circulatory responses through the vestibular sympathetic reflex during an upright stance and may trigger a vasovagal attack of syncope. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and association of syncope attacks among patients with Ménière's disease (MD). Vestibular syncope was defined as a sudden and transient loss of consciousness, which subsides spontaneously in people with vestibular disorders and without localizing neurological deficit. During clinical interactions, we encountered 5 patients with syncope during a Tumarkin attack of MD. Thereafter we evaluated data from 952 patients collected with a questionnaire from the Finnish Ménière Association (FMA). The data contained case histories with special attention to Tumarkin attacks, participation restriction, migraines, and syncope attacks. The mean age of the subjects participating in the study was 60.6 years (range 25-75 years). The duration of the disease was on average 9.8 years (range 0.5-35 years). In the current study sample, attacks of syncope were reported by 38 patients (4%) in association with the vertigo attack. Syncope was associated with Tumarkin attacks (X 2 =16.7, p<0.001), migraine (X 2 =7.4, p<0.011), history of ischemic heart disease (X 2 =6.0, p<0.025), and history of cerebrovascular disease (X 2 =11.7, p<0.004). Duration of MD was correlated with syncope. Syncope was provoked by physical strain and environmental pressure, and was associated with impairment of the visual field (i.e., visual blurring). In logistic regression analysis, syncope was significantly associated with Tumarkin attacks (odds ratio 3.2), migraines (odds ratio 2.3) and nausea (odds ratio 1.3). The attack of syncope was experienced as frightening, and general health related quality of life (HRQoL) was significantly worsened. Also, the patients suffered more from fatigue. The current study indicates that patients with MD who suffer from Tumarkin attacks can suffer from syncope. It confirms the role of the otolith organ in controlling the circulatory homeostasis of the body. The actions are mediated through the vestibular sympathetic reflex. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dangerous triplet: Polycystic ovary syndrome, oral contraceptives and Kounis syndrome.

PubMed

Erol, Nurdan; Karaagac, Aysu Turkmen; Kounis, Nicholas G

2014-12-26

Polycystic ovary syndrome is characterized by ovulatory dysfunction, androgen excess and polycystic ovaries and is associated with hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular events. Oral contraceptives constitute first-line treatment, particularly when symptomatic hyperandrogenism is present. However, these drugs are associated with cardiovascular events and hypersensitivity reactions that pose problem in differential diagnosis and therapy. We present a 14 year-old female with polycystic ovary syndrome taking oral contraceptive and suffering from recurrent coronary ischemic attacks with increased eosinophils, and troponin levels suggesting Kounis syndrome.

[Syncope, transient ischemic attacks, transient global amnesia and migraine].

PubMed

Hartl, E

2017-10-01

Epileptic seizures can manifest with a variety of clinical symptoms. Depending on the dominant symptom, several differential diagnoses have to be considered. Their differentiation can be challenging, especially after the first episode. The review article summarizes the most common differential diagnoses as well as their characteristics compared to epileptic seizures, aiming at providing guidelines for their clinical differentiation. Whenever a clear diagnosis is not possible based on the patient history and clinical signs, diagnostic evaluation with, e. g. an electroencephalogram (EEG) and finally EEG video monitoring can be helpful.

Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of Stroke

PubMed Central

Meschia, James F.; Bushnell, Cheryl; Boden-Albala, Bernadette; Braun, Lynne T.; Bravata, Dawn M.; Chaturvedi, Seemant; Creager, Mark A.; Eckel, Robert H.; Elkind, Mitchell S.V.; Fornage, Myriam; Goldstein, Larry B.; Greenberg, Steven M.; Horvath, Susanna E.; Iadecola, Costantino; Jauch, Edward C.; Moore, Wesley S.; Wilson, John A.

2016-01-01

The aim of this updated statement is to provide comprehensive and timely evidence-based recommendations on the prevention of stroke among individuals who have not previously experienced a stroke or transient ischemic attack. Evidence-based recommendations are included for the control of risk factors, interventional approaches to atherosclerotic disease of the cervicocephalic circulation, and antithrombotic treatments for preventing thrombotic and thromboembolic stroke. Further recommendations are provided for genetic and pharmacogenetic testing and for the prevention of stroke in a variety of other specific circumstances, including sickle cell disease and patent foramen ovale. PMID:25355838

Correction: Correction to 'Clinical Policy: Critical Issues in the Evaluation of Adult Patients With Suspected Transient Ischemic Attack in the Emergency Department' [Annals of Emergency Medicine 68 (2016) 354-370.e29].

PubMed

Lo, Bruce M; Carpenter, Christopher R; Hatten, Benjamin W; Wright, Brian J; Brown, Michael D

2017-11-01

Due to a miscommunication during the process of transferring this manuscript from our editorial team to Production, the Members of the American College of Emergency Physicians Clinical Policies Committee (Oversight Committee) were not properly indexed in PubMed. This has now been corrected online. The publisher would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused. Copyright © 2017 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of Aspirin in Postoperative Management of Adult Ischemic Moyamoya Disease.

PubMed

Zhao, Yahui; Zhang, Qian; Zhang, Dong; Zhao, Yuanli

2017-09-01

Aspirin has been implicated in the postoperative management of moyamoya disease (MMD) in order to avoid bypass failure and decrease the incidence of subsequent stroke. However, its effect has not been completely determined yet. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed data of 184 adult patients (197 hemispheres) presented with ischemic-onset MMD who had undergone direct or combined revascularization in our hospital, to clarify the effect of postoperative aspirin therapy in the management of moyamoya disease. Fifty-nine hemispheres that had been administered with aspirin (100 mg/day) after bypass surgery were defined as the "aspirin group," whereas 138 that hadn't been given aspirin postoperatively were defined as the "control group". Among 197 hemispheres, the mortality rate was 0. The incidence of postoperative newly developed infarction, transient ischemic attack, and hemorrhage were not significantly different between the aspirin and control groups. The patency rate of bypass graft was not significantly different between the groups, either. Notably, more patients experienced major stroke in the control group (9/138) than the aspirin group (1/59), but no statistical difference was found (P > 0.05). In the aspirin group, more patients had improved outcome than the control group (P = 0.04). Our findings showed that aspirin might not decrease the incidence of postoperative ischemic stroke or increase patency rate of bypass graft, but it does not increase the risk of hemorrhages, either. Also, postoperative aspirin therapy might improve outcome. More studies are needed to provide evidence for postoperative antiplatelet therapy in MMD management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The design, rationale, and baseline characteristics of a nationwide cohort registry in China: blood pressure and clinical outcome in TIA or ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Xu, Jie; Liu, Yi; Tao, Yongli; Xie, Xuewei; Gu, Hongqiu; Pan, Yuesong; Zhao, Xingquan; Wang, Yongjun; Yan, Aoshuang; Wang, Yilong

2016-01-01

The relationship between poststroke blood pressure (BP) and clinical outcomes in ischemic stroke (IS) is still controversial. However, there is no large BP database for IS or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in China. This study aims to describe the rationale, study design, and baseline characteristics of a nationwide BP database in IS or TIA patients in China. The BOSS (blood pressure and clinical outcome in TIA or ischemic stroke) study was a hospital-based, prospective cohort study aiming to assess BP parameters and clinical outcome in IS/TIA patients. BP parameters were based on office BP, ambulatory BP, and home BP. Clinical outcomes included stroke recurrence, combined vascular events, and disability. Electronic case-report forms were used to record baseline and follow-up data. The patients were followed up for clinical outcomes at 3 months through face-to-face interview and at 12 months by telephone. Between October 2012 and February 2014, the BOSS registry recruited 2,608 patients from 61 hospitals, with a mean age of 62.5 years, 32.4% of whom were female, 88.9% with an entry diagnosis of IS, and 86% diagnosed with hypertension. The rates of patients lost-to-follow-up were 3.1% at 3 months and 5.1% at 1 year; 93% of patients completed ambulatory BP monitoring during hospitalization and 94.7% finished a 3-month BP diary. The BOSS registry will provide important evidence about BP management in the acute phase and secondary prevention for IS/TIA patients.

[Endogenous nociceptin level in ischemic stroke: connection to serotonin system].

PubMed

Tekes, Kornélia; Hantos, Mónika; Bátor, György; Gyenge, Melinda; Laufer, Rudolf; Folyovich, András

2006-06-01

Particular role of the heptadecapeptide nociceptin (orphanin FQ), the endogenous agonist of the NOP receptor, has been widely demonstrated in the regulation of pain sensation and anxiety-related behavior. In our best knowledge this is the first study reporting plasma nociceptin levels in 26 acute stroke and 6 transiens ischemic attack (TIA) patients. We have found significantly elevated plasma nociceptin levels in all the three groups of patients studied (stroke influencing the carotis or the lacunar region and TIA). We suggest that elevated plasma nociceptin level is the consequence of stroke as in the group of patients recovered from previous stroke was found similar the control value. Plasma serotonin level was found non-significantly decreased in patients with stroke influencing the lacunar region and TIA patients. However the plasma 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid (5HIAA) levels were found significantly elevated in patient groups with stroke influencing both the carotis and the lacunar regions. Data may serve as further evidence for the serotonergic dysregulation in stroke.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy: from the pathophysiology of the cardiac myocytes to current diagnosis and management strategies.

PubMed

Voulgari, Christina; Papadogiannis, Dimitrios; Tentolouris, Nicholas

2010-10-21

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), although a distinct clinical entity, is also a part of the diabetic atherosclerosis process. It may be independent of the coexistence of ischemic heart disease, hypertension, or other macrovascular complications. Its pathological substrate is characterized by the presence of myocardial damage, reactive hypertrophy, and intermediary fibrosis, structural and functional changes of the small coronary vessels, disturbance of the management of the metabolic cardiovascular load, and cardiac autonomic neuropathy. These alterations make the diabetic heart susceptible to ischemia and less able to recover from an ischemic attack. Arterial hypertension frequently coexists with and exacerbates cardiac functioning, leading to the premature appearance of heart failure. Classical and newer echocardiographic methods are available for early diagnosis. Currently, there is no specific treatment for DCM; targeting its pathophysiological substrate by effective risk management protects the myocardium from further damage and has a recognized primary role in its prevention. Its pathophysiological substrate is also the objective for the new therapies and alternative remedies.

How Commonly Is Stroke Found in Patients with Isolated Vertigo or Dizziness Attack?

PubMed

Doijiri, Ryosuke; Uno, Hisakazu; Miyashita, Kotaro; Ihara, Masafumi; Nagatsuka, Kazuyuki

2016-10-01

The sudden development of vertigo or dizziness without focal neurological symptoms is generally attributable to vestibular diseases such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Isolated vertigo or dizziness attack needs more attention than vestibular diseases. This retrospective study was performed to elucidate the frequency of strokes in patients with isolated vertigo or dizziness attack. We enrolled 221 patients (men, 119; women, 102; mean age, 68.4 ± 10.3 years) who were admitted to our hospital over the last 10 years because of sudden isolated vertigo or dizziness attack without other neurological symptoms except for nystagmus, deafness, or tinnitus. We investigated the clinical features, final diagnosis, neuroimaging findings, and short- or long-term outcome of these patients. One hundred eighteen patients had vertigo whereas the other 103 had dizziness. Brain computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging revealed recent stroke lesions in 25 patients (11.3%) (ischemic, 21; hemorrhagic, 4).The lesions were generally small and localized in the cerebellum (n = 21), pons (n = 1), medulla oblongata (n = 1), or corona radiata (n = 1). Of the 25 patients, 19 (76%) had dizzy-type spells; none had neurological dysfunction at the time of discharge. In the remaining 196 patients, no stroke was detected on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Stroke was found in 11% of patients with isolated vertigo or dizziness attack. The posterior inferior cerebellar artery area was the most frequently implicated for isolated vertigo or dizziness. Copyright © 2016 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Periodontal Disease Associated with Aortic Arch Atheroma in Patients with Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack.

PubMed

Sen, Souvik; Chung, Matthew; Duda, Viktoriya; Giamberardino, Lauren; Hinderliter, Alan; Offenbacher, Steven

2017-10-01

Periodontal disease (PD) is associated with recurrent vascular event in stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). In this study, we investigated whether PD is independently associated with aortic arch atheroma (AA). We also explored the relationship PD has with AA plaque thickness and other characteristics associated with atheroembolic risk among patients with stroke or TIA. Finally, we confirmed the association between AA and recurrent vascular event in patients with stroke or TIA. In this prospective longitudinal hospital-based cohort study, PD was assessed in patients with stroke and TIA. Patients with confirmed stroke and TIA (n = 106) were assessed by calibrated dental examiners to determine periodontal status and were followed over a median of 24 months for recurrent vascular events (stroke, myocardial infarction, and death). The extent of AA and other plaque characteristics was assessed by transesophageal echocardiography. Within our patient cohort, 27 of the 106 participants had recurrent vascular events (including 16 with stroke or TIA) over the median of 24-month follow-up. Severe PD was associated with increased AA plaque thickness and calcification. The results suggest that PD may be a risk factor for AA. In this cohort, we confirm the association of severe AA with recurrent vascular events. In patients with stroke or TIA, severe PD is associated with increased AA plaque thickness, a risk factor for recurrent events. Further studies are needed to confirm this finding and to determine whether treatment of PD can reduce the rate of AA plaque progression and recurrent vascular events. Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variation in Organization of Transient Ischemic Attack Care in The Netherlands. A Nationwide Survey Study.

PubMed

Muller, Fenna Floortje; de Beer, Frank; Visser, Marieke Christine

2017-09-01

Previous research has shown the importance of urgent initiation of antiplatelet therapy after transient ischemic attack (TIA) to reduce the risk of stroke. Many hospitals in the Netherlands have therefore implemented rapid pathways for assessment of patients with TIA. Dutch stroke guidelines lack clear directives for organization of TIA assessment and thus allow for variation. The aim of this study was to investigate variation in organization of TIA assessment in Dutch hospitals. One neurologist per hospital (of 88 Dutch hospitals) with special interest in stroke was invited to participate in a web-based survey addressing the organization, content, and timing of TIA assessment. Seventy (80%) neurologists completed the survey, all of whom reported performing TIA assessment in their hospital. There was considerable variation in the method of application and the location of assessment. In 10% of the hospitals, patients with TIA are always admitted to the ward. The content of diagnostics is fairly similar, but hospitals vary in the extent of cardiological workup. Almost all hospitals aim for a swift start of assessment as directed by guidelines, but access time differs. Eighty-six percent of respondents reported that antiplatelet therapy is usually initiated before assessment, based on history. This study showed variation in organization of TIA assessment in Dutch hospitals, especially regarding location within the hospital, time to assessment after announcement, and cardiological workup. Further research is needed to investigate implications of this variation for quality of care. Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of serum and gingival crevicular fluid C-reactive protein and IL-6 levels in patients with periodontitis and transient ischemic attacks.

PubMed

Haba, Danisia; Teslaru, Silvia; Ungureanu, Didona; Hodorog, Diana; Alecu, C; Benghiac, Ana Gabriela; Zetu, L; Ancuţa, Codrina; Ancuţa, E; Nemţoi, A; Iordache, Cristina

2011-01-01

Recent advances have suggested that periodontitis (PD), the paradigm of chronic infection in dental pathology, shares several pathogenic pathways with cardio- and cerebro-vascular disorders (CVD), based on inflammatory mediators including IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α. To assess pro-inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein - CRP, IL-6) in serum and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in patients with PD and with transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). Prospective observational study on 143 patients classified as follows: 40 healthy subjects (group A), 50 PD patients (group B) and 53 PD-TIAs patients (group C). The predefined assessment protocol has included: current medical data, risk factors for CRP changes, periodontal status (clinical, orthopantomography, Schei Ruler technique), inflammatory biomarkers (CRP, IL-6). High serum CRP and IL-6 have been reported in both TIAs and PD, while statistically significant increase in GCF CRP only in PD-TIAs (p<0.05). Moreover, both generalized and localized chronic PD may be at higher risk for CVD, since CRP level was higher in these subgroups. However, no significant differences were reported in serum IL-6 between generalized and localized PD. A score function was demonstrated, including bone loss degree, bleeding index, collection site depth, serum and GCF IL-6 and CRP, tooth loss, allowing the classification of PD based on risk for developing TIAs. CRP and IL-6 are commonly involved in the pathways of PD and TIAs. Interdisciplinary assessment should be promoted in order to implement the stratification of PD patients according to the risk for TIAs as suggested by the proposed algorithm.

Heart rate as a predictor of stroke in high-risk, hypertensive patients with previous stroke or transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Sandset, Else Charlotte; Berge, Eivind; Kjeldsen, Sverre E; Julius, Stevo; Holzhauer, Björn; Krarup, Lars-Henrik; Hua, Tsushung A

2014-01-01

Risk factors for first stroke are well established, but less is known about risk factors for recurrent stroke. In the present analysis, we aimed to assess the effect of heart rate and other possible predictors of stroke in a hypertensive population with previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). The Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-Term Use Evaluation trial was a multicentre, double-masked, randomized controlled, parallel group trial comparing the effects of an angiotensin receptor blocker (valsartan) and a calcium channel blocker (amlodipine) in patients with hypertension and high cardiovascular risk. We used Cox proportional hazard models to investigate the effect of baseline variables on the risk of stroke. Quadratic terms of the continuous variables were entered in the models to test for linearity. Of 15,245 patients included in the trial, 3014 had a previous stroke or TIA at baseline and were included in the present analysis. Stroke recurrence occurred in 239 patients (7.9%) during a median of 4.5 years of follow-up. Resting heart rate (per 10 beats per minute; hazard ratio [HR], 2.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-6.58) and diabetes mellitus at baseline (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.03-2.10) were significantly associated with an increased risk of stroke recurrence in the multivariable analysis. In high-risk, hypertensive patients with previous stroke or TIA, resting heart rate was the strongest predictor of recurrent stroke. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Natural History of Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

PubMed

Hebl, Virginia B; Miranda, William R; Ong, Kevin C; Hodge, David O; Bos, J Martijn; Gentile, Federico; Klarich, Kyle W; Nishimura, Rick A; Ackerman, Michael J; Gersh, Bernard J; Ommen, Steve R; Geske, Jeffrey B

2016-03-01

To describe the survival of a large nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (NO-HCM) cohort and to identify risk factors for increased mortality in this population. Patients were identified from the Mayo Clinic HCM database from January 1, 1975, through November 30, 2006, for this retrospective observational study. Patients with resting or provocable left ventricular outflow tract gradients were excluded. Echocardiographic, clinical, and genetic data were compared between subgroups, and survival data were compared with expected population rates. A total of 706 patients with NO-HCM were identified. During median follow-up of 5 years (mean, 7 years), there were 208 deaths. Overall survival was no different than expected compared with age- and sex-matched white US population mortality rates (P=.77). Independent predictors of death were age at diagnosis, "burned out" HCM, and history of transient ischemic attack or stroke; use of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was inversely related to death. After exclusion of patients with an ICD, there was no difference in survival compared with age- and sex- matched individuals (P=.39); age, previous transient ischemic attack/stroke, and burned out HCM were predictors of death. In this cohort, patients with NO-HCM had similar survival rates as age- and sex-matched white US population mortality rates. Although use of an ICD was inversely related to death, no differences in overall survival were seen after those patients were excluded. Burned out HCM was independently associated with an increased risk of death, identifying a subset of patients who may benefit from more aggressive therapies. Copyright © 2016 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cost‐Effectiveness of Clopidogrel‐Aspirin Versus Aspirin Alone for Acute Transient Ischemic Attack and Minor Stroke

PubMed Central

Pan, Yuesong; Wang, Anxin; Liu, Gaifen; Zhao, Xingquan; Meng, Xia; Zhao, Kun; Liu, Liping; Wang, Chunxue; Johnston, S. Claiborne; Wang, Yilong; Wang, Yongjun

2014-01-01

Background Treatment with the combination of clopidogrel and aspirin taken soon after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke was shown to reduce the 90‐day risk of stroke in a large trial in China, but the cost‐effectiveness is unknown. This study sought to estimate the cost‐effectiveness of the clopidogrel‐aspirin regimen for acute TIA or minor stroke. Methods and Results A Markov model was created to determine the cost‐effectiveness of treatment of acute TIA or minor stroke patients with clopidogrel‐aspirin compared with aspirin alone. Inputs for the model were obtained from clinical trial data, claims databases, and the published literature. The main outcome measure was cost per quality‐adjusted life‐years (QALYs) gained. One‐way and multivariable probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the findings. Compared with aspirin alone, clopidogrel‐aspirin resulted in a lifetime gain of 0.037 QALYs at an additional cost of CNY 1250 (US$ 192), yielding an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio of CNY 33 800 (US$ 5200) per QALY gained. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that clopidogrel‐aspirin therapy was more cost‐effective in 95.7% of the simulations at a willingness‐to‐pay threshold recommended by the World Health Organization of CNY 105 000 (US$ 16 200) per QALY. Conclusions Early 90‐day clopidogrel‐aspirin regimen for acute TIA or minor stroke is highly cost‐effective in China. Although clopidogrel is generic, Plavix is brand in China. If Plavix were generic, treatment with clopidogrel‐aspirin would have been cost saving. PMID:24904018

Contemporary medical therapies of atherosclerotic carotid artery disease.

PubMed

Cheng, Suk F; Brown, Martin M

2017-03-01

Contemporary medical therapy consists of identification and treatment of all patient-modifiable vascular risk factors. Specific atherosclerotic disease therapies are designed to reduce the risk of thrombosis, and the disease progression in order to reduce the risk of future cardiovascular events. Contemporary medical management emphasizes the need to support the patient in achieving lifestyle modifications and to adjust medication to achieve individualized target values for specific quantifiable risk factors. Antiplatelet therapy in the form of aspirin or clopidogrel is routinely used for the prevention of ischemic stroke in patients who have had a transient ischemic attack or stroke. There is evidence from a recent trial that the use of combination antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel started within 24 hours of minor stroke or transient ischemic attack reduces the risk of recurrent stroke compared to the use of aspirin alone, and therefore we use aspirin plus clopidogrel in recently symptomatic patients with carotid stenosis pending carotid revascularization. Anticoagulation with heparins or vitamin K antagonist is not recommended except in patients at risk for cardio-embolic events. Lowering blood pressure to target levels has been shown to slow down the progression of carotid artery stenosis and reduces the intima-media thickness of the carotid plaque, while lowering lipid levels with statins has become an essential element in the medical therapy of carotid artery stenosis. Diabetes management should be optimized. Lifestyle choices, including tobacco smoking, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, obesity, and excessive alcohol intake, are all important modifiable vascular risk factors. The combination of dietary modification, physical exercise, and use of aspirin, a statin, and an antihypertensive agent can be expected to give a cumulative relative stroke risk reduction of 80%. The evidence suggests that intensive medical therapy is so effective that carotid revascularization may no longer be necessary in many of the patients in whom carotid surgery or stenting is currently performed. Two large ongoing trials are therefore comparing the risks and benefits of carotid revascularization versus intensive medical therapy alone. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Why a polysomnogram should become part of the diagnostic evaluation of stroke and transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Grigg-Damberger, Madeleine

2006-02-01

Neurologists need to recognize, diagnose, and treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Increasing medical evidence suggests that OSA is an independent risk factor for stroke and TIA. Stroke (or TIA) is more likely a cause, rather than a consequence, of OSA because PSG studies have shown: 1) apneas in stroke are typically obstructive, not central or Cheyne-Stokes in type; 2) apneas are just as frequent and severe in patients with either TIA or stroke; 3) OSA severity is not influenced by the acuteness or location of the stroke; 4) untreated OSA patients have more strokes, stroke morbidity, and mortality than those who are treated. OSA alone can induce hypertension, especially in younger men. A causal relationship has recently been demonstrated between OSA and hypertension. A distinctive feature of OSA-induced hypertension is loss of the normal nighttime fall in blood pressure ("nondippers"). Data from the Sleep Heart Health Study showed a dose-response association between OSA severity and the presence of hypertension 4 years later. Hypertension or ischemic heart disease usually develops in untreated patients with OSA over time without particular worsening of OSA. Studies have shown sleep itself is not a risk factor for stroke because most stroke and TIAs begin between 6 am and noon, while the individual is awake. However, OSA promptly be considered in stroke beginning during sleep because 88% of strokes that develop during sleep occur in "nondippers." Premature death in OSA patients is most often cardiovascular, but occurs while the patients are awake. The risk of myocardial infarction is increased 20-fold in untreated OSA. Treating OSA patients with continuous positive airway pressure can prevent or improve hypertension, reduce abnormal elevations of inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules, reduce excessive sympathetic tone, avoid increased vascular oxidative stress, reverse coagulation abnormalities, and reduce leptin levels. If all this can be achieved by a polysomnogram, then this test should become part of a neurologist's armamentarium for stroke and TIA.

Synchronous cardiocerebral infarction in the era of endovascular therapy: which to treat first?

PubMed

Yeo, Leonard L L; Andersson, Tommy; Yee, Kong Wan; Tan, Benjamin Y Q; Paliwal, Prakash; Gopinathan, Anil; Nadarajah, Mahendran; Ting, Eric; Teoh, Hock L; Cherian, Robin; Lundström, Erik; Tay, Edgar L W; Sharma, Vijay K

2017-07-01

A cardiocerebral ischemic attack (CCI) or a concurrent acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and myocardial infarction (AMI) is a severe event with no clear recommendations for ideal management because of the rarity of the scenario. The narrow time window for treatment and complexity of the treatment decision puts immense pressure on the treating physician. We evaluated this challenging situation at our tertiary center. Using our prospective stroke database out of a total of 555 patients with acute ischemic stroke between 2009 and 2014, we identified five consecutive cases with CCI (incidence 0.009%). Demography, risk factor characteristics, vascular occlusions and treatment approach were recorded. Good functional outcome was defined by the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 0-2 points. Out of five patients, AIS was treated with endovascular treatment in three cases, while two were treated with intravenous thrombolysis only. One out of three patients had embolectomy of the brain performed prior to the coronary intervention, while the other two patients underwent coronary intervention first. One patient developed sudden cardiac arrest on day-2 and passed away. CCI is an uncommon and devastating clinical scenario, further research is needed for the ideal management strategy that provides the best outcomes. However, the rarity of the disease does not lend itself to the conduct of a trial easily. We have proposed a considered treatment algorithm based on the current literature and our experience.

Intracerebral hemorrhage and deep microbleeds associated with cnm-positive Streptococcus mutans; a hospital cohort study

PubMed Central

Tonomura, Shuichi; Ihara, Masafumi; Kawano, Tomohiro; Tanaka, Tomotaka; Okuno, Yoshinori; Saito, Satoshi; Friedland, Robert P.; Kuriyama, Nagato; Nomura, Ryota; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Nakano, Kazuhiko; Toyoda, Kazunori; Nagatsuka, Kazuyuki

2016-01-01

Oral infectious diseases are epidemiologically associated with stroke. We previously showed that oral Streptococcus mutans with the cnm gene encoding a collagen-binding Cnm protein induced intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) experimentally and was also associated with cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in our population-based cohort study. We therefore investigated the roles of cnm-positive Streptococcus mutans in this single hospital-based, observational study that enrolled 100 acute stroke subjects. The cnm gene in Streptococcus mutans isolated from saliva was screened using PCR techniques and its collagen-binding activities examined. CMBs were evaluated on T2* gradient-recalled echo MRI. One subject withdrew informed consent and 99 subjects (63 males) were analyzed, consisting of 67 subjects with ischemic stroke, 5 with transient ischemic attack, and 27 with ICH. Eleven cases showed Streptococcus mutans strains positive for cnm. The presence of cnm-positive Streptococcus mutans was significantly associated with ICH [OR vs. ischemic stroke, 4.5; 95% CI, 1.17–19.1] and increased number of deep CMBs [median (IQR), 3 (2–9) vs. 0 (0–1), p = 0.0002]. In subjects positive for Streptococcus mutans, collagen binding activity was positively correlated with the number of deep CMBs (R2 = 0.405; p < 0.0001). These results provide further evidence for the key role of oral health in stroke. PMID:26847666

Intracerebral hemorrhage and deep microbleeds associated with cnm-positive Streptococcus mutans; a hospital cohort study.

PubMed

Tonomura, Shuichi; Ihara, Masafumi; Kawano, Tomohiro; Tanaka, Tomotaka; Okuno, Yoshinori; Saito, Satoshi; Friedland, Robert P; Kuriyama, Nagato; Nomura, Ryota; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Nakano, Kazuhiko; Toyoda, Kazunori; Nagatsuka, Kazuyuki

2016-02-05

Oral infectious diseases are epidemiologically associated with stroke. We previously showed that oral Streptococcus mutans with the cnm gene encoding a collagen-binding Cnm protein induced intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) experimentally and was also associated with cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in our population-based cohort study. We therefore investigated the roles of cnm-positive Streptococcus mutans in this single hospital-based, observational study that enrolled 100 acute stroke subjects. The cnm gene in Streptococcus mutans isolated from saliva was screened using PCR techniques and its collagen-binding activities examined. CMBs were evaluated on T2* gradient-recalled echo MRI. One subject withdrew informed consent and 99 subjects (63 males) were analyzed, consisting of 67 subjects with ischemic stroke, 5 with transient ischemic attack, and 27 with ICH. Eleven cases showed Streptococcus mutans strains positive for cnm. The presence of cnm-positive Streptococcus mutans was significantly associated with ICH [OR vs. ischemic stroke, 4.5; 95% CI, 1.17-19.1] and increased number of deep CMBs [median (IQR), 3 (2-9) vs. 0 (0-1), p = 0.0002]. In subjects positive for Streptococcus mutans, collagen binding activity was positively correlated with the number of deep CMBs (R(2) = 0.405; p < 0.0001). These results provide further evidence for the key role of oral health in stroke.

[Economic evaluation of dabigatran for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation].

PubMed

Silva Miguel, Luís; Rocha, Evangelista; Ferreira, Jorge

2013-01-01

To estimate the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of dabigatran in the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in Portugal. A Markov model was used to simulate patients' clinical course, estimating the occurrence of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, transient ischemic attack, systemic embolism, myocardial infarction, and intra- and extracranial hemorrhage. The clinical parameters are based on the results of the RE-LY trial, which compared dabigatran with warfarin, and on a meta-analysis that estimated the risk of each event in patients treated with aspirin or with no antithrombotic therapy. Dabigatran provides an increase of 0.331 life years and 0.354 quality-adjusted life years for each patient. From a societal perspective, these clinical gains entail an additional expenditure of 2978 euros. Thus, the incremental cost is 9006 euros per life year gained and 8409 euros per quality-adjusted life year. The results show that dabigatran reduces the number of events, especially the most severe such as ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, as well as their long-term sequelae. The expense of dabigatran is partially offset by lower event-related costs and by the fact that INR monitoring is unnecessary. It can thus be concluded that the use of dabigatran in clinical practice in Portugal is cost-effective. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

The Value of ABCD2F Scoring System (ABCD2 Combined with Atrial Fibrillation) to Predict 90-Day Recurrent Brain Stroke

PubMed Central

Almasi, Mostafa; Ghasemi, Faeze; Chardoli, Mojtaba

2016-01-01

Background. The ABCD2 score is now identified as a useful clinical prediction rule to determine the risk for stroke in the days following brain ischemic attacks. Aim. The present study aimed to introduce a new scoring system named “ABCD2F” and compare its value with the previous ABCD2 system to predict recurrent ischemic stroke within 90 days of the initial cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Methods. 138 consecutive patients with the final diagnosis of ischemic CVA or TIAs who referred to emergency ward of Rasoul-e-Akram general hospital in Tehran from September 2012 to December 2013 were eligible. By adding a new score in the presence of atrial fibrillation to ABCD2 system, the new scoring system as ABCD2F was introduced and the risk stratification was done again on this new system. Results. The area under the curve for ABCD2 was 0.434 and for ABCD2F it was 0.452 indicating low value of both systems for assessing recurrence of stroke within 90 days of primary event. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that none of the baseline factors could predict 90-day recurrent stroke. Conclusion. ABCD2 and/or atrial fibrillation are not good scoring candidates for assessing the risk of recurrent stroke within first 90 days. PMID:27642521

TIA Management

PubMed Central

Mijalski, Christina

2015-01-01

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) has gained increasing attention over the last 2 decades with the realization that the condition is common, portends potentially serious consequences, and, when identified early, can be evaluated and treated to modify future risk. In this review, we examine the issues of whether all TIA patients need admission and whether such patients should receive short-term dual antiplatelet therapy. Not all patients require admission if evaluation and treatment are done promptly. There may be a role for dual antiplatelet therapy, but the results of further clinical trials will help provide better clarity on which patients are the best candidates for this treatment. PMID:26288673

Thrombus formation in the interrupted segment of the aorta.

PubMed

Karavelioğlu, Yusuf; Kalçık, Macit; Yetim, Mucahit; Doğan, Tolga; Gölbaşı, Zehra

2017-06-01

Interrupted aorta is a very rare heart defect in which there is a gap between the ascending and the descending thoracic aorta. It is usually associated with other cardiac anomalies, including ventricular septal defect, ductus arteriosus, and truncus arteriosus. Severe cases present with serious complications such as hypertension, heart failure, or intracranial hemorrhage. Neurological complications are very rare form of presentation and commonly associated with intracranial aneurysms. We have reported a case of interrupted aorta who presented with transient ischemic attack due to thrombus formation in the interrupted segment of the aorta. © 2017, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prevalence of Fabry Disease in Young Patients with Stroke in Argentina.

PubMed

Reisin, Ricardo C; Mazziotti, Julieta; Cejas, Luciana León; Zinnerman, Alberto; Bonardo, Pablo; Pardal, Manuel Fernández; Martínez, Alejandra; Riccio, Patricia; Ameriso, Sebastián; Bendersky, Eduardo; Nofal, Pedro; Cairola, Patricia; Jure, Lorena; Sotelo, Andrea; Rozenfeld, Paula; Ceci, Romina; Casas-Parera, Ignacio; Sánchez-Luceros, Analía

2018-03-01

Fabry disease (FD) is an underdiagnosed cause of stroke in young adults, but the frequency of this association is largely unknown. We estimated the prevalence of FD in a nationwide cohort of young adults who had stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) in Argentina. This was a prospective, multicenter study of stroke and FD in young adults (18-55 years) conducted in Argentina between 2011 and 2015. Patients were enrolled if they had had a TIA or an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke within the previous 180 days. FD was diagnosed by measuring α-galactosidase A activity (males) and through genetic studies (females). We enrolled 311 patients (54% men, mean age: 41 years). Ischemic events occurred in 89% of patients (80% infarcts, 9% TIA) and hemorrhagic strokes in 11%. One female (.3% of the total group, 1% of the cryptogenic ischemic strokes) had the pathogenic mutation c.888G>A/p.Met296Ile /Exon 6 on the GAL gene. Her only other manifestation of FD was angiokeratoma. Eighteen females had nonpathogenic intronic variations: c.-10C>T, c.-12G>A, or both. Two patients had the nonpathogenic mutation D313Y, while a third had the likely benign mutation S126G. FD was identified in 1 patient (.3%) in this first Latin American study. The patient presented with a late-onset oligo-symptomatic form of the disease. A large number of nonpathogenic mutations were present in our cohort, and it is essential that they not be mistaken for pathogenic mutations to avoid unnecessary enzyme replacement treatment. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Atrial ectopic activity in cryptogenic ischemic stroke and TIA: a risk factor for recurrence.

PubMed

Pinho, João; Braga, Carlos Galvão; Rocha, Sofia; Santos, Ana Filipa; Gomes, André; Cabreiro, Ana; Magalhães, Sónia; Ferreira, Carla

2015-02-01

To characterize atrial ectopic activity in patients with cryptogenic ischemic stroke (CIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and determine its prognostic significance. Retrospective cohort study, in which 184 patients with CIS or TIA who had performed 24-hour Holter electrocardiogram were included. The median follow-up was 27.5 months. Baseline clinical and imagiologic characteristics, etiologic investigation results, and ischemic stroke and TIA recurrences information were collected. Number of atrial premature complexes (APCs) per hour was categorized as less than 10 APCs/hour, 10-30 APCs/hour, and more than 30 APCs/hour. Most of the patients had less than 10 APCs/hour (82.6%), 8.2% had 10-30 APCs/hour, and 9.2% had more than 30 APCs/hour. Patients with more than 30 APCs/hour had a greater median left atrium diameter than patients with 30 APCs/hour or less (42 mm vs. 38 mm; 95% confidence interval [CI], .50-7.00; P = .003). Annual recurrence rate of CIS or TIA was 2.9% in patients with less than 10 APCs/hour, 11.0% in 10-30 APCs/hour, and 22.6% in more than 30 APCs/hour (P = .001). More than 30 APCs/hour were independently associated with recurrence risk in multivariate survival analysis (hazard ratio, 3.40; 95% CI, 1.12-10.32; P = .030). In patients with CIS or TIA, frequent atrial ectopic activity (>30 APCs/h) was independently associated with increased risk of stroke or TIA recurrence. Further studies need to validate frequent atrial ectopic activity as a risk factor for recurrence in cryptogenic stroke and confirm its role as a predictor of occult atrial fibrillation. Copyright © 2015 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implication of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in cryptogenic ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Seo, Jae-Young; Lee, Kyung Bok; Lee, Jung-Gon; Kim, Ji-Sun; Roh, Hakjae; Ahn, Moo-Young; Park, Byoung Won; Hyon, Min Su

2014-09-01

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is a predictor for atrial fibrillation (AF). This study was aimed to investigate whether LVDD in cryptogenic ischemic stroke (CS) could be a clue to stroke mechanism. The clinical and echocardiographic findings of 1589 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack between 2004 and 2013 were reviewed. LVDDs among stroke subtypes were graded by transthoracic echocardiography into 4 groups by severity: normal, abnormal relaxation (grade I), pseudonormal (grade II), and restrictive diastolic filling (grade III), whereas severe LVDD was defined as grade III. We classified the lesion pattern of CS into cardioembolism-mimic or non-cardioembolism-mimic and determined whether cardioembolism-mimic lesions were associated with severe LVDD. The fraction of severe LVDD in CS was not different from that of stroke with AF (27.3% versus 37.1%; P=0.173) but was significantly higher than that of stroke without AF (27.3% versus 13.4%; P=0.008). Cardioembolism-mimic CS had more severe LVDD than non-cardioembolism-mimic CS (41.4% versus 11.5%; P=0.013). LVDD of grade II (odds ratio, 4.37; 95% confidence interval, 2.99-6.41) and grade III (odds ratio, 5.60; 95% confidence interval, 3.42-9.17) were independently related to stroke with AF after adjusting covariates. The severe LVDD could be a predictor of stroke with AF, and its frequency was similar between CS and stroke with AF. Cardioembolism-mimic CS had significantly more severe LVDD than non-cardioembolism-mimic CS. LVDD could be helpful to discriminate the stroke mechanism in the patients with acute CS. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Carotid intima media thickness and plaques can predict the occurrence of ischemic cerebrovascular events.

PubMed

Prati, Patrizio; Tosetto, Alberto; Vanuzzo, Diego; Bader, Giovanni; Casaroli, Marco; Canciani, Luigi; Castellani, Sergio; Touboul, Pierre-Jean

2008-09-01

The clinical usefulness of noninvasive measurement of carotid intima media thickness and plaque visualization in the general population is still uncertain. We evaluated the age-specific incidence rates of cerebrovascular events in a cohort of 1348 subjects randomly taken from the census list of San Daniele Township and followed for a mean period of 12.7 years. The association among common carotid intima media thickness, measured at baseline, arterial risk factors, and incidence of ischemic cerebrovascular events was modeled using Poisson regression. The predictive ability of common carotid intima media thickness over arterial risk factors (summarized in the Framingham Stroke Risk Score) was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. During the follow-up, 115 subjects developed nonfatal ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, or vascular death, which were the predefined study end points. After adjustment for age and sex, hypertension, diabetes, common carotid intima media thickness above 1 mm, and carotid plaques were all independent risk factors for development of vascular events. Inclusion of carotid findings (presence of common carotid intima media thickness above 1 mm or carotid plaques) resulted in a predictive power higher than Framingham Stroke Risk Score alone only on for those subjects with a Framingham Stroke Risk Score over 20%. Although common carotid intima media thickness and presence of carotid plaques are known to be risk factors for the development of vascular events and to be independent from the conventional risk factors summarized in the Framingham Stroke Risk Score, their contribution to individual risk prediction is limited. Further studies will be required to address the role of carotid ultrasonography in the primary prevention of high-risk subjects.

Efficacy and safety of percutaneous left atrial appendage closure to prevent thromboembolic events in atrial fibrillation patients with high stroke and bleeding risk.

PubMed

Seeger, Julia; Bothner, Carlo; Dahme, Tillman; Gonska, Birgid; Scharnbeck, Dominik; Markovic, Sinisa; Rottbauer, Wolfgang; Wöhrle, Jochen

2016-03-01

The randomized PROTECT AF trial demonstrated non-inferiority of left atrial appendage (LAA) closure to oral anticoagulation with warfarin. Current guidelines give a class IIb recommendation for LAA closure. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of LAA closure in a consecutive series of non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients with contraindications to long-term oral anticoagulation or at high bleeding risk. 101 consecutive non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients (age 74.7 ± 7.5 years) at high risk for stroke (CHA2DS2-VASc Score 4.4 ± 1.6) and high bleeding risk (HAS-BLED Score 4.2 ± 1.3) received LAA closure with either the Watchman closure device (n = 38) or the Amplatzer cardiac plug (n = 63). Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel was recommended for 3-6 months after device implantation, followed by long-term antiplatelet therapy with aspirin. No anticoagulation was given after device implantation. Mean follow-up was 400 days. One patient (1 %) experienced a transient ischemic attack, and two patients (2 %) suffered from ischemic stroke. While on recommended antiplatelet therapy, bleeding occurred in 12/101 patients (12 %). Bleeding was significantly reduced with 3 compared with 6 months dual antiplatelet therapy (3.0 vs. 16.2 %, p < 0.05) while ischemic or thrombotic events were similar. Left atrial appendage closure in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and high risk for stroke and bleeding events effectively prevented stroke and reduced cerebral ischemic events compared to expected stroke rate according to CHA2DS2-VASc Score. Dual antiplatelet therapy for 3 months reduced the rate of bleeding events compared to 6 months therapy with no increase of thrombotic events.

Left-sided strokes are more often recognized than right-sided strokes: the Rotterdam study.

PubMed

Portegies, Marileen L P; Selwaness, Mariana; Hofman, Albert; Koudstaal, Peter J; Vernooij, Meike W; Ikram, M Arfan

2015-01-01

Left-sided strokes are reported to be more common than right-sided strokes, but it is unknown whether they occur more often or are simply recognized more easily by clinicians. In a large unselected community-dwelling population, we examined the frequency of clinical left- and right-sided strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) and compared it with the frequency of left- and right-sided infarcts on MRI. This study was conducted within the population-based Rotterdam Study. Between 1990 and 2012, 13 894 participants were followed up for first-ever stroke and TIA. MRI scans were performed within a random subgroup of 5081 persons and were rated for the presence of supratentorial cortical and lacunar infarcts. We compared frequencies of left- and right-sided strokes, TIAs, or MRI infarcts using binomial and Fisher exact tests. After a mean follow-up of 9.6 (±6.0) years, 1252 patients had a stroke, of which 704 were ischemic, and 799 participants had a TIA. Within the subgroup with MRI, we identified 673 infarcts. Ischemic strokes were more frequently left-sided (57.7%; 95% confidence interval, 53.7-61.6) than right-sided, similar to TIAs (57.8% left-sided; 53.4-62.3). In contrast, we found no left-right difference in distribution of infarcts on MRI (51.9% left-sided; 48.1-55.6). Clinical ischemic strokes and TIAs are more frequently left-sided than right-sided, whereas this difference is not present for infarcts on MRI. This suggests that left-sided strokes and TIAs are more easily recognized. Consequently, there should be more attention for symptoms of right-sided strokes and TIAs. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Impact of living and socioeconomic characteristics on cardiovascular risk in ischemic stroke patients.

PubMed

Amarenco, Pierre; Abboud, Halim; Labreuche, Julien; Arauz, Antonio; Bryer, Alan; Lavados, Pablo M; Massaro, Ayrton; Munoz Collazos, Mario; Steg, Philippe Gabriel; Yamout, Bassem I; Vicaut, Eric

2014-12-01

We aimed to stratify the risk of vascular event recurrence in patients with cerebral infarction according to living and socioeconomic characteristics and geographic region. The Outcomes in Patients with TIA and Cerebrovascular Disease (OPTIC) study is an international prospective study of patients aged 45 years or older who required secondary prevention of stroke [following either an acute transient ischemic attack, minor ischemic strokes, or recent (less than six-months previous), stable, first-ever, nondisabling ischemic stroke]. A total 3635 patients from 245 centers in 17 countries in four regions (Latin America, Middle East, North Africa, South Africa) were enrolled between 2007 and 2008. The outcome measure was the two-year rate of a composite of major vascular events (vascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke). During the two-year follow-up period, 516 patients experienced at least one major cardiovascular event, resulting in an event rate of 15·6% (95% confidence interval 14·4-16·9%). Event rates varied across geographical region (P < 0·001), ranging from 13·0% in Latin America to 20·7% in North Africa. Unemployment status, living in a rural area, not living in fully serviced accommodation (i.e., house or apartment with its own electricity, toilet and water supply), no health insurance coverage, and low educational level (less than two-years of schooling) were predictors of major vascular events. Major vascular event rates steeply increased with the number of low-quality living/socioeconomic conditions (from 13·4% to 47·9%, adjusted P value for trend <0·001). Vascular risk in stroke patients in low- and middle-income countries varies not only with the number of arterial beds involved but also with socioeconomic variables. © 2014 World Stroke Organization.

Short‐term Changes in Ambient Particulate Matter and Risk of Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis

PubMed Central

Wang, Yi; Eliot, Melissa N.; Wellenius, Gregory A.

2014-01-01

Background Stroke is a leading cause of death and long‐term disability in the United States. There is a well‐documented association between ambient particulate matter air pollution (PM) and cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Given the pathophysiologic mechanisms of these effects, short‐term elevations in PM may also increase the risk of ischemic and/or hemorrhagic stroke morbidity and mortality, but the evidence has not been systematically reviewed. Methods and Results We provide a comprehensive review of all observational human studies (January 1966 to January 2014) on the association between short‐term changes in ambient PM levels and cerebrovascular events. We also performed meta‐analyses to evaluate the evidence for an association between each PM size fraction (PM2.5, PM10, PM2.5‐10) and each outcome (total cerebrovascular disease, ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack, hemorrhagic stroke) separately for mortality and hospital admission. We used a random‐effects model to estimate the summary percent change in relative risk of the outcome per 10‐μg/m3 increase in PM. Conclusions We found that PM2.5 and PM10 are associated with a 1.4% (95% CI 0.9% to 1.9%) and 0.5% (95% CI 0.3% to 0.7%) higher total cerebrovascular disease mortality, respectively, with evidence of inconsistent, nonsignificant associations for hospital admission for total cerebrovascular disease or ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Current limited evidence does not suggest an association between PM2.5‐10 and cerebrovascular mortality or morbidity. We discuss the potential sources of variability in results across studies, highlight some observations, and identify gaps in literature and make recommendations for future studies. PMID:25103204

Nanomaterial Solutions for the Protection of Insulin Producing Beta Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atchison, Nicole Ann

Islet transplantation is a promising treatment for type 1 diabetes. However, even with the many successes, islet transplantation has yet to reach its full potential. Limited islet sources, loss of cell viability during isolation and culture, and post-transplant graft loss are a few of the issues preventing extensive use of islet transplantation. The application of biomaterial systems to alleviate some of the stresses affecting islet viability has led to improvements in isolation and transplantation outcomes, but problems persist. In this work we approach two distinct issues affecting islet viability; ischemic conditions and immunological attack post-transplant. Ischemic conditions have been linked to a loss of islet graft function and occur during organ preservation, islet isolation and culture, and after islets are transplanted. We show that liposomal delivery of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to beta cells can limit cell death and loss of function in ischemic conditions. We demonstrate that by functionalizing liposomes with the fibronectin-mimetic peptide PR_b, delivery of liposomes to porcine islets and rat beta cells is increased compared to nontargeted controls. Additionally, liposomes are shown to protect by providing both ATP and lipids to the ischemic cells. The delivery of ATP was investigated here but application of PR_b functionalized liposomes could be extended to other interesting cargos as well. The second area of investigation involves encapsulation of islets with silica nanoparticles to create a permselective barrier. Silica nanoparticles are an interesting material for encapsulation given their ability to be fine-tuned and further functionalized. We demonstrate that size-tunable, fluorescent silica nanoparticles can be assembled layer-by-layer on the surface of cells and that silica nanoparticle encapsulated islets are able to secrete insulin in response to a glucose challenge.

Hyperuricemia and the risk of ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation--could it refine clinical risk stratification in AF?

PubMed

Chao, Tze-Fan; Liu, Chia-Jen; Chen, Su-Jung; Wang, Kang-Ling; Lin, Yenn-Jiang; Chang, Shih-Lin; Lo, Li-Wei; Hu, Yu-Feng; Tuan, Ta-Chuan; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Tsao, Hsuan-Ming; Chen, Shih-Ann

2014-01-01

Although hyperuricemia has been reported to be a risk factor of stroke, the relationship between hyperuricemia and stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) remains uncertain. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether hyperuricemia could potentially refine clinical risk stratification in AF. This study used the "National Health Insurance Research Database" in Taiwan. A total of 7601 AF patients who did not receive antiplatelet agents or oral anticoagulants were identified as the study population. Hyperuricemia was defined as having at least one episode of gout attack necessitating long-term treatment with uric acid-lowering agents. The association between hyperuricemia and ischemic stroke was analyzed. During the follow up of 3.0±2.7 years, 1116 patients (14.7%) experienced ischemic stroke with an annual rate of around 4.9%. Hyperuricemia significantly predicts stroke, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.280 after adjusting for CHA2DS2-VASc score and other comorbidities. Among the 376 patients with a CHA2DS2VASc score of 0, hyperuricemia can further stratify them into 2 groups with different stroke rates (7.1% versus 1.3%, p=0.020). The adjusted HR of hyperuricemia in predicting ischemic stroke diminished from 7.491 for patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 0 to 1.659 for those with a score of 3, and became insignificant for patients with a score ≥4. Hyperuricemia was a significant risk factor of stroke which could potentially refine the clinical risk stratification in AF. It deserves a prospective trial to investigate whether it would change the current strategy for stroke preventions using oral anticoagulants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk factors for stroke and efficacy of antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation. Analysis of pooled data from five randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

1994-07-11

Atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Data on individual patients were pooled from five recently completed randomized trials comparing warfarin (all studies) or aspirin (the Atrial Fibrillation, Aspirin, Anticoagulation Study and the Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Study) with control in patients with atrial fibrillation. The purpose of the analysis was to (1) identify patient features predictive of a high or low risk of stroke, (2) assess the efficacy of antithrombotic therapy in major patient subgroups (eg, women), and (3) obtain the most precise estimate of the efficacy and risks of antithrombotic therapy in atrial fibrillation. For the warfarin-control comparison there were 1889 patient-years receiving warfarin and 1802 in the control group. For the aspirin-placebo comparison there were 1132 patient-years receiving aspirin and 1133 receiving placebo. The daily dose of aspirin was 75 mg in the Atrial Fibrillation, Aspirin, Anticoagulation Study and 325 mg in the Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Study. To monitor warfarin dosage, three studies used prothrombin time ratios and two used international normalized ratios. The lowest target intensity was a prothrombin time ratio of 1.2 to 1.5 and the highest target intensity was an international normalized ratio of 2.8 to 4.2. The primary end points were ischemic stroke and major hemorrhage, as assessed by each study. At the time of randomization the mean age was 69 years and the mean blood pressure was 142/82 mm Hg. Forty-six percent of the patients had a history of hypertension, 6% had a previous transient ischemic attack or stroke, and 14% had diabetes. Risk factors that predicted stroke on multivariate analyses in control patients were increasing age, history of hypertension, previous transient ischemic attack or stroke, and diabetes. Patients younger than 65 years who had none of the other predictive factors (15% of all patients) had an annual rate of stroke of 1.0%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.3% to 3.0%. The annual rate of stroke was 4.5% for the control group and 1.4% for the warfarin group (risk reduction, 68%; 95% CI, 50% to 79%). The efficacy of warfarin was consistent across all studies and subgroups of patients. In women, warfarin decreased the risk of stroke by 84% (95% CI, 55% to 95%) compared with 60% (95% CI, 35% to 76%) in men. The efficacy of aspirin was not as consistent. The risk reduction with 75 mg of aspirin in the Atrial Fibrillation, Aspirin, Anticoagulation Study was 18% (95% CI, 60% to 58%), and with 325 mg of aspirin in the Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Study the risk reduction was 44% (95% CI, 7% to 66%). When both studies were combined the risk reduction was 36% (95% CI, 4% to 57%). The annual rate of major hemorrhage (intracranial bleeding or a bleed requiring hospitalization or 2 units of blood) was 1.0% for the control group, 1.0% for the aspirin group, and 1.3% for the warfarin group. In these five randomized trials warfarin consistently decreased the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (a 68% reduction in risk) with virtually no increase in the frequency of major bleeding. Patients with atrial fibrillation younger than 65 years without a history of hypertension, previous stroke or transient ischemic attack, or diabetes were at very low risk of stroke even when not treated. The efficacy of aspirin was less consistent. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of aspirin in atrial fibrillation.

OCT Angiography Helps Distinguish Between Proliferative Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 and Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

PubMed

Zheng, Fang; Motulsky, Elie H; de Oliveira Dias, João Rafael; de López, Edith Pérez; Gregori, Giovanni; Rosenfeld, Philip J

2018-05-01

To demonstrate the advantage of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) for the diagnosis and management of proliferative macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel2) masquerading as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This is an observational cases series. Three patients referred with the diagnosis of neovascular AMD were identified in this retrospective study. In addition to color fundus, fluorescein angiography, and spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) imaging, SD-OCTA (AngioPlex; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA) was performed. SD-OCTA revealed bilateral parafoveal retinal microvascular changes in three patients and unambiguously confirmed the diagnosis of MacTel2. OCTA is an important tool for the correct diagnosis of MacTel2 in older patients with the concomitant or masquerading diagnosis of AMD. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:303-312.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

Subjective Cognitive Impairment, Depressive Symptoms, and Fatigue after a TIA or Transient Neurological Attack: A Prospective Study.

PubMed

van Rooij, Frank G; Plaizier, Nicole O; Vermeer, Sarah E; Góraj, Bozena M; Koudstaal, Peter J; Richard, Edo; de Leeuw, Frank-Erik; Kessels, Roy P C; van Dijk, Ewoud J

2017-01-01

Subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), depressive symptoms, and fatigue are common after stroke and are associated with reduced quality of life. We prospectively investigated their prevalence and course after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or nonfocal transient neurological attack (TNA) and the association with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesions. The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Subjective Fatigue subscale from the Checklist Individual Strength were used to assess subjective complaints shortly after TIA or TNA and six months later. With repeated measure analysis, the associations between DWI lesion presence or clinical diagnosis (TIA or TNA) and subjective complaints over time were determined. We included 103 patients (28 DWI positive). At baseline, SCI and fatigue were less severe in DWI positive than in DWI negative patients, whereas at follow-up, there were no differences. SCI ( p = 0.02) and fatigue ( p = 0.01) increased in severity only in DWI positive patients. There were no differences between TIA and TNA. Subjective complaints are highly prevalent in TIA and TNA patients. The short-term prognosis is not different between DWI-positive and DWI negative patients, but SCI and fatigue increase in severity within six months after the event when an initial DWI lesion is present.

Periodic Limb Movements and White Matter Hyperintensities in First-Ever Minor Stroke or High-Risk Transient Ischemic Attack.

PubMed

Boulos, Mark I; Murray, Brian J; Muir, Ryan T; Gao, Fuqiang; Szilagyi, Gregory M; Huroy, Menal; Kiss, Alexander; Walters, Arthur S; Black, Sandra E; Lim, Andrew S; Swartz, Richard H

2017-03-01

Emerging evidence suggests that periodic limb movements (PLMs) may contribute to the development of cerebrovascular disease. White matter hyperintensities (WMHs), a widely accepted biomarker for cerebral small vessel disease, are associated with incident stroke and death. We evaluated the association between increased PLM indices and WMH burden in patients presenting with stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), while controlling for vascular risk factors and stroke severity. Thirty patients presenting within 2 weeks of a first-ever minor stroke or high-risk TIA were prospectively recruited. PLM severity was measured with polysomnography. WMH burden was quantified using the Age Related White Matter Changes (ARWMC) scale based on neuroimaging. Partial Spearman's rank-order correlations and multiple linear regression models tested the association between WMH burden and PLM severity. Greater WMH burden was correlated with elevated PLM index and stroke volume. Partial Spearman's rank-order correlations demonstrated that the relationship between WMH burden and PLM index persisted despite controlling for vascular risk factors. Multivariate linear regression models revealed that PLM index was a significant predictor of an elevated ARWMC score while controlling for age, stroke volume, stroke severity, hypertension, and apnea-hypopnea index. The quantity of PLMs was associated with WMH burden in patients with first-ever minor stroke or TIA. PLMs may be a risk factor for or marker of WMH burden, even after considering vascular risk factors and stroke severity. These results invite further investigation of PLMs as a potentially useful target to reduce WMH and stroke burden. © Sleep Research Society (SRS) 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Neurologic complications after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting with and without aortic manipulation: meta-analysis of 11,398 cases from 8 studies.

PubMed

Misfeld, Martin; Brereton, R John L; Sweetman, Elizabeth A; Doig, Gordon S

2011-08-01

Neurologic complications after coronary artery bypass grafting remain a concern. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is a surgical strategy proposed to decrease this risk. Use of an off-pump anaortic technique, which leaves the ascending aorta untouched, may result in further reductions. This systematic review of all published evidence compares neurologic complications after anaortic off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting versus that with aortic manipulation. PubMed and Embase were searched up to August 2008. Experts were contacted, and reference lists of retrieved articles were hand searched. The search process was not limited to English-language sources. Observational studies comparing standard off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting technique with anaortic technique were eligible for inclusion if they reported neurologic complications (stroke and transient ischemic attack). Meta-analysis was conducted to assess differences between groups with regard to neurologic complications. Electronic search identified 1428 abstracts, which resulted in retrieval and detailed review of 331 full-text articles. Eight observational studies reported neurologic complications in 5619 anaortic off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting cases and 5779 cases with aortic manipulation. Postsurgical neurologic complications were significantly lower in anaortic off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting cases (odds ratio, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.29-0.72; I(2) = 0.8%; P = .0008). Avoidance of aortic manipulation during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting decreases neurologic complications relative to standard technique in which the ascending aorta is manipulated. In patients at high risk for stroke or transient ischemic attack, we recommend avoidance of aortic manipulation during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Copyright © 2010 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Relation of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Plaque With Incident Cardiovascular Events in Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

PubMed Central

Kao, Amy H.; Lertratanakul, Apinya; Elliott, Jennifer R.; Sattar, Abdus; Santelices, Linda; Shaw, Penny; Birru, Mehret; Avram, Zheni; Thompson, Trina; Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim; Ramsey-Goldman, Rosalind; Manzi, Susan

2013-01-01

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between subclinical CV disease as measured by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque using B-mode carotid ultrasound and incident CV events in a combined cohort of female patients with SLE. This was a prospective, 2-center observational study of 392 adult women with SLE and no previous CV events with a mean 8 years of follow-up. Incident CV events confirmed by clinicians were defined as angina, myocardial infarction, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, coronary artery bypass graft, fatal cardiac arrest, transient ischemic attack, and cerebrovascular accident. Incident hard CV events excluded angina and transient ischemic attack. The mean age was 43.5 years, and most patients were Caucasian (77.3%). During follow-up, 38 patients had incident CV events, and 17 had incident hard CV events. Patients with incident hard CV events had higher mean carotid IMT (0.80 vs 0.64 mm, p <0.01) and presence of carotid plaque (76.5% vs 30.4%, p <0.01) compared with those without incident hard CV events. Baseline carotid IMT and presence of plaque were predictive of any incident hard CV event (hazard ratio 1.35, 95% confidence interval 1.12 to 1.64, and hazard ratio 4.26, 95% confidence interval 1.23 to 14.83, respectively), independent of traditional CV risk factors and medication use. In conclusion, in women with SLE without previous CV events, carotid IMT and plaque are predictive of future CV events. This suggests that carotid ultrasound may provide an additional tool for CV risk stratification in patients with SLE. PMID:23827400

Relation of carotid intima-media thickness and plaque with incident cardiovascular events in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Kao, Amy H; Lertratanakul, Apinya; Elliott, Jennifer R; Sattar, Abdus; Santelices, Linda; Shaw, Penny; Birru, Mehret; Avram, Zheni; Thompson, Trina; Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim; Ramsey-Goldman, Rosalind; Manzi, Susan

2013-10-01

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between subclinical CV disease as measured by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque using B-mode carotid ultrasound and incident CV events in a combined cohort of female patients with SLE. This was a prospective, 2-center observational study of 392 adult women with SLE and no previous CV events with a mean 8 years of follow-up. Incident CV events confirmed by clinicians were defined as angina, myocardial infarction, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, coronary artery bypass graft, fatal cardiac arrest, transient ischemic attack, and cerebrovascular accident. Incident hard CV events excluded angina and transient ischemic attack. The mean age was 43.5 years, and most patients were Caucasian (77.3%). During follow-up, 38 patients had incident CV events, and 17 had incident hard CV events. Patients with incident hard CV events had higher mean carotid IMT (0.80 vs 0.64 mm, p <0.01) and presence of carotid plaque (76.5% vs 30.4%, p <0.01) compared with those without incident hard CV events. Baseline carotid IMT and presence of plaque were predictive of any incident hard CV event (hazard ratio 1.35, 95% confidence interval 1.12 to 1.64, and hazard ratio 4.26, 95% confidence interval 1.23 to 14.83, respectively), independent of traditional CV risk factors and medication use. In conclusion, in women with SLE without previous CV events, carotid IMT and plaque are predictive of future CV events. This suggests that carotid ultrasound may provide an additional tool for CV risk stratification in patients with SLE. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patent foramen ovale closure using a bioabsorbable closure device: safety and efficacy at 6-month follow-up.

PubMed

Van den Branden, Ben J; Post, Martijn C; Plokker, Herbert W; ten Berg, Jurriën M; Suttorp, Maarten J

2010-09-01

The aim of this study was to assess the mid-term safety and efficacy of percutaneous patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure using a bioabsorbable device (BioSTAR, NMT Medical, Boston, Massachusetts). Closure of PFO in patients with cryptogenic stroke has proven to be safe and effective using different types of permanent devices. All consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous PFO closure with the bioabsorbable closure device between November 2007 and January 2009 were included. Residual shunt was assessed using contrast transthoracic echocardiography. Sixty-two patients (55% women, mean age 47.7 ± 11.8 years) underwent PFO closure. The in-hospital complications were a surgical device retrieval in 2 patients (3.2%), device reposition in 1 (1.6%), and a minimal groin hematoma in 6 patients (9.7%). The short-term complications at 1-month follow-up (n = 60) were a transient ischemic attack in the presence of a residual shunt in 1 patient and new supraventricular tachycardia in 7 patients (11.3%). At 6-month follow-up (n = 60), 1 patient without residual shunt developed a transient ischemic attack and 1 developed atrial fibrillation. A mild or moderate residual shunt was noted in 51.7%, 33.9%, and 23.7% after 1-day, 1-month, and 6-month follow-up, respectively. A large shunt was present in 8.3%, 3.4%, and 0% after 1-day, 1-month, and 6-month follow-up. Closure of PFO using the bioabsorbable device is associated with a low complication rate and a low recurrence rate of embolic events. However, a relatively high percentage of mild or moderate residual shunting is still present at 6-month follow-up. Copyright © 2010 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Clinical Characteristics among Subtypes of Visual Symptoms in Patients with Transient Ischemic Attack: Analysis of the PROspective Multicenter registry to Identify Subsequent cardiovascular Events after TIA (PROMISE-TIA) Registry.

PubMed

Tanaka, Koji; Uehara, Toshiyuki; Kimura, Kazumi; Okada, Yasushi; Hasegawa, Yasuhiro; Tanahashi, Norio; Suzuki, Akifumi; Nakagawara, Jyoji; Arii, Kazumasa; Nagahiro, Shinji; Ogasawara, Kuniaki; Uchiyama, Shinichiro; Matsumoto, Masayasu; Iihara, Koji; Toyoda, Kazunori; Minematsu, Kazuo

2018-06-01

A transient visual symptom (TVS) is a clinical manifestation of transient ischemic attack (TIA). The aim of this study was to investigate differences in clinical characteristics among subtypes of TVS using multicenter TIA registry data. Patients with TIA visiting within 7 days of onset were prospectively enrolled from 57 hospitals between June 2011 and December 2013. Clinical characteristics were compared between patients with 3 major subtypes of TVS (transient monocular blindness [TMB], homonymous lateral hemianopia [HLH], and diplopia). Of 1365 patients, 106 (7.8%) had TVS, including 40 TMB (38%), 34 HLH (32%), 17 diplopia (16%), and 15 others/unknown (14%). Ninety-one patients with 1 of the 3 major subtypes of TVS were included. Symptoms persisted on arrival in 12 (13%) patients. Isolated TVS was significantly more common in TMB than in HLH and diplopia (88%, 62%, and 0%, respectively; P < .001). Duration of symptoms was shorter in patients with TMB than those with HLH (P = .004). The ABCD 2 score was significantly lower in patients with TMB compared with those with HLH and diplopia (median 2 [interquartile range 2-3] versus 3 [2-4] and 4 [2-5], respectively; P = .005). Symptomatic extracranial internal carotid artery stenosis or occlusion was seen in 14 (16%) patients, and was more frequent in TMB than in HLH and diplopia (28%, 9%, and 0%, respectively; P = .015). TVS was an uncommon symptom in our TIA multicenter cohort. Some differences in clinical characteristics were found among subtypes of TVS. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transient ischemic attack: management in the emergency department and impact of an outpatient neurovascular clinic.

PubMed

Hosier, Gregory W; Phillips, Stephen J; Doucette, Steve P; Magee, Kirk D; Gubitz, Gordon J

2016-09-01

1) To evaluate whether transient ischemic attack (TIA) management in emergency departments (EDs) of the Nova Scotia Capital District Health Authority followed Canadian Best Practice Recommendations, and 2) to assess the impact of being followed up in a dedicated outpatient neurovascular clinic. Retrospective chart review of all patients discharged from EDs in our district from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012 with a diagnosis of TIA. Cox proportional hazards models, Kaplan-Meier survival curve, and propensity matched analyses were used to evaluate 90-day mortality and readmission. Of the 686 patients seen in the ED for TIA, 88.3% received computed tomography (CT) scanning, 86.3% received an electrocardiogram (ECG), 35% received vascular imaging within 24 hours of triage, 36% were seen in a neurovascular clinic, and 4.2% experienced stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death within 90 days. Rates of antithrombotic use were increased in patients seen in a neurovascular clinic compared to those who were not (94% v. 86.3%, p<0.0001). After adjustment for age, sex, vascular disease risk factors, and stroke symptoms, the risk of readmission for stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death was lower for those seen in a neurovascular clinic compared to those who were not (adjusted hazard ratio 0.28; 95% confidence interval 0.08-0.99, p=0.048). The majority of patients in our study were treated with antithrombotic agents in the ED and investigated with CT and ECG within 24 hours; however, vascular imaging and neurovascular clinic follow-up were underutilized. For those with neurovascular clinic follow-up, there was an association with reduced risk of subsequent stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death.

Left atrial accessory appendages, diverticula, and left-sided septal pouch in multi-slice computed tomography. Association with atrial fibrillation and cerebrovascular accidents.

PubMed

Hołda, Mateusz K; Koziej, Mateusz; Wszołek, Karolina; Pawlik, Wiesław; Krawczyk-Ożóg, Agata; Sorysz, Danuta; Łoboda, Piotr; Kuźma, Katarzyna; Kuniewicz, Marcin; Lelakowski, Jacek; Dudek, Dariusz; Klimek-Piotrowska, Wiesława

2017-10-01

The aim of this study is to provide a morphometric description of the left-sided septal pouch (LSSP), left atrial accessory appendages, and diverticula using cardiac multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) and to compare results between patient subgroups. Two hundred and ninety four patients (42.9% females) with a mean of 69.4±13.1years of age were investigated using MSCT. The presence of the LSSP, left atrial accessory appendages, and diverticula was evaluated. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to check whether the presence of additional left atrial structures is associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation and cerebrovascular accidents. At least one additional left atrial structure was present in 51.7% of patients. A single LSSP, left atrial diverticulum, and accessory appendage were present in 35.7%, 16.0%, and 4.1% of patients, respectively. After adjusting for other risk factors via multiple logistic regression, patients with LSSP are more likely to have atrial fibrillation (OR=2.00, 95% CI=1.14-3.48, p=0.01). The presence of a LSSP was found to be associated with an increased risk of transient ischemic attack using multiple logistic regression analysis after adjustment for other risk factors (OR=3.88, 95% CI=1.10-13.69, p=0.03). In conclusion LSSPs, accessory appendages, and diverticula are highly prevalent anatomic structures within the left atrium, which could be easily identified by MSCT. The presence of LSSP is associated with increased risk for atrial fibrillation and transient ischemic attack. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tissue-Negative Transient Ischemic Attack: Is There a Role for Perfusion MRI?

PubMed

Grams, Raymond W; Kidwell, Chelsea S; Doshi, Amish H; Drake, Kendra; Becker, Jennifer; Coull, Bruce M; Nael, Kambiz

2016-07-01

Approximately 60% of patients with a clinical transient ischemic attack (TIA) do not have DWI evidence of cerebral ischemia. The purpose of this study was to assess the added diagnostic value of perfusion MRI in the evaluation of patients with TIA who have normal DWI findings. The inclusion criteria for this retrospective study were clinical presentation of TIA at admission with a discharge diagnosis of TIA confirmed by a stroke neurologist, MRI including both DWI and perfusion-weighted imaging within 48 hours of symptom onset, and no DWI lesion. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and time to maximum of the residue function (Tmax) maps were evaluated independently by two observers. Multivariate analysis was used to assess perfusion findings; clinical variables; age, blood pressure, clinical symptoms, diabetes (ABCD2) score; duration of TIA; and time between MRI and onset and resolution of symptoms. Fifty-two patients (33 women, 19 men; age range, 20-95 years) met the inclusion criteria. A regional perfusion abnormality was identified on either Tmax or CBF maps of 12 of 52 (23%) patients. Seven (58%) of the patients with perfusion abnormalities had hypoperfused lesions best detected on Tmax maps; the other five had hyperperfusion best detected on CBF maps. In 11 of 12 (92%) patients with abnormal perfusion MRI findings, the regional perfusion deficit correlated with the initial neurologic deficits. Multivariable analysis revealed no significant difference in demographics, ABCD2 scores, or presentation characteristics between patients with and those without perfusion abnormalities. Perfusion MRI that includes Tmax and CBF parametric maps adds diagnostic value by depicting regions with delayed perfusion or postischemic hyperperfusion in approximately one-fourth of TIA patients who have normal DWI findings.

Community-Based Intervention to Improve Cardiometabolic Targets in Patients With Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Olaiya, Muideen T; Cadilhac, Dominique A; Kim, Joosup; Nelson, Mark R; Srikanth, Velandai K; Gerraty, Richard P; Bladin, Christopher F; Fitzgerald, Sharyn M; Phan, Thanh; Frayne, Judith; Thrift, Amanda G

2017-09-01

Many guidelines for secondary prevention of stroke focus on controlling cardiometabolic risk factors. We investigated the effectiveness of a management program for attaining cardiometabolic targets in survivors of stroke/transient ischemic attack. Randomized controlled trial of survivors of stroke/transient ischemic attack aged ≥18 years. General practices were randomized to usual care (control) or an intervention comprising specialist review of care plans and nurse education in addition to usual care. The outcome is attainment of pre-defined cardiometabolic targets based on Australian guidelines. Multivariable regression was undertaken to determine efficacy and identify factors associated with attaining targets. Overall, 283 subjects were randomized to the intervention and 280 to controls. Although we found no between-group difference in overall cardiometabolic targets achieved at 12 months, the intervention group more often achieved control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (odds ratio, 1.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-3.29) than controls. At 24 months, no between-group differences were observed. Medication adherence was ≥80% at follow-up, but uptake of lifestyle/behavioral habits was poor. Older age, being male, being married/living with partner, and having greater functional ability or a history of diabetes mellitus were associated with attaining targets. The intervention in this largely negative trial only had a detectable effect on attaining target for lipids but not for other factors at 12 months or any factor at 24 months. This limited effect may be attributable to inadequate uptake of behavioral/lifestyle interventions, highlighting the need for new or better approaches to achieve meaningful behavioral change. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: ACTRN12608000166370. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

The Effects of Statins on Infections after Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Lin, Shao-Peng; Long, You-Ming; Chen, Xiao-Hui

2015-01-01

Background Previous studies have reported that statins can prevent infections, and these findings were ascribed to the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of statins. However, the effects of statins on the risk of infection after stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) remain controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between statins and the risk of infection after stroke or TIA by means of a meta-analysis. Methodology and Findings Studies were found by searching major electronic databases using key terms and restricting the results to studies published in English language and human studies. Pooled odds ratio (OR) for the association between infection and statins were analyzed using Stata software. A total of five studies that included 8,791 stroke or TIA patients (3,269 patients in the statin use group and 5,522 in the placebo group) were eligible and abstracted. Pooled analysis demonstrated that statins did not significantly affect the incidence of infection after stroke or TIA compared with a placebo (OR 0.819, 95% CI 0.582–1.151, I2 = 64.2%, p= 0.025). Sensitivity analyses showed that the removal of any single study did not significantly affect the pooled OR. Cumulative meta-analysis showed that the incidence of infection did not vary by publication year. No statistical evidence of publication bias was found among the studies selected, based on the results of Egger’s (p = 1.000) and Begg’s (p = 0.762) tests. Conclusions This meta-analysis does not support the hypothesis that statins reduce the risk of infections in stroke or TIA patients. PMID:26158560

[Transient ischemic attacks in the elderly: new definition and diagnostic difficulties].

PubMed

Rancurel, Gérald

2005-03-01

Transient ischemic attacks (TIA) are very frequent in the elderly. Their frequency increases beyond 65 years. However, no epidemiologic study was specifically dedicated to elderly patients. The first definition of TIA was a sudden focal neurologic deficit that lasted for less than 24 hours, presumed to be of vascular origin and located in a specific artery territory of the brain or eye. The Working Study Group has proposed a new definition: TIA is a brief episode of neurologic dysfunction caused by focal brain or retinal ischemia with clinical symptoms typically lasting less than one hour, most often some minutes, and without evidence of acute infarction. Weighted diffusion MRI may show very early an aspect of cytotoxic oedema. The one-hour criterion associated with a stable neurological deficit is requested for initiating IV thrombolysis, if the angio-MRI shows an occlusion of the supra-aortic trunks or intracranial arteries, even in aged patients. Each TIA constitutes a major risk for a completed infarct resulting in disability or death. Hypertension is the main risk factor for TIAs, followed by atrial fibrillation, diabetes, coronaropathy and sedentarity. These factors multiply by 4 the stroke risk. In the elderly, TIAs are pecularly associated with lacunar infarcts in the territory of deep perforating arteries. TIAs represent a neurologic emergency that allows no delay in clinical and laboratory investigations, such as ultrasonic echographies and weighted diffusion MRI. Diagnostic errors are often due to frequent polypathology and cognitive changes in great age. The most misleading symptoms are vertigo, imbalance, falls, disorders of consciousness. Unawareness of the deficit is also a frequent cause of failure of TIA diagnosis. Conversely, the most frequent cause of diagnostic error by excess is epileptic seizures which are often under-evaluated.

Automated Software System to Promote Anticoagulation and Reduce Stroke Risk: Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Holt, Tim A; Dalton, Andrew; Marshall, Tom; Fay, Matthew; Qureshi, Nadeem; Kirkpatrick, Susan; Hislop, Jenny; Lasserson, Daniel; Kearley, Karen; Mollison, Jill; Yu, Ly-Mee; Hobbs, F D Richard; Fitzmaurice, David

2017-03-01

Oral anticoagulants (OAC) substantially reduce risk of stroke in atrial fibrillation, but uptake is suboptimal. Electronic health records enable automated identification of people at risk but not receiving treatment. We investigated the effectiveness of a software tool (AURAS-AF [Automated Risk Assessment for Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation]) designed to identify such individuals during routine care through a cluster-randomized trial. Screen reminders appeared each time the electronic health records of an eligible patient was accessed until a decision had been taken over OAC treatment. Where OAC was not started, clinicians were prompted to indicate a reason. Control practices continued usual care. The primary outcome was the proportion of eligible individuals receiving OAC at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included rates of cardiovascular events and reports of adverse effects of the software on clinical decision-making. Forty-seven practices were randomized. The mean proportion-prescribed OAC at 6 months was 66.3% (SD=9.3) in the intervention arm and 63.9% (9.5) in the control arm (adjusted difference 1.21% [95% confidence interval -0.72 to 3.13]). Incidence of recorded transient ischemic attack was higher in the intervention practices (median 10.0 versus 2.3 per 1000 patients with atrial fibrillation; P =0.027), but at 12 months, we found a lower incidence of both all cause stroke ( P =0.06) and hemorrhage ( P =0.054). No adverse effects of the software were reported. No significant change in OAC prescribing occurred. A greater rate of diagnosis of transient ischemic attack (possibly because of improved detection or overdiagnosis) was associated with a reduction (of borderline significance) in stroke and hemorrhage over 12 months. URL: http://www.isrctn.com. Unique Identifier: ISRCTN55722437. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Montreal Cognitive Assessment: One Cutoff Never Fits All.

PubMed

Wong, Adrian; Law, Lorraine S N; Liu, Wenyan; Wang, Zhaolu; Lo, Eugene S K; Lau, Alexander; Wong, Lawrence K S; Mok, Vincent C T

2015-12-01

The objective of this study is to examine the discrepancy between single versus age and education corrected cutoff scores in classifying performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack. MoCA norms were collected from 794 functionally independent and stroke- and dementia-free persons aged ≥65 years. magnetic resonance imaging was used to exclude healthy controls with significant brain pathology and medial temporal lobe atrophy. Cutoff scores at 16th, 7th, and 2nd percentiles by age and education were derived for the MoCA and MoCA 5-minute Protocol. MoCA performance in 919 patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack was classified using the single and norm-derived cutoff scores. The norms for the Hong Kong version of the MoCA total and domain scores and the total score of the MoCA 5-minute protocol are described. Only 65.1% and 25.7% healthy controls and 45.2% and 19.0% patients scored above the conventional cutoff scores of 21/22 and 25/26 on the MoCA. Using classification with norm-derived cutoff scores as reference, locally derived cutoff score of 21/22 yielded a classification discrepancy of ≤42.4%. Discrepancy increased with higher age and lower education level, with the majority being false positives by single cutoffs. With the 25/26 cutoff of the original MoCA, discrepancy further increased to ≤74.3%. Conventional single cutoff scores are associated with substantially high rates of misclassification especially in older and less-educated patients with stroke. These results caution against the use of one-size-fits-all cutoffs on the MoCA. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Possible increase in insulin resistance and concealed glucose-coupled potassium-lowering mechanisms during acute coronary syndrome documented by covariance structure analysis.

PubMed

Ito, Satoshi; Nagoshi, Tomohisa; Minai, Kosuke; Kashiwagi, Yusuke; Sekiyama, Hiroshi; Yoshii, Akira; Kimura, Haruka; Inoue, Yasunori; Ogawa, Kazuo; Tanaka, Toshikazu D; Ogawa, Takayuki; Kawai, Makoto; Yoshimura, Michihiro

2017-01-01

Although glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) therapy ought to be beneficial for ischemic heart disease in general, variable outcomes in many clinical trials of GIK in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) had a controversial impact. This study was designed to examine whether "insulin resistance" is involved in ACS and to clarify other potential intrinsic compensatory mechanisms for GIK tolerance through highly statistical procedure. We compared the degree of insulin resistance during ACS attack and remission phase after treatment in individual patients (n = 104). During ACS, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values were significantly increased (P<0.001), while serum potassium levels were transiently decreased (degree of which was indicated by ΔK) (P<0.001). This finding provides a renewed paradox, as ΔK, a surrogate marker of intrinsic GIK cascade activation, probably reflects the validated glucose metabolism during ischemic attack. Indeed, multiple regression analysis revealed that plasma glucose level during ACS was positively correlated with ΔK (P = 0.026), whereas HOMA-IR had no impact on ΔK. This positive correlation between ΔK and glucose was confirmed by covariance structure analysis with a strong impact (β: 0.398, P = 0.015). Intriguingly, a higher incidence of myocardial infarction relative to unstable angina pectoris, as well as a longer hospitalization period were observed in patients with larger ΔK, indicating that ΔK also reflects disease severity of ACS. Insulin resistance most likely increases during ACS; however, ΔK was positively correlated with plasma glucose level, which overwhelmed insulin resistance condition. The present study with covariance structure analysis suggests that there are potential endogenous glucose-coupled potassium lowering mechanisms, other than insulin, regulating glucose metabolism during ACS.

Self-reported transient ischemic attack and stroke symptoms: methods and baseline prevalence. The ARIC Study, 1987-1989.

PubMed

Toole, J F; Lefkowitz, D S; Chambless, L E; Wijnberg, L; Paton, C C; Heiss, G

1996-11-01

As part of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study assessment of the etiology and sequelae of atherosclerosis, a standardized questionnaire on transient ischemic attack (TIA) and nonfatal stroke and a computerized diagnostic algorithm simulating clinical reasoning were developed and tested at the four ARIC field centers: Forsyth County, North Carolina; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Jackson, Mississippi; and Washington County, Maryland. The diagnostic algorithm used participant responses to a series of questions about six neurologic trigger symptoms to identify symptoms of TIA or stroke and their vascular distribution. Among 12,205 ARIO participants reporting their lifetime occurrence of one or more symptoms probably due to cerebrovascular causes, nearly half (47%) reported the sudden onset of at least one symptom sometime prior to their ARIC examination. Of those with at least one symptom, only 12.9% were classified by the computer algorithm as having symptoms of TIA or stroke. Dizziness/loss of balance was the most frequently reported symptom (36%); 1.2% of these persons were classified by the algorithm as having a TIA/stroke event. Positive symptoms of speech dysfunction were classified most often (77.%) as being symptoms of TIA or stroke. Symptoms suggesting TIA were reported more frequently than symptoms suggesting stroke by both sexes. TIA or stroke-like phenomena were more frequent (p < 0.001) in females (7%) than in males (5%) and increased with age in both sexes (p = 0.13 for females; p = 0.02 for males). In Forsyth County, TIA and stroke symptoms were greater in African Americans than in Caucasians (p = 0.05, controlling for sex). The association of algorithmically defined symptoms of TIA or stroke with traditional cerebrovascular risk factors is the subject of a companion paper.

Cost-effectiveness of clopidogrel-aspirin versus aspirin alone for acute transient ischemic attack and minor stroke.

PubMed

Pan, Yuesong; Wang, Anxin; Liu, Gaifen; Zhao, Xingquan; Meng, Xia; Zhao, Kun; Liu, Liping; Wang, Chunxue; Johnston, S Claiborne; Wang, Yilong; Wang, Yongjun

2014-06-05

Treatment with the combination of clopidogrel and aspirin taken soon after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke was shown to reduce the 90-day risk of stroke in a large trial in China, but the cost-effectiveness is unknown. This study sought to estimate the cost-effectiveness of the clopidogrel-aspirin regimen for acute TIA or minor stroke. A Markov model was created to determine the cost-effectiveness of treatment of acute TIA or minor stroke patients with clopidogrel-aspirin compared with aspirin alone. Inputs for the model were obtained from clinical trial data, claims databases, and the published literature. The main outcome measure was cost per quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained. One-way and multivariable probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the findings. Compared with aspirin alone, clopidogrel-aspirin resulted in a lifetime gain of 0.037 QALYs at an additional cost of CNY 1250 (US$ 192), yielding an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of CNY 33 800 (US$ 5200) per QALY gained. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that clopidogrel-aspirin therapy was more cost-effective in 95.7% of the simulations at a willingness-to-pay threshold recommended by the World Health Organization of CNY 105 000 (US$ 16 200) per QALY. Early 90-day clopidogrel-aspirin regimen for acute TIA or minor stroke is highly cost-effective in China. Although clopidogrel is generic, Plavix is brand in China. If Plavix were generic, treatment with clopidogrel-aspirin would have been cost saving. © 2014 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Effect of peer education on stroke prevention: the prevent recurrence of all inner-city strokes through education randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Kronish, Ian M; Goldfinger, Judith Z; Negron, Rennie; Fei, Kezhen; Tuhrim, Stanley; Arniella, Guedy; Horowitz, Carol R

2014-11-01

Efforts to reduce disparities in recurrent stroke among Black and Latino stroke survivors have met with limited success. We aimed to determine the effect of peer education on secondary stroke prevention among predominantly minority stroke survivors. Between 2009 and 2012, we enrolled 600 stroke or transient ischemic attack survivors from diverse, low-income communities in New York City into a 2-arm randomized clinical trial that compared a 6 week (1 session/week), peer-led, community-based, stroke prevention self-management group workshop (N=301) to a wait-list control group (N=299). The primary outcome was the proportion with a composite of controlled blood pressure (<140/90 mm Hg), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol <100 mg/dL, and use of antithrombotic medications at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included control of the individual stroke risk factors. All analyses were by intent-to-treat. There was no difference in the proportion of intervention and control group participants achieving the composite outcome (34% versus 34%; P=0.98). The proportion with controlled blood pressure at 6 months was greater in the intervention group than in the control group (76% versus 67%; P=0.02). This corresponded to a greater change in systolic blood pressure in the intervention versus control group (-3.63 SD, 19.81 mm Hg versus +0.34 SD, 23.76 mm Hg; P=0.04). There were no group differences in the control of cholesterol or use of antithrombotics. A low-cost peer education self-management workshop modestly improved blood pressure, but not low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or antithrombotic use, among stroke and transient ischemic attack survivors from vulnerable, predominantly minority urban communities. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT0102727. Unique identifier: NCT01027273. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Stroke as the First Clinical Manifestation of Takayasu's Arteritis.

PubMed

Pereira, Vanessa Caldeira; de Freitas, Carlos Clayton Macedo; Luvizutto, Gustavo José; Sobreira, Marcone Lima; Peixoto, Daniel Escobar Bueno; Magalhães, Inaldo do Nascimento; Bazan, Rodrigo; Braga, Gabriel Pereira

2014-09-01

Takayasu's arteritis is a chronic inflammatory disease, and neurological symptoms occur in 50% of cases, most commonly including headache, dizziness, visual disturbances, convulsive crisis, transient ischemic attack, stroke and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. The aim of this study was to report the case of a young Brazilian female with a focal neurological deficit. She presented with asymmetry of brachial and radial pulses, aphasia, dysarthria and right hemiplegia. Stroke was investigated extensively in this young patient. Only nonspecific inflammatory markers such as velocity of hemosedimentation and C-reactive protein were elevated. During hospitalization, clinical treatment was performed with pulse therapy showing improvement in neurological recuperation on subsequent days. In the chronic phase, the patient was submitted to medicated angioplasty of the brachiocephalic trunk with paclitaxel, with significant improvement of the stenosis. At the 6-month follow-up, the neurological exam presented mild dysarthria, faciobrachial predominant disproportionate hemiparesis, an NIHSS score of 4 and a modified Rankin Scale score of 3 (moderate incapacity). In conclusion, Takayasu's arteritis must be recognized as a potential cause of ischemic stroke in young females.

Characteristics of Useful and Practical Organizational Strategic Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Roger

2014-01-01

Most organizational strategic plans are not strategic but rather tactical or operational plans masquerading as "strategic." This article identifies the basic elements required in a useful and practical strategic plan and explains why they are important.

Large Omental Cystic Lymphangioma Masquerading as Mucinous Ovarian Neoplasia in an 8-Year-Old Premenarchal Girl: The Findings from Diagnostic Imaging and Laparoscopic-Assisted Excision.

PubMed

Takeda, Akihiro; Ito, Hiroaki; Nakamura, Hiromi

2017-12-01

Omental cystic lymphangioma is an extremely rare abdominal mass caused by congenital malformation. An 8-year-old premenarchal girl reported abdominal pain. Diagnostic imaging revealed a large multicystic mass measuring 22 cm in diameter, which occupied the entire abdominal cavity with ascites. Emergency laparoscopy revealed a ruptured large cystic mass originating from the greater omentum; this was followed by successful laparoscopic-assisted excision. The pathological diagnosis was omental cystic lymphangioma. The present findings show that omental cystic lymphangioma masquerading as mucinous ovarian neoplasia was a rare cause of acute abdominal events in a young girl. The present case shows that minimally invasive surgery can be a feasible option, which might achieve a favorable outcome in a young patient with an omental cystic lymphangioma. Copyright © 2017 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Challenges with nitrate therapy and nitrate tolerance: prevalence, prevention, and clinical relevance.

PubMed

Thadani, Udho

2014-08-01

Nitrate therapy has been an effective treatment for ischemic heart disease for over 100 years. The anti-ischemic and exercise-promoting benefits of sublingually administered nitrates are well established. Nitroglycerin is indicated for the relief of an established attack of angina and for prophylactic use, but its effects are short lived. In an effort to increase the duration of beneficial effects, long-acting orally administered and topical applications of nitrates have been developed; however, following their continued or frequent daily use, patients soon develop tolerance to these long-acting nitrate preparations. Once tolerance develops, patients begin losing the protective effects of the long-acting nitrate therapy. By providing a nitrate-free interval, or declining nitrate levels at night, one can overcome or reduce the development of tolerance, but cannot provide 24-h anti-anginal and anti-ischemic protection. In addition, patients may be vulnerable to occurrence of rebound angina and myocardial ischemia during periods of absent nitrate levels at night and early hours of the morning, and worsening of exercise capacity prior to the morning dose of the medication. This has been a concern with nitroglycerin patches but not with oral formulations of isosorbide-5 mononitrates, and has not been adequately studied with isosorbide dinitrate. This paper describes problems associated with nitrate tolerance, reviews mechanisms by which nitrate tolerance and loss of efficacy develop, and presents strategies to avoid nitrate tolerance and maintain efficacy when using long-acting nitrate formulations.

TIA model is attainable in Wistar rats by intraluminal occlusion of the MCA for 10min or shorter.

PubMed

Durukan Tolvanen, A; Tatlisumak, E; Pedrono, E; Abo-Ramadan, U; Tatlisumak, T

2017-05-15

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) has received only little attention in the experimental research field. Recently, we introduced a TIA model for mice, and here we set similar principles for simulating this human condition in Wistar rats. In the model: 1) transient nature of the event is ensured, and 2) 24h after the event animals are free from any sensorimotor deficit and from any detectable lesion by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Animals experienced varying durations of ischemia (5, 10, 12.5, 15, 25, and 30min, n=6-8pergroup) by intraluminal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Ischemia severity and reperfusion rates were controlled by cerebral blood flow measurements. Sensorimotor neurological evaluations and MRI at 24h differentiated between TIA and ischemic stroke. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and apoptotic cell counts revealed pathological correlates of the event. We found that already 12.5min of ischemia was long enough to induce ischemic stroke in Wistar rats. Ten min or shorter durations induced neither gross neurological deficits nor infarcts visible on MRI, but histologically caused selective neuronal necrosis. A separate group of animals with 10min of ischemia followed up to 1week after reperfusion remained free of infarction and any MRI signal change. Thus, 10min or shorter focal cerebral ischemia induced by intraluminal MCAO in Wistar rats provides a clinically relevant TIA the rat. This model is useful for studying molecular correlates of TIA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Safety and effectiveness of rivaroxaban and warfarin in moderate-to-advanced CKD: real world data.

PubMed

Di Lullo, Luca; Tripepi, Giovanni; Ronco, Claudio; De Pascalis, Antonio; Barbera, Vincenzo; Granata, Antonio; Russo, Domenico; Di Iorio, Biagio Raffaele; Paoletti, Ernesto; Ravera, Maura; Fusaro, Maria; Bellasi, Antonio

2018-06-07

In recent years, novel anticoagulant drugs have been introduced in the clinical armamentarium and have progressively gained momentum. Although their use is increasing among CKD patients, some skepticism about their risk-benefit ratio still persists. We sought to investigate the safety and effectiveness of rivaroxaban in a cohort of moderate-to-advanced CKD patients. This observational, retrospective, longitudinal study involved 347 consecutive CKD stage 3b-4 (according to NKF-KDOQI guidelines) patients enrolled from 8 cardiac outpatient clinics between March 2015 and October 2017. All patients received anticoagulation (100 warfarin vs. 247 rivaroxaban) as part of their non-valvular atrial fibrillation management at the attending physician's discretion. Clinical effectiveness (defined as the occurrence of ischemic stroke, venous thromboembolism, or transient ischemic attack) and safety (intracranial hemorrhage, gastrointestinal or other bleeding) were assessed separately. Over a mean follow-up period of 16 ± 0.3 months, 25 stroke episodes (15 hemorrhagic, and 10 ischemic) occurred in 24 warfarin treated patients vs. none in the rivaroxaban arm. There were 5 vs. 0 episodes of deep venous thrombosis and 8 vs. 2 major episodes of bleeding in the warfarin and rivaroxaban groups, respectively. In contrast, the proportion of minor episodes of bleeding was similar between groups. Rivaroxaban seems a safe and effective therapeutic option in CKD stage 3b-4 patients. However, future randomized controlled trials are needed to definitively establish the role of rivaroxaban in CKD patients.

Percutaneous patent foramen ovale closure: the Paradoxical Cerebral Embolism Prevention Registry.

PubMed

Paiva, Luís; Dinis, Paulo; Providência, Rui; Costa, Marco; Margalho, Susana; Goncalves, Lino

2015-03-01

The natural history and therapeutic interventions for secondary prevention after a cerebrovascular event in patients with patent foramen ovale (PFO) are not yet established. This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of percutaneous PFO closure in a population of patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease of unknown etiology. This prospective observational study included patients with a history of cryptogenic transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke who underwent percutaneous PFO closure. The effectiveness of the device for the secondary prevention of TIA or stroke was assessed by comparing observed events in the sample with expected events for this clinical setting. The sample included 193 cases of percutaneous PFO closure (age 46.4 ± 13.1 years, 62.2% female) with a mean follow-up of 4.3 ± 2.2 years, corresponding to a total exposure to ischemic events of 542 patient-years. The high-risk characteristics of the PFO were assessed prior to device implantation. There were seven primary endpoint events during follow-up (1.3 per 100 patient-years), corresponding to a relative risk reduction of 68.2% in recurrent TIA or stroke compared to medical therapy alone. The procedure was associated with a low rate of device- or intervention-related complications (1.5%). In this long-term registry, percutaneous PFO closure was shown to be a safe and effective therapy for the secondary prevention of cryptogenic stroke or TIA. Copyright © 2014 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

TIA Caused by Contrast Echocardiography in Patient with Platypnea-Orthodeoxia.

PubMed

Loncar, Goran; Payot, Laurent; Dubois, Mathieu

2015-10-01

Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome (POS) is a rare clinical disorder characterized by dyspnea caused by the upright position and relieved at recumbent position. Few cases of POS and stroke were reported in literature, and the association between stroke and POS with evidence of patent foramen ovale (PFO) is rare. Stroke may occur in patients with cardiac shunt who undergo contrast echocardiography. We present a patient with POS who experienced transitory ischemic attack (TIA) most likely caused by injection of agitated saline microbubbles during screen for PFO. No case report of TIA/stroke during contrast echocardiography in patients with POS has previously been published. © 2015, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Special coverage: 9th Conference on Retroviruses. TB, pneumonia deaths down, but heart attacks up.

PubMed

2002-05-01

The profile of AIDS deaths has changed since HIV-infected patients began to receive highly active antiretroviral therapy in 1996. While fewer people are now dying overall, more are dying from non-AIDS-related diseases. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other sources is showing an increase in non-AIDS-defining illnesses. One CDC study presented at the recent retroviruses conference showed that while there have been declines in the proportions of deaths from some AIDS-related causes, there is an increase in deaths from non-AIDS-related causes, including liver and kidney disease and possibly ischemic heart disease.

When Waves Collide: Future Conflict

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

predictions merely guesswork, and forecasts often nothing more than co- herent fiction masquerading as fact.2 Trends and megatrends , which are linear...transportation, on-site inspection, and environmental cleanup—including radi- ological, chemical, and biological —as well as enforcement of the

Dipyridamole for preventing recurrent ischemic stroke and other vascular events: a meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Leonardi-Bee, Jo; Bath, Philip M W; Bousser, Marie-Germaine; Davalos, Antoni; Diener, Hans-Christoph; Guiraud-Chaumeil, Bernard; Sivenius, Juhani; Yatsu, Frank; Dewey, Michael E

2005-01-01

Results from randomized controlled trials of dipyridamole, given with or without aspirin, for secondary prevention after ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) have given conflicting results. We performed a meta-analysis using individual patient data from relevant randomized controlled trials. Randomized controlled trials involving dipyridamole in patients with previous ischemic stroke or TIA were sought from searches of the Cochrane Library, other electronic databases, references lists, earlier reviews, and contact with the manufacturer of dipyridamole. Individual patient data were merged from 5 of 7 relevant trials involving 11 459 patients. Results were adjusted for age, gender, qualifying event, and history of previous hypertension. Recurrent stroke was reduced by dipyridamole as compared with control (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.68 to 1.00), and by combined aspirin and dipyridamole versus aspirin alone (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.93), dipyridamole alone (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.90), or control (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.51 to 0.71). The point estimates obtained for the comparisons of aspirin and dipyridamole versus control (OR, 0.63; significant) or versus aspirin (OR, 0.88; nonsignificant) were similar if the data from the largest trial, ESPS II (which provided 57% of data), were excluded. Similar findings were observed for nonfatal stroke. The combination of aspirin and dipyridamole also significantly reduced the composite outcome of nonfatal stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and vascular death as compared with aspirin alone (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.72 to 0.97), dipyridamole alone (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.90), or control (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.57 to 0.75). Vascular death was not altered in any group. Dipyridamole, given alone or with aspirin, reduces stroke recurrence in patients with previous ischemic cerebrovascular disease. The combination of aspirin and dipyridamole also reduces the composite of nonfatal stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and vascular death as compared with aspirin alone.

Nurse-Led Intervention to Improve Knowledge of Medications in Survivors of Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Olaiya, Muideen T; Cadilhac, Dominique A; Kim, Joosup; Ung, David; Nelson, Mark R; Srikanth, Velandai K; Bladin, Christopher F; Gerraty, Richard P; Fitzgerald, Sharyn M; Phan, Thanh G; Frayne, Judith; Thrift, Amanda G

2016-01-01

Limited evidence exists on effective interventions to improve knowledge of preventive medications in patients with chronic diseases, such as stroke. We investigated the effectiveness of a nurse-led intervention, where a component was to improve knowledge of prevention medications, in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Prospective sub-study of the Shared Team Approach between Nurses and Doctors for Improved Risk Factor Management, a randomized controlled trial of risk factor management. We recruited patients aged ≥18 years and hospitalized for stroke/TIA. The intervention comprised an individualized management program, involving nurse-led education, and management plan with medical specialist oversight. The outcome, participants' knowledge of secondary prevention medications at 12 months, was assessed using questionnaires. A score of ≥5 was considered as good knowledge. Effectiveness of the intervention on knowledge of medications was determined using logistic regression. Between May 2014 and January 2015, 142 consecutive participants from the main trial were included in this sub-study, 64 to usual care and 78 to the intervention (median age 68.9 years, 68% males, and 79% ischemic stroke). In multivariable analyses, we found no significant difference between intervention groups in knowledge of medications. Factors independently associated with good knowledge (score ≥5) at 12 months included higher socioeconomic position (OR 4.79, 95% CI 1.76, 13.07), greater functional ability (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.17, 2.45), being married/living with a partner (OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.10, 8.87), and using instructions on pill bottle/package as an administration aid (OR 4.82, 95% CI 1.76, 13.22). Being aged ≥65 years was associated with poorer knowledge of medications (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.08, 0.71), while knowledge was worse among those taking three medications (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.03, 0.66) or ≥4 medications (OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.02, 0.44), when compared to participants taking fewer (≤2) prevention medications. There was no evidence that the nurse-led intervention was effective for improving knowledge of secondary prevention medications in patients with stroke/TIA at 12 months. However, older patients and those taking more medications should be particularly targeted for more intensive education. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12688000166370).

Prevention of Stroke with Ticagrelor in Patients with Prior Myocardial Infarction: Insights from PEGASUS-TIMI 54 (Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Prior Heart Attack Using Ticagrelor Compared to Placebo on a Background of Aspirin-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 54).

PubMed

Bonaca, Marc P; Goto, Shinya; Bhatt, Deepak L; Steg, P Gabriel; Storey, Robert F; Cohen, Marc; Goodrich, Erica; Mauri, Laura; Ophuis, Ton Oude; Ruda, Mikhail; Špinar, Jindřich; Seung, Ki-Bae; Hu, Dayi; Dalby, Anthony J; Jensen, Eva; Held, Peter; Morrow, David A; Braunwald, Eugene; Sabatine, Marc S

2016-09-20

In the PEGASUS-TIMI 54 trial (Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Prior Heart Attack Using Ticagrelor Compared to Placebo on a Background of Aspirin-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 54), ticagrelor reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events when added to low-dose aspirin in stable patients with prior myocardial infarction, resulting in the approval of ticagrelor 60 mg twice daily for long-term secondary prevention. We investigated the incidence of stroke, outcomes after stroke, and the efficacy of ticagrelor focusing on the approved 60 mg twice daily dose for reducing stroke in this population. Patients were followed for a median of 33 months. Stroke events were adjudicated by a central committee. Data from similar trials were combined using meta-analysis. Of 14 112 patients randomly assigned to placebo or ticagrelor 60 mg, 213 experienced a stroke; 85% of these strokes were ischemic. A total of 18% of strokes were fatal and another 15% led to either moderate or severe disability at 30 days. Ticagrelor significantly reduced the risk of stroke (hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.57-0.98; P=0.034), driven by a reduction in ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.56-1.02). Hemorrhagic stroke occurred in 9 patients on placebo and 8 patients on ticagrelor. A meta-analysis across 4 placebo-controlled trials of more intensive antiplatelet therapy in 44 816 patients with coronary disease confirmed a marked reduction in ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.81; P=0.0001). High-risk patients with prior myocardial infarction are at risk for stroke, approximately one-third of which are fatal or lead to moderate-to-severe disability. The addition of ticagrelor 60 mg twice daily significantly reduced this risk without an excess of hemorrhagic stroke but with more major bleeding. In high-risk patients with coronary disease, more intensive antiplatelet therapy should be considered not only to reduce the risk of coronary events, but also of stroke. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique Identifier: NCT01225562. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Efficacy and Safety of Vorapaxar With and Without a Thienopyridine for Secondary Prevention in Patients With Previous Myocardial Infarction and No History of Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: Results from TRA 2°P-TIMI 50.

PubMed

Bohula, Erin A; Aylward, Philip E; Bonaca, Marc P; Corbalan, Ramon L; Kiss, Robert G; Murphy, Sabina A; Scirica, Benjamin M; White, Harvey; Braunwald, Eugene; Morrow, David A

2015-11-17

Vorapaxar antagonizes protease-activated receptor 1, the primary receptor for thrombin on human platelets, and reduces recurrent thrombotic events in stable patients with a previous myocardial infarction (MI). We wished to determine whether the efficacy and safety of antiplatelet therapy with vorapaxar was modified by concurrent thienopyridine use. The Thrombin Receptor Antagonist in Secondary Prevention of Atherothrombotic Ischemic Events-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 50 (TRA 2°P-TIMI 50) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of vorapaxar in 26,449 patients with previous atherothrombosis. This prespecified analysis included 16,897 patients who qualified with a MI in the preceding 2 weeks to 12 months and was restricted to patients without a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack given its contraindication in that population. Randomization was stratified on the basis of planned thienopyridine use. Thienopyridine was planned at randomization in 12,410 (73%). Vorapaxar significantly reduced the composite of cardiovascular death, MI, and stroke in comparison with placebo regardless of planned thienopyridine therapy (planned thienopyridine, hazard ratio, 0.80, 0.70-0.91, P<0.001; no planned thienopyridine, hazard ratio, 0.75; 0.60-0.94, P=0.011; P-interaction=0.67). Findings were similar when patients were stratified by actual thienopyridine use at baseline (P-interaction=0.82) and through 18 months (P-interaction=0.44). Global Use of Strategies to Open Occluded Coronary Arteries (GUSTO) moderate or severe bleeding risk was increased with vorapaxar and was not significantly altered by planned thienopyridine (planned, hazard ratio, 1.50; 1.18-1.89, P<0.001; no planned, hazard ratio, 1.90, 1.17-3.07, P=0.009; P-interaction=0.37) or actual thienopyridine use (P-interaction=0.24). Vorapaxar reduced cardiovascular death, MI, or stroke in stable patients with a history of previous MI, whether treated concomitantly with a thienopyridine or not. The relative risk of moderate or severe bleeding was similarly increased irrespective of thienopyridine use. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00526474. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Successful Resection of a Large Carotid Body Tumor Masquerading Complete Encasement of the Internal Carotid Artery on Preoperative Imaging.

PubMed

Kakkos, Stavros K; Zampakis, Peter; Lampropoulos, George C; Paridis, Leonidas; Kaplanis, Charalampos; Bantouna, Dimitra; Nikolakopoulos, Konstantinos M; Papageorgopoulou, Chrysanthi P; Kalogeropoulou, Christina; Tsolakis, Ioannis A

2018-05-01

A 41-year-old woman presented with a large painful and tender mass of the left side of her neck located just below the angle of the mandible. She was also complaining of frequent attacks of symptoms ranging from dizziness upon resuming the erect position to frank syncope. Color-coded duplex showed a large well-vascularized vascular mass at the level of the carotid bifurcation, suggesting the diagnosis of a carotid body tumor (CBT). A computerized tomographic angiography confirmed the diagnosis of a CBT, which measured 5.7 cm in its craniocaudal axis. The tumor appeared to encase the internal carotid artery (ICA) at the level of its origin, indicating the presence of a Shamblin group 3 tumor. During surgery, the CBT seemingly encased the ICA; however, it was successfully taken off the ICA, by establishing an adventitial dissection place, obviating the need for arterial resection and replacement. A brief intraoperative episode of cardiac arrest was successfully managed. Postoperative course was uneventful, and all symptoms were cured. Pathology confirmed the clinical diagnosis and did not show malignancy. In conclusion, meticulous surgical techniques can spare the ICA from removal or inadvertent injury during CBT surgery and reduce the morbidity often associated with the resection of large or advanced tumors but also cure atypical patient symptoms.

Postictal behavioural impairments are due to a severe prolonged hypoperfusion/hypoxia event that is COX-2 dependent

PubMed Central

Farrell, Jordan S; Gaxiola-Valdez, Ismael; Wolff, Marshal D; David, Laurence S; Dika, Haruna I; Geeraert, Bryce L; Rachel Wang, X; Singh, Shaily; Spanswick, Simon C; Dunn, Jeff F; Antle, Michael C; Federico, Paolo; Teskey, G Campbell

2016-01-01

Seizures are often followed by sensory, cognitive or motor impairments during the postictal phase that show striking similarity to transient hypoxic/ischemic attacks. Here we show that seizures result in a severe hypoxic attack confined to the postictal period. We measured brain oxygenation in localized areas from freely-moving rodents and discovered a severe hypoxic event (pO2 < 10 mmHg) after the termination of seizures. This event lasted over an hour, is mediated by hypoperfusion, generalizes to people with epilepsy, and is attenuated by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2 or L-type calcium channels. Using inhibitors of these targets we separated the seizure from the resulting severe hypoxia and show that structure specific postictal memory and behavioral impairments are the consequence of this severe hypoperfusion/hypoxic event. Thus, epilepsy is much more than a disease hallmarked by seizures, since the occurrence of postictal hypoperfusion/hypoxia results in a separate set of neurological consequences that are currently not being treated and are preventable. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19352.001 PMID:27874832

Susceptibility of ornamental pepper banker plant candidates to common greenhouse pests

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Susceptibility of four potential ornamental pepper banker plant candidates [Black Pearl (BP), Explosive Ember (EE), Masquerade (MA), Red Missile (RM), and a commercial pepper cultivar Blitz (BL)] were evaluated against three common greenhouse pests - Bemisia tabaci, Polyphagotarsonemus latus and Fra...

Granuloma fissuratum masquerading as a skin tumor.

PubMed

Rist, T E; Marks, J G

1980-06-01

Granuloma fissuratum is a reactive process of the skin usually caused by chronic trauma from ill-fitting eyeglass frames. Its clinical resemblance to malignant tumors makes it important to recognize this benign condition. This case report discuses the diagnosis and management of granuloma fissuratum.

Genomic analysis identifies masqueraders of full-term cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Takezawa, Yusuke; Kikuchi, Atsuo; Haginoya, Kazuhiro; Niihori, Tetsuya; Numata-Uematsu, Yurika; Inui, Takehiko; Yamamura-Suzuki, Saeko; Miyabayashi, Takuya; Anzai, Mai; Suzuki-Muromoto, Sato; Okubo, Yukimune; Endo, Wakaba; Togashi, Noriko; Kobayashi, Yasuko; Onuma, Akira; Funayama, Ryo; Shirota, Matsuyuki; Nakayama, Keiko; Aoki, Yoko; Kure, Shigeo

2018-05-01

Cerebral palsy is a common, heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder that causes movement and postural disabilities. Recent studies have suggested genetic diseases can be misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy. We hypothesized that two simple criteria, that is, full-term births and nonspecific brain MRI findings, are keys to extracting masqueraders among cerebral palsy cases due to the following: (1) preterm infants are susceptible to multiple environmental factors and therefore demonstrate an increased risk of cerebral palsy and (2) brain MRI assessment is essential for excluding environmental causes and other particular disorders. A total of 107 patients-all full-term births-without specific findings on brain MRI were identified among 897 patients diagnosed with cerebral palsy who were followed at our center. DNA samples were available for 17 of the 107 cases for trio whole-exome sequencing and array comparative genomic hybridization. We prioritized variants in genes known to be relevant in neurodevelopmental diseases and evaluated their pathogenicity according to the American College of Medical Genetics guidelines. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic candidate variants were identified in 9 of 17 cases (52.9%) within eight genes: CTNNB1 , CYP2U1 , SPAST , GNAO1 , CACNA1A , AMPD2 , STXBP1 , and SCN2A . Five identified variants had previously been reported. No pathogenic copy number variations were identified. The AMPD2 missense variant and the splice-site variants in CTNNB1 and AMPD2 were validated by in vitro functional experiments. The high rate of detecting causative genetic variants (52.9%) suggests that patients diagnosed with cerebral palsy in full-term births without specific MRI findings may include genetic diseases masquerading as cerebral palsy.

Identifying and quantifying recurrent novae masquerading as classical novae

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pagnotta, Ashley; Schaefer, Bradley E., E-mail: pagnotta@amnh.org

2014-06-20

Recurrent novae (RNe) are cataclysmic variables with two or more nova eruptions within a century. Classical novae (CNe) are similar systems with only one such eruption. Many of the so-called CNe are actually RNe for which only one eruption has been discovered. Since RNe are candidate Type Ia supernova progenitors, it is important to know whether there are enough in our Galaxy to provide the supernova rate, and therefore to know how many RNe are masquerading as CNe. To quantify this, we collected all available information on the light curves and spectra of a Galactic, time-limited sample of 237 CNemore » and the 10 known RNe, as well as exhaustive discovery efficiency records. We recognize RNe as having (1) outburst amplitude smaller than 14.5 – 4.5 × log (t {sub 3}), (2) orbital period >0.6 days, (3) infrared colors of J – H > 0.7 mag and H – K > 0.1 mag, (4) FWHM of Hα > 2000 km s{sup –1}, (5) high excitation lines, such as Fe X or He II near peak, (6) eruption light curves with a plateau, and (7) white dwarf mass greater than 1.2 M {sub ☉}. Using these criteria, we identify V1721 Aql, DE Cir, CP Cru, KT Eri, V838 Her, V2672 Oph, V4160 Sgr, V4643 Sgr, V4739 Sgr, and V477 Sct as strong RN candidates. We evaluate the RN fraction among the known CNe using three methods to get 24% ± 4%, 12% ± 3%, and 35% ± 3%. With roughly a quarter of the 394 known Galactic novae actually being RNe, there should be approximately a hundred such systems masquerading as CNe.« less

Efficacy and safety of left atrial appendage closure with WATCHMAN in patients with or without contraindication to oral anticoagulation: 1-Year follow-up outcome data of the EWOLUTION trial.

PubMed

Boersma, Lucas V; Ince, Hueseyin; Kische, Stephan; Pokushalov, Evgeny; Schmitz, Thomas; Schmidt, Boris; Gori, Tommaso; Meincke, Felix; Protopopov, Alexey Vladimir; Betts, Timothy; Foley, David; Sievert, Horst; Mazzone, Patrizio; De Potter, Tom; Vireca, Elisa; Stein, Kenneth; Bergmann, Martin W

2017-09-01

Left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion with WATCHMAN has emerged as viable alternative to vitamin K antagonists in randomized controlled trials. EWOLUTION was designed to provide data in routine practice from a prospective multicenter registry. A total of 1025 patients scheduled for a WATCHMAN implant were prospectively and sequentially enrolled at 47 centers. Indication for LAA closure was based on European Society of Cardiology guidelines. Follow-up and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) were performed per local practice. The baseline CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score was 4.5 ± 1.6; the mean age was 73.4 ± 9 years; previous transient ischemic attack/ischemic stroke was present in 312 (30.5%), 155 (15.1%) had previous hemorrhagic stroke, and 320 (31.3%) had a history of major bleeding; and 750 (73%) were deemed unsuitable for oral anticoagulation therapy. WATCHMAN implant succeeded in 1005 (98.5%) of patients, without leaks >5 mm in 1002 (99.7%) with at least 1 TEE follow-up in 875 patients (87%). Antiplatelet therapy was used in 784 (83%), while vitamin K antagonists were used in only 75 (8%). At 1 year, mortality was 98 (9.8%), reflecting the advanced age and comorbidities in this population. Device thrombus was observed in 28 patients at routine TEE (3.7%) and was not correlated with the drug regimen (P = .14). Ischemic stroke rate was 1.1% (relative risk 84% vs estimated historical data); the major bleeding rate was 2.6% and was predominantly (2.3%) nonprocedure/device related. LAA closure with the WATCHMAN device has a high implant and sealing success. This method of stroke risk reduction appears to be safe and effective with an ischemic stroke rate as low as 1.1%, even though 73% of patients had a contraindication to and were not using oral anticoagulation. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy for Ischemic Stroke

PubMed Central

Lansberg, Maarten G.; O’Donnell, Martin J.; Khatri, Pooja; Lang, Eddy S.; Nguyen-Huynh, Mai N.; Schwartz, Neil E.; Sonnenberg, Frank A.; Schulman, Sam; Vandvik, Per Olav; Spencer, Frederick A.; Alonso-Coello, Pablo; Guyatt, Gordon H.

2012-01-01

Objectives: This article provides recommendations on the use of antithrombotic therapy in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Methods: We generated treatment recommendations (Grade 1) and suggestions (Grade 2) based on high (A), moderate (B), and low (C) quality evidence. Results: In patients with acute ischemic stroke, we recommend IV recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) if treatment can be initiated within 3 h (Grade 1A) or 4.5 h (Grade 2C) of symptom onset; we suggest intraarterial r-tPA in patients ineligible for IV tPA if treatment can be initiated within 6 h (Grade 2C); we suggest against the use of mechanical thrombectomy (Grade 2C) although carefully selected patients may choose this intervention; and we recommend early aspirin therapy at a dose of 160 to 325 mg (Grade 1A). In patients with acute stroke and restricted mobility, we suggest the use of prophylactic-dose heparin or intermittent pneumatic compression devices (Grade 2B) and suggest against the use of elastic compression stockings (Grade 2B). In patients with a history of noncardioembolic ischemic stroke or TIA, we recommend long-term treatment with aspirin (75-100 mg once daily), clopidogrel (75 mg once daily), aspirin/extended release dipyridamole (25 mg/200 mg bid), or cilostazol (100 mg bid) over no antiplatelet therapy (Grade 1A), oral anticoagulants (Grade 1B), the combination of clopidogrel plus aspirin (Grade 1B), or triflusal (Grade 2B). Of the recommended antiplatelet regimens, we suggest clopidogrel or aspirin/extended-release dipyridamole over aspirin (Grade 2B) or cilostazol (Grade 2C). In patients with a history of stroke or TIA and atrial fibrillation we recommend oral anticoagulation over no antithrombotic therapy, aspirin, and combination therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel (Grade 1B). Conclusions: These recommendations can help clinicians make evidence-based treatment decisions with their patients who have had strokes. PMID:22315273

Secondary stroke prevention with ximelagatran versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation: pooled analysis of SPORTIF III and V clinical trials.

PubMed

Akins, Paul T; Feldman, Harvey A; Zoble, Robert G; Newman, David; Spitzer, Stefan G; Diener, Hans-Christoph; Albers, Gregory W

2007-03-01

Patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) are at high risk for recurrent stroke. We investigated whether ximelagatran was noninferior to warfarin in patients with prior stroke or TIA. We analyzed pooled data from the SPORTIF III and V trials in patients with prior stroke/TIA. The primary outcome was the composite annual rate of both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes and systemic embolic events. Secondary analyses considered ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes separately, bleeding, and nonrandomized, concomitant therapy with aspirin < or =100 mg/d. Patients from SPORTIF III (n=3407) and SPORTIF V (n=3922) trials were categorized by prior stroke/TIA (21%) versus no prior stroke/TIA (79%) and by treatment group (ximelagatran vs warfarin). The primary event rate in patients with prior stroke/TIA was 2.83%/y with ximelagatran and 3.27%/y with warfarin (absolute difference, -0.44%; 95% CI, -1.88 to1.01; P=0.625). In those without prior stroke/TIA, the primary event rate was 1.31%/y with ximelagatran and 1.26%/y with warfarin (P=NS). Ischemic strokes outnumbered cerebral hemorrhages with both warfarin (31 of 36) and ximelagatran (30 of 32) treatment (difference between treatments was not significant). Combining aspirin with either anticoagulant was associated with higher rates of major bleeding (1.5%/y with warfarin and 4.95%/y with warfarin plus aspirin, P=0.004; 2.35%/y with ximelagatran and 5.09%/y with ximelagatran plus aspirin, P=0.046) but not lower rates of primary events. Ximelagatran was at least as effective as well-controlled warfarin for the secondary prevention of stroke. The nonrandomized, concomitant treatment with aspirin and anticoagulation was associated with increased bleeding without evidence of a reduction in primary outcome events.

Ischemic stroke risk factors during Greek economic crisis.

PubMed

Katsanos, Aristeidis H; Fiolaki, Aidonio; Markou, Sofia; Markoula, Sofia; Kosmidou, Maria; Kyritsis, Athanassios P; Giannopoulos, Sotirios

2016-02-01

The impact of Greece's economic crisis on healthcare is of great concern. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of economic crisis on the prevention of cerebral ischemic events. Retrospective analysis of patients with ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) admitted to a tertiary neurological department in northwestern Greece during the period 2008-2014. Using 2011 as the transitional year IS/TIA patients were dichotomized according to their admission date in two subgroups: the "before economic crisis" subgroup and the "after economic crisis" subgroup. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictor variables of statin/antihypertensive pretreatment. Patients admitted after the economic crisis outbreak (mean age: 57.6 ± 13.5 years) were found to have lower waist periphery measurements (p = 0.001), lower incidence of diabetes (p = 0.028), hyperlipidemia (p = 0.002) and metabolic syndrome(p < 0.001), at stroke onset with lower rates of antilipidemic treatment prescription prior to stroke onset compared to those patients with cerebral ischemia that were hospitalized before the financial crisis (mean age: 59.6 ± 11.1 years). However, between the two subgroups were no significant differences in the rates of untreated patients with hyperlipidemia (p = 0.189) and/or hypertension (p = 0.313). Even though statin pretreatment prior to stroke onset was found to be reduced during economic crisis compared to the period before the crisis, (OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.34-0.95, p = 0.032), this association did not retain statistical significance in the multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR = 1.69, 95%CI = 0.83-3.42, p = 0.143). Our study supports that at present financial crisis has not significantly affected the prevention of cerebrovascular events in the citizens of a provincial city area. Data from other regions and time-periods are needed for the final verdict. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Cerebral ischemia in Rendu-Osler-Weber disease].

PubMed

Delgado Reyes, S; García de la Rocha, M L; Fernández-Armayor Ajo, V; Sierra Sierra, I; Martín Araguz, A; Moreno Martínez, J M

2000-02-01

Neurologic manifestations occur in 8-12% of the patients with Rendu-Osler-Weber disease or hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), principally infectious and hemorrhagic and, less frequently, ischemic ones. More than a half of these neurologic complications are associated with pulmonary arterio-venous malformations (PAVM). The diagnosis of HHT is based on the presence of telangiectases, hemorrhagic events and a family history with an autosomal dominant pattern. We report a case of a patient diagnosed as having HHT with transient ischemic attacks and a PAVM, which was occluded by the use of embolotherapy. Cerebral ischemia in HHT is related to the existence of a PAVM and results from three mechanisms: 1) secondary poliglobulia and hyperviscosity because of the hypoxemia due to a right-left shunt; 2) communication between the airway and the pulmonary circulation during cough access, which produces gas embolism and hemoptysis; 3) and, finally, paradoxical embolism trough the PAVM, the same mechanism proposed to the infectious neurologic manifestations of the disease. When the diagnosis of HHT is suspected, early search and treatment of PAVM, with embolotherapy or surgery, are necessary in order to avoid respiratory problems (hemoptysis, exertional dyspnea, cianosis, clubbing) and neurologic complications.

Taking Science Seriously in the Debate on Death and Organ Transplantation.

PubMed

Nair-Collins, Michael

2015-01-01

The effort to develop international guidelines for determination of death purports to start with an objective examination of the biology of death. So far, however, it is showing once again how moral and metaphysical claims about death masquerade as scientific facts.

Selecting an ornamental pepper banker plant for Amblyseius swirskii in floriculture crops

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Preference of phytoseiid mite Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) was assessed on four cultivars of ornamental pepper banker plant candidates; Red Missile (RM), Masquerade (MA), Explosive Ember (EE), and Black Pearl (BP) for potential control of pestiferous insects in floriculture. Cultivar prefere...

A type II first branchial cleft cyst masquerading as an infected parotid Warthin's tumor.

PubMed

Chen, Meng-Feng; Ueng, Shir-Hwa; Jung, Shih-Ming; Chen, Yao-Liang; Chang, Kai-Ping

2006-01-01

The diagnosis of a parotid mass usually depends on thorough history taking and physical examination. Diagnostic modalities, including ultrasonographic examinations, computed tomography and magnetic resonance images, may also provide substantial information but their accuracy for diagnosis is sometimes questionable, especially in differentiating some rare neoplasms. First branchial cleft cysts (FBCCs) are rare causes of parotid swelling and comprise less than 1% of all branchial anomalies. They are frequently misdiagnosed due to their rarity and unfamiliar clinical signs and symptoms. We present a case of type II FBCC masquerading as an infected parotid Warthin's tumor. We also review the clinical signs and symptoms of FBCCs in order to remind clinicians that this rare branchial anomaly can mimic an infected Warthin's tumor and may be seated in the deep lobe of the parotid gland. By making an accurate pre-operative diagnosis of type II FBCC, we can minimize surgical morbidity and avoid incomplete resection and possible recurrence.

A Case of a Composite Adrenal Medullary Tumor of Pheochromocytoma and Ganglioneuroma Masquerading as Acute Pancreatitis

PubMed Central

Choi, Eun-Kyoung; Kim, Wan-Ho

2006-01-01

Composite adrenal medullary tumors, composed of both pheochromocytoma and ganglioneuroma, are extremely rare, as are pheochromocytomas masquerading as acute relapsing pancreatitis. We recently experienced a case of a 48-year-old male with both these phenomena. The patient complained of an acute onset of intense abdominal discomfort. At the same time, pancreatic enzymes were increased in concentration. An abdominal computed tomographic scan revealed an enlarged pancreas and a 3-cm left adrenal incidentaloma. Biochemical and 131I-MIBG scintigraphic findings were compatible with a pheochromocytoma. Yet, he had no clinical manifestations suggesting pheochromocytoma. An adrenalectomy was performed and a composite adrenal medullary tumor of pheochromocytoma and ganglioneuroma was confirmed during a pathologic examination. This case illustrates two points: 1) acute abdominal intense discomfort and hyperamylasemia may be unusual presentations of pheochromocytomas; and 2) the possibility of the pheochromocytoma, albeit rare, should be considered when a relapsing pancreatitis of uncertain etiology develops. PMID:16913447

Schwannoma of the descending loop of the hypoglossal nerve: Case report.

PubMed

Illuminati, Giulio; Pizzardi, Giulia; Pasqua, Rocco; Palumbo, Piergaspare; Vietri, Francesco

2017-01-01

Schwannomas of the descending loop of the hypoglossal nerve are very rare. They are slow-growing tumors that may masquerade a carotid body tumor. A 60-year-old female was referred for a latero-cervical mass appearing as a chemodectoma at CT-scan. At operation, a 2cm mass arising from the descending loop of the hypoglossal nerve was resected en bloc with the loop itself and a functional lymphadenectomy was associated. Post-operative course was uneventful and the patient is free from disease recurrence at one year follow-up. En bloc resection remains the real curative treatment of Schwannomas, ensuring unlimited freedom from disease, although causing functional impairment which may be significant. Nonetheless recurrence should be prevented as, beside requiring reintervention, it may harbor a malignant evolution towards sarcoma. Schwannomas of the descending lop of the hypoglossal nerve may masquerade a chemodectoma of the carotid bifurcation and can be curatively resected without any functional impairment. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Primary hyperparathyroidism may masquerade as rickets-osteomalacia in vitamin D replete children.

PubMed

Ganie, Mohd Ashraf; Raizada, Nishant; Chawla, Himika; Singh, Arun Kumar; Aggarwala, Sandeep; Bal, Chandra Sekhar

2016-10-01

Primary hyperparathyroidism, typically a disease of the middle aged and the old, is less commonly seen in children. In children the disease has a bimodal age distribution with calcium sensing receptor mutation presenting in infancy as hypercalcemic crises and parathyroid adenoma or hyperplasia presenting later in childhood with bone disease. The childhood parathyroid adenomas are often familial with multiglandular disease and manifest with severe bone disease unlike adults. We report a series of four male patients with juvenile primary hyperparathyroidism, three of whom presented with bone disease masquerading as rickets-osteomalacia. One patient had asymptomatic hypercalcemia with short stature. Parathyroid adenoma was detected in all the four cases and all of them underwent resection of parathyroid adenomas confirmed on histopathology. Post-surgery all the cases had initial hypocalcaemia followed by normocalcemia. One case developed pancreatitis after surgery even after achieving normocalcemia. We conclude that parathyroid adenomas, although uncommon in children, are an important cause of skeletal disease that may initially be confused with hypovitaminosis D.

Nail psoriasis masqueraded by secondary infection with Rhodotorula mucilaginosa.

PubMed

Martini, K; Müller, H; Huemer, H P; Höpfl, R

2013-11-01

A 38-year-old man presented with whitish nail changes on all fingers as the sole symptom. The condition had developed within a few days and led to dystrophy of the proximal part of the nail plates. As microscopic examination of nail scrapings demonstrated budding hyphae and the patient working as a teacher reported frequent use of a wet sponge, antifungal therapy was initiated. Subsequent cultures and molecular typing identified Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (formerly R. rubra). This environmental yeast was repeatedly isolated despite of therapy with itraconazole. As no improvement was achieved and testing of the biological activity of the fungus revealed only marginal keratolytic activity, it was considered as a coloniser of a destructed nail matrix. Finally, a biopsy of the nail bed confirmed the diagnosis of nail psoriasis, which rapidly responded to treatment with acitretin and topical calcipotriol/betamethasone cream. Fungal growth in destructed nails masqueraded the underlying disease and may have triggered the psoriatic nail reaction. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Multiscale technologies for treatment of ischemic cardiomyopathy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmoudi, Morteza; Yu, Mikyung; Serpooshan, Vahid; Wu, Joseph C.; Langer, Robert; Lee, Richard T.; Karp, Jeffrey M.; Farokhzad, Omid C.

2017-09-01

The adult mammalian heart possesses only limited capacity for innate regeneration and the response to severe injury is dominated by the formation of scar tissue. Current therapy to replace damaged cardiac tissue is limited to cardiac transplantation and thus many patients suffer progressive decay in the heart's pumping capacity to the point of heart failure. Nanostructured systems have the potential to revolutionize both preventive and therapeutic approaches for treating cardiovascular disease. Here, we outline recent advancements in nanotechnology that could be exploited to overcome the major obstacles in the prevention of and therapy for heart disease. We also discuss emerging trends in nanotechnology affecting the cardiovascular field that may offer new hope for patients suffering massive heart attacks.

Intraoperative Evaluation of Reverse Bypass Using a Naturally Formed "Bonnet" Superficial Temporal Artery: Technical Note.

PubMed

Nagm, Alhusain; Horiuchi, Tetsuyoshi; Hasegawa, Takatoshi; Hongo, Kazuhiro

2016-04-01

In reverse bypass that used a naturally formed "bonnet" superficial temporal artery, intraoperative volume flow measurement quantifies flow augmentation after revascularization, confirms flow preservation, and identifies inadvertent vessel compromise. A 75-year-old man presented with transient ischemic attacks attributed to right internal carotid artery stenosis. He underwent successful reverse bypass via a naturally formed "bonnet" superficial temporal artery middle cerebral artery bypass. As the result of proper intraoperative volume flow evaluation, a successful reverse bypass was achieved. Modification of the intraoperative stroke risk and prediction of the long-term patency after reverse bypass can be achieved by meticulous intraoperative blood flow evaluation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cerebrovascular Accident Incidence in the NASA Astronaut Population

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LaPelusa, Michael B.; Charvat, Jacqueline M.; Lee, Lesley R.; Wear, Mary L.; Van Baalen, Mary

2016-01-01

The development of atherosclerosis is strongly associated with an increased risk for cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), including stroke and transient ischemic attacks (TIA). Certain unique occupational exposures that individuals in the NASA astronaut corps face, specifically high-performance aircraft training, SCUBA training, and spaceflight, are hypothesized to cause changes to the cardiovascular system. These changes, which include (but are not limited to) oxidative damage as a result of radiation exposure and circadian rhythm disturbance, increased arterial stiffness, and increased carotid-intima-media thickness (CIMT), may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and subsequent CVA. The purpose of this study was to review cases of CVA in the NASA astronaut corps and describe the comorbidities and occupational exposures associated with CVA.

Systemic risk score evaluation in ischemic stroke patients (SCALA): a prospective cross sectional study in 85 German stroke units.

PubMed

Weimar, Christian; Goertler, Michael; Röther, Joachim; Ringelstein, E Bernd; Darius, Harald; Nabavi, Darius Günther; Kim, In-Ha; Theobald, Karlheinz; Diener, Han-Christoph

2007-11-01

Stratification of patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ischemic stroke (IS) by risk of recurrent stroke can contribute to optimized secondary prevention. We therefore aimed to assess cardiovascular risk factor profiles of consecutive patients hospitalized with TIA/IS to stratify the risk of recurrent stroke according to the Essen Stroke Risk Score (ESRS) and of future cardiovascular events according to the ankle brachial index (ABI) as a marker of generalized atherosclerosis In this cross-sectional observational study, 85 neurological stroke units throughout Germany documented cardiovascular risk factor profiles of 10 consecutive TIA/IS patients on standardized questionnaires. Screening for PAD was done with Doppler ultrasonography to calculate the ABI. A total of 852 patients (57% men) with a mean age of 67+/-12.4 years were included of whom 82.9 % had IS. The median National Institutes of Health stroke sum score was 4 (TIA: 1). Arterial hypertension was reported in 71%, diabetes mellitus in 26%, clinical PAD in 10%, and an ABI < or = 0.9 in 51%. An ESRS > or = 3 was observed in 58%, which in two previous retrospective analyses corresponded to a recurrent stroke risk of > or = 4%/year. The correlation between the ESRS and the ABI was low (r = 0.21). A high proportion of patients had asymptomatic atherosclerotic disease and a considerable risk of recurrent stroke according to the ABI and ESRS category. The prognostic accuracy as well as the potential benefit of various risk stratification scores in secondary stroke prevention require validation in a larger prospective study.

Association of alpha-thalassemia, TNF-alpha (-308G>A) and VCAM-1 (c.1238G>C) gene polymorphisms with cerebrovascular disease in a newborn cohort of 411 children with sickle cell anemia.

PubMed

Belisário, André Rolim; Nogueira, Frederico Lisboa; Rodrigues, Rahyssa Sales; Toledo, Nayara Evelin; Cattabriga, Ana Luiza Moreira; Velloso-Rodrigues, Cibele; Duarte, Filipe Otávio Chaves; Silva, Célia Maria; Viana, Marcos Borato

2015-01-01

Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is a severe complication associated with sickle cell anemia. Abnormal transcranial Doppler (TCD) identifies some children at high risk, but other markers would be helpful. This cohort study was aimed at evaluating the effects of genetic biomarkers on the risk of developing CVD in children from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Clinical and hematological data were retrieved from children's records. Outcomes studied were overt ischemic stroke and CVD (overt ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, abnormal TCD, or abnormal cerebral angiography). Out of 411 children, 386 (93.9%) had SS genotype, 23 (5.6%) had Sβ(0)-thal and two had severe Sβ(+)-thal (0.5%). Frequency of CVD was lower in Sβ-thal group (p=0.05). No effect of VCAM-1 polymorphism on stroke or CVD risks was detected. Cumulative incidence of stroke was significantly higher for children with TNF-α A allele (p=0.02) and lower for children with HBA deletion (p=0.02). However, no association between CVD and TNF-α -308G>A was found. CVD cumulative incidence was significantly lower for children with HBA deletion (p=0.004). This study found no association between VCAM1 c.1238G>C and stroke. An association between stroke and TNF-α -308A allele has been suggested. Our results have confirmed the protective role of HBA deletion against stroke and CVD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ABCD2 score and BNP level in patients with TIA and cerebral stroke.

PubMed

Mortezabeigi, H R; Taghizadeh, A; Talebi, M; Amini, K; Goldust, M

2013-11-01

Scoring systems have been designed to help physicians in early prediction of cerebral stroke following Transitional Ischemic Attack (TIA). ABCD2 system is one of these scoring systems. Considering increase of brain natriuretic peptide following cerebral ischemic stroke, BNP level may be associated with incidence of ischemic stroke following TIA. The present study evaluates ABCD2 score, BNP level in patients with TIA and incidence of cerebral stroke. This cross sectional-analytical study evaluated 78 patients with TIA. ABCD2 score was calculated for all patients based on some criteria including age, blood pressure, clinical manifestations (speech/motor disorder), symptoms duration and diabetes. BNP level was measured at the reference laboratory when the patient referred to the treatment center. The patients were followed up for 6 months considering incidence of cerebral stroke and TIA. Mean age of the patients was 66.53 +/- 13.08 years and the sample was consisted of 62.8% male and 37.2% female patients. Mean BNP level and mean ABCD2 score was 611.31 +/- 125.61 and 4.61 +/- 10.99 in all patients, respectively. During follow-up period, TIA recurrence and cerebral stroke were, respectively seen in 11.5 and 3.8% of cases. Mortality was reported in 5.1% of the patients. BNP was significantly higher in cases with recursive TIA (p = 0.03). But, there was not any difference considering ABCD2 score (p = 0.38). BNP is capable of predicting TIA recurrence following first TIA and it can be used in this case.

Diagnostic work-up for detection of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation after acute ischemic stroke: cross-sectional survey on German stroke units.

PubMed

Rizos, Timolaos; Quilitzsch, Anika; Busse, Otto; Haeusler, Karl Georg; Endres, Matthias; Heuschmann, Peter; Veltkamp, Roland

2015-06-01

Multiple methods to detect paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF) in patients with acute stroke are available. However, it is unknown which approaches are currently used in clinical routine and guidelines remain vague to the extent of cardiac monitoring. We characterize diagnostic efforts for pAF detection on German stroke units (SU). A standardized anonymous questionnaire was sent to all clinical leads of certified SUs in Germany. The questionnaire focused on basic characteristics of SUs, procedures to detect AF, and estimates on AF detection. One hundred seventy-nine SU leads participated (response rate 71.6%). All patients undergo continuous bedside ECG monitoring. A percentage of 77.6 SUs initiate additional 24-hour Holter ECG in >50% of patients without known AF. Patients with transient ischemic attack are monitored significantly shorter than patients with ischemic stroke. Independent of SU type or size, 67.6% of leads assumed to fail detecting pAF in 5% to 20% of patients. In cryptogenic stroke, additional ECG monitoring is recommended by 90.2% but only 13.8% of SUs perform routine ECG follow-up visits. The use of implanted event recorders is low (1-10 patients/y by 60.7% of SUs; 28.1%: no use). A percentage of 83.9 do not use external event recorders. Our survey demonstrates substantial heterogeneity among German SUs on diagnostic work-up for pAF. Future prospective multicenter studies should systematically evaluate the impact of different methods to uncover pAF. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Incidence, predictive factors, management, and survival impact of atrial fibrillation in non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

PubMed

Sorigue, Marc; Gual-Capllonch, Francisco; Garcia, Olga; Sarrate, Edurne; Franch-Sarto, Mireia; Ibarra, Gladys; Grau, Javier; Orna, Elisa; Ribera, Josep-Maria; Sancho, Juan-Manuel

2018-05-04

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and cancer are common disorders in the general population but there are few studies in patients with both diseases. More specifically, there are scarce data on AF in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). We assessed the incidence, predictive factors, management, and survival impact of AF in a cohort of patients with NHL from a single institution between 2002 and 2016 (n = 747). Twenty-three patients were diagnosed with AF before and 40 after the diagnosis of NHL (of the later, 16 were secondary to an extracardiac comorbidity and 24 unrelated to any triggering event [primary AF]). The 5-year cumulative incidence of new-onset AF was 4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3-6%). Age and hypertension were the only predictive factors for the development of AF. Management of AF was heterogeneous, primarily with anti-vitamin K agents but also antiplatelet therapy in a significant proportion of patients. Among the 63 patients, there were six episodes of ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack and four venous thromboembolic events, with four major bleeding episodes. Overall survival (OS) was inferior in patients with AF (HR 0.1, 95% CI 0.01-0.7, p = 0.02), largely due to secondary AF. We conclude that the incidence of new-onset AF in NHL patients seemed somewhat higher than in the general population, although with similar predictive factors. The management was heterogeneous, and the risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic events did not seem higher than in cancer-free patients. Survival was particularly poor for patients with secondary AF.

Warfarin versus aspirin in patients with reduced cardiac ejection fraction (WARCEF): rationale, objectives, and design.

PubMed

Pullicino, Patrick; Thompson, John L P; Barton, Bruce; Levin, Bruce; Graham, Susan; Freudenberger, Ronald S

2006-02-01

Warfarin is widely prescribed for patients with heart failure without level 1 evidence, and an adequately powered randomized study is needed. The Warfarin versus Aspirin in Reduced Cardiac Ejection Fraction study is a National Institutes of Health-funded, randomized, double-blind clinical trial with a target enrollment of 2860 patients. It is designed to test with 90% power the 2-sided primary null hypothesis of no difference between warfarin (International Normalized Ratio 2.5-3) and aspirin (325 mg) in 3- to 5-year event-free survival for the composite endpoint of death, or stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) among patients with cardiac ejection fraction < or =35% who do not have atrial fibrillation or mechanical prosthetic heart valves. Secondary analyses will compare warfarin and aspirin for reduction of all-cause mortality, ischemic stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI), balanced against the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage, among women and African Americans; and compare warfarin and aspirin for prevention of stroke alone. Randomization is stratified by site, New York Heart Association (NYHA) heart class (I vs II-IV), and stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) within 1 year before randomization versus no stroke or TIA in that period. NYHA class I patients will not exceed 20%, and the study has a target of 20% (or more) patients with stroke or TIA within 12 months. Randomized patients receive active warfarin plus placebo or active aspirin plus placebo, double-blind. The results should help guide the selection of optimum antithrombotic therapy for patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

Angiographic Features, Collaterals, and Infarct Topography of Symptomatic Occlusive Radiation Vasculopathy

PubMed Central

Zou, Winnie X.Y.; Leung, Thomas W.; Yu, Simon C.H.; Wong, Edward H.C.; Leung, S.F.; Soo, Yannie O.Y.; Ip, Vincent H.L.; Chan, Anne Y.Y.; Lam, Wynnie W.M.; Siu, Deyond Y.W.; Abrigo, Jill; Lee, Kwok Tung; Liebeskind, David S.; Wong, Ka Sing

2014-01-01

Background and Purpose Occlusive radiation vasculopathy (ORV) predisposes head-and-neck cancer survivors to ischemic strokes. Methods We analyzed the digital subtraction angiography acquired in 96 patients who had first-ever transient ischemic attack or ischemic strokes attributed to ORV. Another age-matched 115 patients who had no radiotherapy but symptomatic high-grade (>70%) carotid stenoses were enrolled as referent subjects. Digital subtraction angiography was performed within 2 months from stroke onset and delineated carotid and vertebrobasilar circulations from aortic arch up to intracranial branches. Two reviewers blinded to group assignment recorded all vascular lesions, collateral status, and infarct pattern. Results ORV patients had less atherosclerotic risk factors at presentation. In referent patients, high-grade stenoses were mostly focal at the proximal internal carotid artery. In contrast, high-grade ORV lesions diffusely involved the common carotid artery and internal carotid artery and were more frequently bilateral (54% versus 22%), tandem (23% versus 10%), associated with complete occlusion in one or both carotid arteries (30% versus 9%), vertebral artery (VA) steno-occlusions (28% versus 16%), and external carotid artery stenosis (19% versus 5%) (all P<0.05). With comparable rates of vascular anomaly, ORV patients showed more established collateral circulations through leptomeningeal arteries, anterior communicating artery, posterior communicating artery, suboccipital/costocervical artery, and retrograde flow in ophthalmic artery. In terms of infarct topography, the frequencies of cortical or subcortical watershed infarcts were similar in both groups. Conclusions ORV angiographic features and corresponding collaterals are distinct from atherosclerotic patterns at initial stroke presentation. Clinical decompensation, despite more extensive collateralization, may precipitate stroke in ORV. PMID:23306321

Fast Food and Neighborhood Stroke Risk

PubMed Central

Morgenstern, Lewis B.; Escobar, James D.; Sánchez, Brisa N.; Hughes, Rebecca; Zuniga, Belinda G.; Garcia, Nelda; Lisabeth, Lynda D.

2009-01-01

Objective To investigate the association between the number of fast food restaurants and ischemic stroke in neighborhoods. Methods This work was a pre-specified part of the Brain Attack in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project. Ischemic stroke cases were prospectively ascertained in Nueces County, Texas. Home addresses were geocoded and used to establish the census tract for each stroke case. Census tracts were used as proxies for neighborhoods (n=64). Using a standard definition, fast food restaurants were identified from a commercial list. Poisson regression was used to study the association between the number of fast food restaurants in the neighborhood, using a 1-mile buffer around each census tract, and the risk of stroke in the neighborhood. Models were adjusted for demographics and neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES). Results There were 1,247 completed ischemic strokes from January 2000 through June 2003 and 262 fast food restaurants. The median number of fast food restaurants per census tract including buffer was 22 (IQR 12–33). Adjusting for neighborhood demographics and SES, the association of fast food restaurants with stroke was significant (p=0.02). The association suggested that the risk of stroke in a neighborhood increased by 1% for every fast food restaurant (RR 1.01 95% CI: 1.00–1.01). The relative risk of stroke comparing neighborhoods in the 75th to the 25th percentile of the distribution of fast food restaurants was 1.13 (95% CI: 1.02–1.25). Interpretation Controlling for demographic and SES factors, there was a significant association between fast food restaurants and stroke risk in neighborhoods in this community-based study. PMID:19743456

Strokes after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation--The FibStroke study.

PubMed

Palomäki, Antti; Mustonen, Pirjo; Hartikainen, Juha E K; Nuotio, Ilpo; Kiviniemi, Tuomas; Ylitalo, Antti; Hartikainen, Päivi; Lehtola, Heidi; Luite, Riho; Airaksinen, K E Juhani

2016-01-15

Cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk for stroke. We identified all cardioversions during the 30 days preceding stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in patients with a previously diagnosed AF, and sought to assess the characteristics of cardioversions leading to stroke or TIA. FibStroke is a cross-sectional observational multicenter registry that included AF patients with an ischemic stroke or intracranial bleed identified from a discharge registry of four Finnish hospitals. In total 3677 consecutive AF patients suffered 3252 strokes and 956 TIA episodes during 2003–2012. This pre-specified analysis focused on the 1644 events that occurred to patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF at the time of stroke/TIA. A total of 78 strokes and 22 TIA episodes were preceded by a cardioversion. Post-cardioversion strokes accounted for 6.4% of strokes in patients with paroxysmal/persistent AF. Of the 100 cardioversions leading to an ischemic event, 77 were acute and 23 were elective, 63 events occurred in patients not using anticoagulation, and 5 patients had periprocedural INR < 2. Importantly, 21 patients were in low risk of stroke, i.e. CHA2DS2-VASc score < 2. The median delay from cardioversion to event was 2 days. All nine patients who after an unsuccessful cardioversion developed a stroke had a spontaneous cardioversion prior to stroke. Every sixteenth stroke of patients with paroxysmal/persistent AF is preceded by a cardioversion. Most post-cardioversion strokes occur in patients not using oral anticoagulation before cardioversion of acute AF.

Three Variations in Rabbit Angiographic Stroke Models

PubMed Central

Culp, William C.; Woods, Sean D.; Brown, Aliza T.; Lowery, John D.; Hennings, Leah J.; Skinner, Robert D.; Borrelli, Michael J.; Roberson, Paula K.

2012-01-01

Purpose To develop angiographic models of embolic stroke in the rabbit using pre-formed clot or microspheres to model clinical situations ranging from transient ischemic events to severe ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods New Zealand White rabbits (N=151) received angiographic access to the internal carotid artery (ICA) from a femoral approach. Variations of emboli type and quantity of emboli were tested by injection into the ICA. These included fresh clots (1.0-mm length, 3–6 h), larger aged clots (4.0-mm length, 3 days), and 2 or 3 insoluble microspheres (700–900 μm). Neurological assessment scores (NAS) were based on motor, sensory, balance, and reflex measures. Rabbits were euthanized at 4, 7, or 24 hours after embolization, and infarct volume was measured as a percent of total brain volume using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC). Results Infarct volume percent at 24 hours after stroke was lower for rabbits embolized with fresh clot (0.45% ± 0.14%), compared with aged clot (3.52% ± 1.31%) and insoluble microspheres (3.39% ± 1.04%). Overall NAS (including posterior vessel occlusions) were positively correlated to infarct volume percent measurements in the fresh clot (r=0.50), aged clot (r=0.65) and microsphere (r=0.62) models (p<0.001). Conclusion The three basic angiographic stroke models may be similar to human transient ischemic attacks (TIA) (fresh clot), major strokes that can be thrombolysed (aged clot), or major strokes with insoluble emboli such as atheromata (microspheres). Model selection can be tailored to specific research needs. PMID:23142182

"Intelligent Design" Goes on Trial in Pennsylvania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Sean

2005-01-01

The question of whether "intelligent design" amounts to legitimate science, pseudo-science, or religion masquerading as science has underwent a potentially historic legal test, as a federal court in Pennsylvania considered whether a public school district can require that students be exposed to the controversial concept. Eleven parents…

Robotic exoskeleton assessment of transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Simmatis, Leif; Krett, Jonathan; Scott, Stephen H; Jin, Albert Y

2017-01-01

We used a robotic exoskeleton to quantify specific patterns of abnormal upper limb motor behaviour in people who have had transient ischemic attack (TIA). A cohort of people with TIA was recruited within two weeks of symptom onset. All individuals completed a robotic-based assessment of 8 behavioural tasks related to upper limb motor and proprioceptive function, as well as cognitive function. Robotic task performance was compared to a large cohort of controls without neurological impairments corrected for the influence of age. Impairment in people with TIA was defined as performance below the 5th percentile of controls. Participants with TIA were also assessed with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment (CMSA) of the arm, the Behavioural Inattention Test (BIT), the Purdue pegboard test (PPB), and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Age-related white matter change (ARWMC), prior infarction and cella-media index (CMI) were assessed from baseline CT scan that was performed within 24 hours of TIA. Acute infarction was assessed from diffusion-weighted imaging in a subset of people with TIA. Twenty-two people with TIA were assessed. Robotic assessment showed impaired upper limb motor function in 7/22 people with TIA patients and upper limb sensory impairment in 4/22 individuals. Cognitive tasks involving robotic assessment of the upper limb were completed in 13 participants, of whom 8 (61.5%) showed significant impairment. Abnormal performance in the CMSA arm inventory was present in 12/22 (54.5%) participants. ARWMC was 11.8 ± 6.4 and CMI was 5.4 ± 1.5. DWI was positive in 0 participants. Quantitative robotic assessment showed that people who have had a TIA display a spectrum of upper limb motor and sensory performance deficits as well as cognitive function deficits despite resolution of symptoms and no evidence of tissue infarction.

Quality of Life Is Poorer for Patients With Stroke Who Require an Interpreter: An Observational Australian Registry Study.

PubMed

Kilkenny, Monique F; Lannin, Natasha A; Anderson, Craig S; Dewey, Helen M; Kim, Joosup; Barclay-Moss, Karen; Levi, Chris; Faux, Steven; Hill, Kelvin; Grabsch, Brenda; Middleton, Sandy; Thrift, Amanda G; Grimley, Rohan; Donnan, Geoffrey; Cadilhac, Dominique A

2018-03-01

In multicultural Australia, some patients with stroke cannot fully understand, or speak, English. Language barriers may reduce quality of care and consequent outcomes after stroke, yet little has been reported empirically. An observational study of patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack (2010-2015) captured from 45 hospitals participating in the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry. The use of interpreters in hospitals, which is routinely documented, was used as a proxy for severe language barriers. Health-Related Quality of Life was assessed using the EuroQoL-5 dimension-3 level measured 90 to 180 days after stroke. Logistic regression was undertaken to assess the association between domains of EuroQoL-5 dimension and interpreter status. Among 34 562 registrants, 1461 (4.2%) required an interpreter. Compared with patients without interpreters, patients requiring an interpreter were more often women (53% versus 46%; P <0.001), aged ≥75 years (68% versus 51%; P <0.001), and had greater access to stroke unit care (85% versus 78%; P <0.001). After accounting for patient characteristics and stroke severity, patients requiring interpreters had comparable discharge outcomes (eg, mortality, discharged to rehabilitation) to patients not needing interpreters. However, these patients reported poorer Health-Related Quality of Life (visual analogue scale coefficient, -9; 95% CI, -12.38, -5.62), including more problems with self-care (odds ratio: 2.22; 95% CI, 1.82, 2.72), pain (odds ratio: 1.84; 95% CI, 1.52, 2.34), anxiety or depression (odds ratio: 1.60; 95% CI, 1.33, 1.93), and usual activities (odds ratio: 1.62; 95% CI, 1.32, 2.00). Patients requiring interpreters reported poorer Health Related Quality of Life after stroke/transient ischemic attack despite greater access to stroke units. These findings should be interpreted with caution because we are unable to account for prestroke Health Related Quality of Life. Further research is needed. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Association of Osteopontin, Neopterin, and Myeloperoxidase With Stroke Risk in Patients With Prior Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attacks: Results of an Analysis of 13 Biomarkers From the Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels Trial.

PubMed

Ganz, Peter; Amarenco, Pierre; Goldstein, Larry B; Sillesen, Henrik; Bao, Weihang; Preston, Gregory M; Welch, K Michael A

2017-12-01

Established risk factors do not fully identify patients at risk for recurrent stroke. The SPARCL trial (Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels) evaluated the effect of atorvastatin on stroke risk in patients with a recent stroke or transient ischemic attack and no known coronary heart disease. This analysis explored the relationships between 13 plasma biomarkers assessed at trial enrollment and the occurrence of outcome strokes. We conducted a case-cohort study of 2176 participants; 562 had outcome strokes and 1614 were selected randomly from those without outcome strokes. Time to stroke was evaluated by Cox proportional hazards models. There was no association between time to stroke and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 , monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, resistin, matrix metalloproteinase-9, N-terminal fragment of pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, or soluble CD40 ligand. In adjusted analyses, osteopontin (hazard ratio per SD change, 1.362; P <0.0001), neopterin (hazard ratio, 1.137; P =0.0107), myeloperoxidase (hazard ratio, 1.177; P =0.0022), and adiponectin (hazard ratio, 1.207; P =0.0013) were independently associated with outcome strokes. After adjustment for the Stroke Prognostic Instrument-II and treatment, osteopontin, neopterin, and myeloperoxidase remained independently associated with outcome strokes. The addition of these 3 biomarkers to Stroke Prognostic Instrument-II increased the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve by 0.023 ( P =0.015) and yielded a continuous net reclassification improvement (29.1%; P <0.0001) and an integrated discrimination improvement (42.3%; P <0.0001). Osteopontin, neopterin, and myeloperoxidase were independently associated with the risk of recurrent stroke and improved risk classification when added to a clinical risk algorithm. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique Identifier: NCT00147602. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Clinical and Demographic Characteristics Associated With Suboptimal Primary Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack Prevention: Retrospective Analysis.

PubMed

Turner, Grace M; Calvert, Melanie; Feltham, Max G; Ryan, Ronan; Finnikin, Samuel; Marshall, Tom

2018-03-01

Primary prevention of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) is important to reduce the burden of these conditions; however, prescribing of prevention drugs is suboptimal. We aimed to identify individual clinical and demographic characteristics associated with potential missed opportunities for prevention therapy with lipid-lowering, anticoagulant, or antihypertensive drugs before stroke/TIA. We analyzed anonymized electronic primary care records from a UK primary care database that covers 561 family practices. Patients with first-ever stroke/TIA, ≥18 years, with diagnosis between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2013, were included. Missed opportunities for prevention were defined as people with clinical indications for lipid-lowering, anticoagulant, or antihypertensive drugs but not prescribed these drugs before their stroke/TIA. Mixed-effect logistic regression models evaluated the relationship between missed opportunities and individual clinical/demographic characteristics. The inclusion criteria were met by 29 043 people with stroke/TIA. Patients with coronary heart disease, chronic kidney disease, peripheral arterial disease, or diabetes mellitus were at less risk of a missed opportunity for prescription of lipid-lowering and antihypertensive drugs. However, patients with a 10-year cardiovascular disease risk ≥20% but without these diagnoses had increased risk of having a missed opportunity for prescription of lipid-lowering drugs or antihypertensive drugs. Women were less likely to be prescribed anticoagulants but more likely to be prescribed antihypertensive drugs. The elderly (≥85 years of age) were less likely to be prescribed all 3 prevention drugs, compared with people aged 75 to 79 years. Knowing the patient characteristics predictive of missed opportunities for stroke prevention may help primary care identify and appropriately manage these patients. Improving the management of these groups may reduce their risk and potentially prevent large number of future strokes and TIAs in the population. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Prevalence, Incidence, Prognosis, Early Stroke Risk, and Stroke-Related Prognostic Factors of Definite or Probable Transient Ischemic Attacks in China, 2013

PubMed Central

Jiang, Bin; Sun, Haixin; Ru, Xiaojuan; Sun, Dongling; Chen, Zhenghong; Liu, Hongmei; Li, Yichong; Zhang, Mei; Wang, Limin; Wang, Linhong; Wu, Shengping; Wang, Wenzhi

2017-01-01

The epidemiological characteristics of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) in China are unclear. In 2013, we conducted a nationally representative, door-to-door epidemiological survey on TIA in China using a complex, multistage, probability sampling design. Results showed that the weighted prevalence of TIA in China was 103.3 [95% confidence interval (CI): 83.9–127.2] per 100,000 in the population, 92.4 (75.0–113.8) per 100,000 among men, and 114.7 (87.2–151.0) per 100,000 among women. The weighted incidence of TIA was 23.9 (17.8–32.0) per 100,000 in the population, 21.3 (14.3–31.5) per 100,000 among men, and 26.6 (17.0–41.7) per 100,000 among women. No difference in average prognosis was found between TIA and stroke in the population. Weighted risk of stroke among TIA patients was 9.7% (6.5–14.3%), 11.1% (7.5–16.1%), and 12.3% (8.4–17.7%) at 2, 30, and 90 days, respectively. The risk of stroke was higher among male patients with a history of TIA than among female patients with a history of TIA (OR: 2.469; 95% CI: 1.172–5.201; P = 0.018), and higher among TIA patients with hypertension than among TIA patients without hypertension (OR: 2.671; 1.547–4.613; P < 0.001). It can be concluded that there are an estimated 1.35 million TIA patients nationwide, with 0.31 million new cases of TIA annually in China. TIA patients were not better managed prior to a stroke event. Early risk of stroke among TIA patients is high. Sex and hypertension may be stroke-associated prognostic factors among TIA patients. TIA clinics and surveillance should be integrated into the national health-care system. PMID:28713329

Delay in seeking medical help following Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or "mini-stroke": a qualitative study.

PubMed

Mc Sharry, Jennifer; Baxter, Alison; Wallace, Louise M; Kenton, Anthony; Turner, Andrew; French, David P

2014-01-01

Prompt treatment following Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) can reduce the risk of subsequent stroke and disability. However, many patients delay in making contact with medical services. This study aimed to explore TIA patients' accounts of delay between symptom onset and contacting medical services including how decisions to contact services were made and the factors discussed in relation to delay. Twenty interviews were conducted with TIA patients in England. Using a previous systematic review as an initial framework, interview data were organised into categories of symptom recognition, presence of others and type of care sought. A thematic analysis was then conducted to explore descriptions of care-seeking relevant to each category. Delay in contacting medical services varied from less than an hour to eight days. Awareness of typical stroke symptoms could lead to urgent action when more severe TIA symptoms were present but could lead to delay when experienced symptoms were less severe. The role of friends and family varied widely from deciding on and enacting care-seeking decisions to simply providing transport to the GP practice. When family or friends played a greater role, and both made and enacted care-seeking decisions, delays were often shorter, even when patients themselves failed to identify symptoms. Healthcare professionals also impacted on patients' care-seeking with greater delays in seeking further care for the same episode described when patients perceived a lack of urgency during initial healthcare interactions. This study provides new information on patients' decisions to contact medical services following TIA and identifies overlapping factors that can lead to delay in receiving appropriate treatment. While recognition of symptoms may contribute to delay in contacting medical services, additional factors, including full responsibility being taken by others and initial healthcare interactions, can over-ride or undermine the importance of patients' own identification of TIA.

Delay in Seeking Medical Help following Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or “Mini-Stroke”: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Mc Sharry, Jennifer; Baxter, Alison; Wallace, Louise M.; Kenton, Anthony; Turner, Andrew; French, David P.

2014-01-01

Background Prompt treatment following Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) can reduce the risk of subsequent stroke and disability. However, many patients delay in making contact with medical services. This study aimed to explore TIA patients' accounts of delay between symptom onset and contacting medical services including how decisions to contact services were made and the factors discussed in relation to delay. Methods Twenty interviews were conducted with TIA patients in England. Using a previous systematic review as an initial framework, interview data were organised into categories of symptom recognition, presence of others and type of care sought. A thematic analysis was then conducted to explore descriptions of care-seeking relevant to each category. Results Delay in contacting medical services varied from less than an hour to eight days. Awareness of typical stroke symptoms could lead to urgent action when more severe TIA symptoms were present but could lead to delay when experienced symptoms were less severe. The role of friends and family varied widely from deciding on and enacting care-seeking decisions to simply providing transport to the GP practice. When family or friends played a greater role, and both made and enacted care-seeking decisions, delays were often shorter, even when patients themselves failed to identify symptoms. Healthcare professionals also impacted on patients' care-seeking with greater delays in seeking further care for the same episode described when patients perceived a lack of urgency during initial healthcare interactions. Conclusions This study provides new information on patients' decisions to contact medical services following TIA and identifies overlapping factors that can lead to delay in receiving appropriate treatment. While recognition of symptoms may contribute to delay in contacting medical services, additional factors, including full responsibility being taken by others and initial healthcare interactions, can over-ride or undermine the importance of patients' own identification of TIA. PMID:25137185

Apathy, not depressive symptoms, as a predictor of semantic and phonemic fluency task performance in stroke and transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Fishman, Keera N; Ashbaugh, Andrea R; Lanctôt, Krista L; Cayley, Megan L; Herrmann, Nathan; Murray, Brian J; Sicard, Michelle; Lien, Karen; Sahlas, Demetrios J; Swartz, Richard H

2018-06-01

This study examined the relationship between apathy and cognition in patients with cerebrovascular disease. Apathy may result from damage to frontal subcortical circuits causing dysexecutive syndromes, but apathy is also related to depression. We assessed the ability of apathy to predict phonemic fluency and semantic fluency performance after controlling for depressive symptoms in 282 individuals with stroke and/or transient ischemic attack. Participants (N = 282) completed the Phonemic Fluency Test, Semantic Fluency Test, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and Apathy Evaluation Scale. A cross-sectional correlational design was utilized. Using hierarchical linear regressions, apathy scores significantly predicted semantic fluency performance (β = -.159, p = .020), but not phonemic fluency performance (β = -.112, p = .129) after scaling scores by age and years of education and controlling for depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms entered into the first step of both hierarchical linear regressions did not predict semantic fluency (β = -.035, p = .554) or phonemic fluency (β = -.081, p = .173). Apathy and depressive symptoms were moderately correlated, r(280) = .58, p < .001. The results of this study are consistent with research supporting a differentiation between phonemic and semantic fluency tasks, whereby phonemic fluency tasks primarily involve frontal regions, and semantic fluency tasks involve recruitment of more extended networks. The results also highlight a distinction between apathy and depressive symptoms and suggest that apathy may be a more reliable predictor of cognitive deficits than measures of mood in individuals with cerebrovascular disease. Apathy may also be more related to cognition due to overlapping motivational and cognitive frontal subcortical circuitry. Future research should explore whether treatments for apathy could be a novel target for improving cognitive outcomes after stroke.

Nature, prevalence and factors associated with depression among the elderly in a rural south Indian community.

PubMed

Rajkumar, A P; Thangadurai, P; Senthilkumar, P; Gayathri, K; Prince, M; Jacob, K S

2009-04-01

Depression in old age is an important public health problem causing considerable morbidity and disability worldwide. There is a dearth of community studies from India investigating geriatric depression and its associated risk factors. This study aimed to establish the nature, prevalence and factors associated with geriatric depression in a rural south Indian community. We recruited 1000 participants aged over 65 years from Kaniyambadi block, Vellore, India. We assessed their socio-demographic profile, psychiatric morbidity, cognitive functioning, anthropometrics and disability status using the following structured assessment tools: Geriatric Mental State, Community Screening Instrument for Dementia, Modified CERAD 10 word list learning task, History and Aetiology Schedule Dementia Diagnosis and Subtype, WHO Disability Assessment Scale II, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory. We adopted a case control framework to study the factors associated with geriatric depression. Prevalence of geriatric depression (ICD-10) within the previous one month was 12.7% (95% CI 10.64-14.76%). Low income (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.08-2.91), experiencing hunger (OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.56-4.26), history of cardiac illnesses (OR 4.75; 95% CI 1.96-11.52), transient ischemic attack (OR 2.43; 95% CI 1.17-5.05), past head injury (OR 2.70; 95% CI 1.36-5.36) and diabetes (OR 2.33; 95% CI 1.15-4.72) increased the risk for geriatric depression after adjusting for other determinants using conditional logistic regression. Having more confidants (OR 0.13; 95% CI 0.06-0.26) was the significant protective factor. Age, female gender, cognitive impairment and disability status were not significantly associated with geriatric depression. DSM-IV diagnosis of major depression was significantly correlated with experiencing hunger, diabetes, transient ischemic attack, past head injury, more disability and less nourishment; having more friends was protective. Geriatric depression is prevalent in rural south India. Poverty and physical ill health are risk factors for depression among elderly while good social support is protective.

Symptomatic carotid stenosis and stroke risk in patients with transient ischemic attack according to the tissue-based definition.

PubMed

Al-Khaled, Mohamed; Scheef, Björn

2016-10-01

Symptomatic carotid stenosis (sCS), a common cause of transient ischemic attack (TIA), is correlated with higher stroke risk. We investigated the frequency and associated factors of sCS in patients with TIA and the association between sCS and stroke risk following TIA. Over a three-year period (2011-2013), 861 consecutive patients with TIA, who were admitted to the Department of Neurology at the University of Lübeck, Germany, were included in a monocenter study and prospectively evaluated. Diagnosis of TIA was in accordance with the tissue-based definition (transient neurological symptoms without evidence of infarction by brain imaging). Of 827 patients (mean age, 70 ± 13.2 years; 49.7% women), 64 patients (7.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.9%-9.7%) exhibited sCS and 3 patients (0.3%) showed an occlusion of the corresponding internal carotid artery. Logistic regression revealed that sCS was associated with male sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2-3.6; p = 0.012), amaurosis fugax (OR, 8.1; 95% CI, 3.4-19-4; p < 0.001), unilateral weakness (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.9-6.1; p < 0.001), symptom duration less than 1 h (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.4; p = 0.019) and previous stroke (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.5-4.7; p = 0.001). During hospitalization (mean, 6.6 days), five patients (0.6%; 95% CI, 0.1%-1.2%) suffered from stroke. The stroke risk was higher in patients with sCS than in those without sCS (6.3% vs. 0.1%; p < 0.001), whereas the recurrent TIA risk (2.6%) did not differ between the groups (4.7% vs. 2.5%; p = 0.29). SCS appears to be associated with a higher risk of stroke in patients with TIA defined according to the tissue-based definition.

Thirty-Day Outcome of a Multicenter Registry Study of Stenting for Symptomatic Intracranial Artery Stenosis in China.

PubMed

Miao, Zhongrong; Zhang, Yong; Shuai, Jie; Jiang, Changchun; Zhu, Qiyi; Chen, Kangning; Liu, Li; Li, Baomin; Shi, Xiangqun; Gao, Lianbo; Liu, Yajie; Wang, Feng; Li, Yongli; Liu, Tieyan; Zheng, Hongbo; Wang, Yilong; Wang, Yongjun

2015-10-01

Although recent trials have suggested that stenting is worse than medical therapy for patients with severe symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis, it is not clear whether this conclusion applies to a subset of patients with hypoperfusion symptoms. To justify for a new trial in China, we performed a multicenter prospective registry study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endovascular stenting within 30 days for patients with severe symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis. Patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis caused by 70% to 99% stenosis combined with poor collaterals were enrolled. The patients were treated either with balloon-mounted stent or with balloon predilation plus self-expanding stent as determined by the operators following a guideline. The primary outcome within 30 days is stroke, transient ischemic attack, and death after stenting. The secondary outcome is successful revascularization. The baseline characteristics and outcomes of the 2 treatment groups were compared. From September 2013 to January 2015, among 354 consecutive patients, 300 patients (aged 58.3±9.78 years) were recruited, including 159 patients treated with balloon-mounted stent and 141 patients with balloon plus self-expanding stent. The 30-day rate of stroke, transient ischemic attack, and death was 4.3%. Successful revascularization was 97.3%. Patients treated with balloon-mounted stent were older, less likely to have middle cerebral artery lesions, more likely to have vertebral artery lesions, more likely to have Mori A lesions, less likely to have Mori C lesions, and likely to have lower degree of residual stenosis than patients treated with balloon plus self-expanding stent. The short-term safety and efficacy of endovascular stenting for patients with severe symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis in China is acceptable. Balloon-mounted stent may have lower degree of residual stenosis than self-expanding stent. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01968122. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Is Transient Ischemic Attack a Medical Emergency? An Evidence-Based Analysis

PubMed Central

Sehatzadeh, S

2015-01-01

Background Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a brief episode of dysfunction in a confined area of the brain. The risk of stroke following TIA is approximately 4% within the first 2 days and 9% within the first month. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment is critical to reduce mortality and risk of stroke in patients who have experienced a TIA. Objectives This systematic review aimed to investigate the impact of the urgent evaluation and initiation of treatment of patients with TIA on the risk of subsequent stroke and death. Data Sources A literature search was performed for studies published from January 1, 2007, until December 21, 2012. The search was updated monthly to April 1, 2013. Results All identified studies showed that urgent assessment and initiation of treatment of TIA is an effective strategy in reducing the incidence of stroke. Among these, a large observational study found a large effect in that the risk of stroke was reduced by 80%, and a Canadian study found that providing urgent care significantly reduced the rate of stroke in high-risk patients. Another Canadian study reported a significant reduction in the rate of death among patients referred to stroke prevention clinics, compared to patients not referred to such services. One study showed that patients discharged from an emergency department with standard care had significantly higher rates of stroke and subsequent TIA in the first month, compared to those who were hospitalized. However, another study showed that for patients at low to moderate risk, rate of stroke was similar between inpatients and those managed in a TIA clinic. Limitations Our analysis was restricted to the effect of the combined interventions. The magnitude of benefit of each individual component of the intervention cannot be determined through this review. Conclusions The results of this systematic review have important clinical and health system implications. Urgent management of TIA patients in specialized TIA clinics rather than regular practice results in a lower rate of stroke and disability. PMID:26355823

Impact of General Practitioner Transient Ischemic Attack Training on 90-Day Stroke Outcomes: Secondary Analysis of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Ranta, Annemarei; Dovey, Susan; Gommans, John; Tilyard, Murray; Weatherall, Mark

2018-07-01

Many patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) receive initial assessments by general practitioners (GPs) who may lack TIA management experience. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), we showed that electronic decision support for GPs improves patient outcomes and guideline adherence. Some stroke services prefer to improve referrer expertise through TIA/stroke education sessions instead of promoting TIA decision aids or triaging tools. This is a secondary analysis of whether a GP education session influenced TIA management and outcomes. Post hoc analysis of a multicenter, single blind, parallel group, cluster RCT comparing TIA/stroke electronic decision support guided GP management with usual care to assess whether a pretrial TIA/stroke education session also affected RCT outcomes. Of 181 participating GPs, 79 (43.7%) attended an education session and 140 of 291 (48.1%) trial patients were managed by these GPs. There were fewer 90-day stroke events and 90-day vascular events or deaths in patients treated by GPs who attended education; 2 of 140 (1.4%) and 10 of 140 (7.1%) respectively, compared with those who did not; 5 of 151 (3.3%), and 14 of 151 (9.3%), respectively. Logistic regression for association between 90-day stroke and 90-day vascular events or death and education, however, was nonsignificant (odds ratio [OR] .42 (.08 to 2.22), P = .29 and .59 (95% confidence interval [CI] .27 to 1.29), P = .18 respectively. Guideline adherence was not improved by the education session: OR .84 (95% CI .49 to 1.45), P = .54. In the described setting, a GP TIA/stroke education session did not significantly enhance guideline adherence or reduce 90-day stroke or vascular events following TIA. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Converting MMSE to MoCA and MoCA 5-minute protocol in an educationally heterogeneous sample with stroke or transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Wong, Adrian; Black, Sandra E; Yiu, Stanley Y P; Au, Lisa W C; Lau, Alexander Y L; Soo, Yannie O Y; Chan, Anne Y Y; Leung, Thomas W H; Wong, Lawrence K S; Kwok, Timothy C Y; Cheung, Theodore C K; Leung, Kam-Tat; Lam, Bonnie Y K; Kwan, Joseph S K; Mok, Vincent C T

2018-05-01

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is psychometrically superior over the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognitive screening in stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). It is free for clinical and research use. The objective of this study is to convert scores from the MMSE to MoCA and MoCA-5-minute protocol (MoCA-5 min) and to examine the ability of the converted scores in detecting cognitive impairment after stroke or TIA. A total of 904 patients were randomly divided into training (n = 623) and validation (n = 281) samples matched for demography and cognition. MMSE scores were converted to MoCA and MoCA-5 min using (1) equipercentile method with log-linear smoothing and (2) Poisson regression adjusting for age and education. Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis was used to examine the ability of the converted scores in differentiating patients with cognitive impairment. The mean education was 5.8 (SD = 4.6; ranged 0-20) years. The entire spectrum of MMSE scores was converted to MoCA and MoCA-5 min using equipercentile method. Relationship between MMSE and MoCA scores was confounded by age and education, and a conversion equation with adjustment for age and education was derived. In the validation sample, the converted scores differentiated cognitively impaired patients with area under receiver operating characteristics curve 0.826 to 0.859. We provided 2 methods to convert scores from the MMSE to MoCA and MoCA-5 min based on a large sample of patients with stroke or TIA having a wide range of education and cognitive levels. The converted scores differentiated patients with cognitive impairment after stroke or TIA with high accuracy. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Self-report of stroke, transient ischemic attack, or stroke symptoms and risk of future stroke in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study

PubMed Central

Judd, Suzanne E; Kleindorfer, Dawn O; McClure, Leslie A; Rhodes, J. David; Howard, George; Cushman, Mary; Howard, Virginia J.

2013-01-01

Background and Purpose History of stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) are documented risk factors for subsequent stroke and all-cause mortality. Recent reports suggest increased risk among those reporting stroke symptoms absent stroke or TIA. However, the relative magnitude of increased stroke risk has not been described across the symptomatic spectrum: 1) asymptomatic (Asx), 2) stroke symptoms only (SS), 3) TIA, 4) stroke in the distant past (DS), and 5) recent stroke (RS). Methods Between 2003–2007 the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study enrolled 30,239 black and white Americans aged 45+. DS and RS were defined as self-report of physician diagnosis of stroke >5 or <5 years before baseline, respectively. SS was defined as a history of any of six sudden onset stroke symptoms absent TIA/stroke diagnosis. Kaplan-Meier and proportional hazards analysis were used to contrast stroke risk differences. Results Over 5.0 ± 1.72 years of follow up, 737 strokes were validated. Compared to Asx persons, those with SS, TIA, DS and RS all had increased risk of future stroke. After adjustment for age, race, sex, income, education, alcohol intake, current smoking, and a history of diabetes, hypertension, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, and dyslipidemia, there was 1.20-fold (not statistically significant) increased stroke risk for SS (95% CI 0.96, 1.51), 1.73-fold for TIA (95% CI 1.27, 2.36), 2.23-fold for DS (95% CI 1.61, 3.09) and 2.85-fold for RS (95% CI 2.16, 3.76). Discussion Results suggest a spectrum of risk from stroke symptoms to TIA, distant stroke, and recent stroke, and imply a need for establishing these categories in health screenings to manage risk for future stroke, reinforcing the clinical importance of stroke history including the presence of stroke symptoms. PMID:23233382

Self-report of stroke, transient ischemic attack, or stroke symptoms and risk of future stroke in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.

PubMed

Judd, Suzanne E; Kleindorfer, Dawn O; McClure, Leslie A; Rhodes, J David; Howard, George; Cushman, Mary; Howard, Virginia J

2013-01-01

History of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) are documented risk factors for subsequent stroke and all-cause mortality. Recent reports suggest increased risk among those reporting stroke symptoms absent stroke or TIA. However, the relative magnitude of increased stroke risk has not been described across the symptomatic spectrum: (1) asymptomatic, (2) stroke symptoms (SS) only, (3) TIA, (4) distant stroke (DS), and (5) recent stroke (RS). Between 2003 and 2007, the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study enrolled 30 239 black and white Americans ≥45 years of age. DS and RS were defined as self-report of physician diagnosis of stroke >5 or <5 years before baseline, respectively. SS was defined as a history of any of 6 sudden onset stroke symptoms absent TIA/stroke diagnosis. Kaplan-Meier and proportional hazards analysis were used to contrast stroke risk differences. Over 5.0±1.72 years of follow-up, 737 strokes were validated. Compared with asymptomatic persons, those with SS, TIA, DS, and RS all had increased risk of future stroke. After adjustment for age, race, sex, income, education, alcohol intake, current smoking, and a history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, and dyslipidemia, there was 1.20-fold (not statistically significant) increased stroke risk for SS (95% CI, 0.96-1.51), 1.73-fold for TIA (95% CI, 1.27-2.36), 2.23-fold for DS (95% CI, 1.61- 3.09), and 2.85-fold for RS (95% CI, 2.16-3.76). Results suggest a spectrum of risk from stroke symptoms to TIA, DS, and RS, and imply a need for establishing these categories in health screenings to manage risk for future stroke, reinforcing the clinical importance of stroke history including the presence of stroke symptoms.

High prevalence of stroke symptoms among persons without a diagnosis of stroke or transient ischemic attack in a general population: the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.

PubMed

Howard, Virginia J; McClure, Leslie A; Meschia, James F; Pulley, Leavonne; Orr, Sean C; Friday, Gary H

2006-10-09

A substantial portion of the general population has clinically silent stroke on brain imaging. These lesions may cause symptoms. This study assessed the prevalence of stroke symptoms in a stroke- and transient ischemic attack (TIA)-free population and the association of symptoms with risk factors indexed by the Framingham Stroke Risk Score. We performed a cross-sectional analysis from a randomly sampled national cohort enrolled from January 25, 2003, through November 30, 2005, with oversampling from the southeastern stroke belt and African American populations. The main outcome measure was stroke symptoms assessed by validated questionnaire. The study included 18 462 (41% African American; 51% female; mean age, 65.8 years) participants who reported no stroke or TIA. The prevalence of stroke symptoms was 5.8% for sudden painless hemibody weakness, 8.5% for sudden hemibody numbness, 4.6% for sudden painless loss of vision in one or both eyes, 3.1% for sudden hemifield visual loss, 2.7% for sudden inability to understand speech, and 3.8% for sudden inability of linguistic expression. The prevalence of 1 or more symptoms was 17.8%. Relative to the first quartile of the Framingham Stroke Risk Score, the adjusted odds ratio for 1 or more stroke symptoms increased from 1.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-1.2) in the second quartile to 1.2 (95% CI, 1.1-1.5) and 1.5 (95% CI, 1.3-1.6) in successive quartiles. Symptoms were more prevalent among African American compared with white participants and among those with lower income, lower educational level, and fair to poor perceived health status. The general population without prior diagnosed stroke or TIA has a high prevalence of stroke symptoms. The relationship between symptoms and risk factors suggests that some symptomatic individuals may have had clinically undetected cerebrovascular events and may benefit from aggressive stroke prophylaxis.

[Migraine with aura and patent foramen ovale. A different clinical entity].

PubMed

Ramírez-Moreno, J M; Casado-Naranjo, I; Gómez, M; Portilla, Jc; Caballero, M; Serrano, A; Ojalvo, M J; Falcón, A; Tena-Mora, D; Calle, M

2008-10-01

This work has aimed to evaluate the prevalence of patent foramen ovale in subjects with migraine with aura by transcranial contrast doppler and to describe the clinical and risk profile of these patients. We performed a transcranial contrast doppler in 94 consecutive out-patients with migraine with aura (MWA) in a neurology outpatient clinic. They were divided into two groups according to the presence of patent foramen ovale: MWA_RLsh (with right-to-left shunt) and MWA_RLNsh (without right-to-left shunt). Differences between the groups were analyzed according to endpoints of age, gender, clinical severity, aura type and attacks frequency, comorbility, cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), neuroimaging findings, severity of shunt and treatment. n=94; MWA_RLsh: 47 (54%). MWA_RLNsh: 40 (46%). Age: 33.13; standard desviation (SD): 10.8 vs 33.496; SD: 11.2; p=0.728. Female: 66 vs 72.5%; p=0.511. Visual aura: 73.9% vs 78.9%; p=0.921. There were no significant differences in regards to the risk factors studied or to the comorbid diseases that are associated to migraine. The patients with patent foramen ovale have an odds ratio (OR) of ischemic stroke: 1.189 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.226 to 6.248; p=0.840), OR for subclinical brain lesions in cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): 0.589 (95% CI: 0.193 to 1.799; p=0.35) and OR for combined previous ischemic stroke and subclinical brain lesions: 0.745 (95% CI: 0.261 to 2.129; p=0.58). Migraine attack frequency >1 per month: 27.9 vs 36.4; p=0.464. Need for prophylaxis therapy: 44.7 vs 57.7%; p=0.284. Both groups are similar regarding their clinical profile. We did not find a greater prevalence of stroke or silent brain lesions in the group with positive shunt..

Stroke or transient ischemic attack in patients with transvenous pacemaker or defibrillator and echocardiographically detected patent foramen ovale.

PubMed

DeSimone, Christopher V; Friedman, Paul A; Noheria, Amit; Patel, Nikhil A; DeSimone, Daniel C; Bdeir, Sami; Aakre, Christopher A; Vaidya, Vaibhav R; Slusser, Joshua P; Hodge, David O; Ackerman, Michael J; Rabinstein, Alejandro A; Asirvatham, Samuel J

2013-09-24

A patent foramen ovale (PFO) may permit arterial embolization of thrombi that accumulate on the leads of cardiac implantable electronic devices in the right-sided cardiac chambers. We sought to determine whether a PFO increases the risk of stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) in patients with endocardial leads. We retrospectively evaluated all patients who had endocardial leads implanted between January 1, 2000, and October 25, 2010, at Mayo Clinic Rochester. Echocardiography was used to establish definite PFO and non-PFO cohorts. The primary end point of stroke/TIA consistent with a cardioembolic etiology and the secondary end point of mortality during postimplantation follow-up were compared in PFO versus non-PFO patients with the use of Cox proportional hazards models. We analyzed 6075 patients (364 with PFO) followed for a mean 4.7 ± 3.1 years. The primary end point of stroke/TIA was met in 30/364 (8.2%) PFO versus 117/5711 (2.0%) non-PFO patients (hazard ratio, 3.49; 95% confidence interval, 2.33-5.25; P<0.0001). The association of PFO with stroke/TIA remained significant after multivariable adjustment for age, sex, history of stroke/TIA, atrial fibrillation, and baseline aspirin/warfarin use (hazard ratio, 3.30; 95% confidence interval, 2.19-4.96; P<0.0001). There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality between PFO and non-PFO patients (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-1.07; P=0.25). In patients with endocardial leads, the presence of a PFO on routine echocardiography is associated with a substantially increased risk of embolic stroke/TIA. This finding suggests a role of screening for PFOs in patients who require cardiac implantable electronic devices; if a PFO is detected, PFO closure, anticoagulation, or nonvascular lead placement may be considered.

Adolescent Satanism: Rebellion Masquerading as Religion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emerson, Shirley; Syron, Yvonne

1995-01-01

Describes adolescent satanic practices of affected families in three Southwestern states in a seven-year period. Counselors need to understand how satanism is related to religion, family dynamics, and adolescent rebellion. A systemic perspective is suggested. Counselors must be aware of their own biases to be able to help satanically involved…

Manufacturing (Il)Literacy in Alberta's Classrooms: The Case of an Oil-Dependent State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgkins, Andrew

2010-01-01

This paper examines involvement of education-business "partnerships" presently occurring in the province of Alberta, Canada. Specific attention is paid to the promotion and sponsorship by oil multinational corporations (MNCs) of corporate propaganda masquerading as energy and environmental literacy programs targeted for the K-12 school…

Cerebellopontine angle epidermoid tumour presenting with bilateral gaze nystagmus.

PubMed

Han, I B; Huh, R; Chung, S S; Kim, O J

2008-06-01

Vestibular symptoms have been rarely described in cerebellopontine angle epidermoid tumours. We report a case of CPA epidermoid tumour presenting with subacute onset of vestibular symptoms such as vertigo, gait ataxia, and nystagmus masquerading as acute vestibular neuritis or central vertigo. The vestibular symptoms disappeared after excision of the tumour.

Web-based tool for dynamic functional outcome after acute ischemic stroke and comparison with existing models.

PubMed

Ji, Ruijun; Du, Wanliang; Shen, Haipeng; Pan, Yuesong; Wang, Penglian; Liu, Gaifen; Wang, Yilong; Li, Hao; Zhao, Xingquan; Wang, Yongjun

2014-11-25

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is one of the leading causes of death and adult disability worldwide. In the present study, we aimed to develop a web-based risk model for predicting dynamic functional status at discharge, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year after acute ischemic stroke (Dynamic Functional Status after Acute Ischemic Stroke, DFS-AIS). The DFS-AIS was developed based on the China National Stroke Registry (CNSR), in which eligible patients were randomly divided into derivation (60%) and validation (40%) cohorts. Good functional outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤ 2 at discharge, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year after AIS, respectively. Independent predictors of each outcome measure were obtained using multivariable logistic regression. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and plot of observed and predicted risk were used to assess model discrimination and calibration. A total of 12,026 patients were included and the median age was 67 (interquartile range: 57-75). The proportion of patients with good functional outcome at discharge, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year after AIS was 67.9%, 66.5%, 66.9% and 66.9%, respectively. Age, gender, medical history of diabetes mellitus, stroke or transient ischemic attack, current smoking and atrial fibrillation, pre-stroke dependence, pre-stroke statins using, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, admission blood glucose were identified as independent predictors of functional outcome at different time points after AIS. The DFS-AIS was developed from sets of predictors of mRS ≤ 2 at different time points following AIS. The DFS-AIS demonstrated good discrimination in the derivation and validation cohorts (AUROC range: 0.837-0.845). Plots of observed versus predicted likelihood showed excellent calibration in the derivation and validation cohorts (all r = 0.99, P < 0.001). When compared to 8 existing models, the DFS-AIS showed significantly better discrimination for good functional outcome and mortality at discharge, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year after AIS (all P < 0.0001). The DFS-AIS is a valid risk model to predict functional outcome at discharge, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year after AIS.

Cardiovascular risk factors and TIA characteristics in 19,872 Swedish TIA patients.

PubMed

Ström, J O; Tavosian, A; Appelros, P

2016-12-01

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) constitutes a major risk factor for stroke, making TIA patients an important group for secondary intervention. The aim of this study was to account for risk factor prevalence in TIA patients and analyze the association between TIA characteristics and risk factors. We included 20,871 TIA events in 19,872 patients who were registered in the Swedish Riksstroke registry during the years 2010 through 2012. Data from other Swedish registers were used for comparison. The following variables were analyzed: age, sex, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation (AF), cigarette smoking, and antihypertensive treatment. Compared to the general population (based on data retrieved from Sweden's national public health survey 'Health on equal terms'), TIA patients more often had diabetes mellitus (prevalence ratio, PR = 2.3), AF without oral anticoagulants (OAC) (PR = 2.8), and AF on OAC (PR = 1.6). Blood pressure medication was less prevalent among TIA patients than in the general population (PR = 0.57). Increasing age was associated with longer attacks. The fact that diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, and smoking are more common in TIA patients than in the general population suggests that these factors are risk factors for TIA, even if causal relations cannot be proven. The relation between increasing age and longer attacks possibly reflects an increased proportion of embolic TIAs, or impaired recovery ability. Our results also suggest a significant proportion of untreated hypertension cases in the population. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Assessment of Remote Heart Rhythm Sampling Using the AliveCor Heart Monitor to Screen for Atrial Fibrillation: The REHEARSE-AF Study.

PubMed

Halcox, Julian P J; Wareham, Kathie; Cardew, Antonia; Gilmore, Mark; Barry, James P; Phillips, Ceri; Gravenor, Michael B

2017-11-07

Asymptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasingly common in the aging population and implicated in many ischemic strokes. Earlier identification of AF with appropriate anticoagulation may decrease stroke morbidity and mortality. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of AF screening using an AliveCor Kardia monitor attached to a WiFi-enabled iPod to obtain ECGs (iECGs) in ambulatory patients. Patients ≥65 years of age with a CHADS-VASc score ≥2 free from AF were randomized to the iECG arm or routine care (RC). iECG participants acquired iECGs twice weekly over 12 months (plus additional iECGs if symptomatic) onto a secure study server with overread by an automated AF detection algorithm and by a cardiac physiologist and/or consultant cardiologist. Time to diagnosis of AF was the primary outcome measure. The overall cost of the devices, ECG interpretation, and patient management were captured and used to generate the cost per AF diagnosis in iECG patients. Clinical events and patient attitudes/experience were also evaluated. We studied 1001 patients (500 iECG, 501 RC) who were 72.6±5.4 years of age; 534 were female. Mean CHADS-VASc score was 3.0 (heart failure, 1.4%; hypertension, 54%; diabetes mellitus, 30%; prior stroke/transient ischemic attack, 6.5%; arterial disease, 15.9%; all CHADS-VASc risk factors were evenly distributed between groups). Nineteen patients in the iECG group were diagnosed with AF over the 12-month study period versus 5 in the RC arm (hazard ratio, 3.9; 95% confidence interval=1.4-10.4; P =0.007) at a cost per AF diagnosis of $10 780 (£8255). There was a similar number of stroke/transient ischemic attack/systemic embolic events (6 versus 10, iECG versus RC; hazard ratio=0.61; 95% confidence interval=0.22-1.69; P =0.34). The majority of iECG patients were satisfied with the device, finding it easy to use without restricting activities or causing anxiety. Screening with twice-weekly single-lead iECG with remote interpretation in ambulatory patients ≥65 years of age at increased risk of stroke is significantly more likely to identify incident AF than RC over a 12-month period. This approach is also highly acceptable to this group of patients, supporting further evaluation in an appropriately powered, event-driven clinical trial. URL: https://www.isrctn.com. Unique identifier: ISRCTN10709813. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Efficacy and Safety of Ticagrelor in Relation to Aspirin Use Within the Week Before Randomization in the SOCRATES Trial.

PubMed

Wong, K S Lawrence; Amarenco, Pierre; Albers, Gregory W; Denison, Hans; Easton, J Donald; Evans, Scott R; Held, Peter; Himmelmann, Anders; Kasner, Scott E; Knutsson, Mikael; Ladenvall, Per; Minematsu, Kazuo; Molina, Carlos A; Wang, Yongjun; Johnston, S Claiborne

2018-07-01

SOCRATES (Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated With Aspirin or Ticagrelor and Patient Outcomes), comparing ticagrelor with aspirin in patients with acute cerebral ischemia, found a nonsignificant 11% relative risk reduction for stroke, myocardial infarction, or death ( P =0.07). Aspirin intake before randomization could enhance the effect of ticagrelor by conferring dual antiplatelet effect during a high-risk period for subsequent stroke. Therefore, we explored the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor versus aspirin in the patients who received any aspirin the week before randomization. A prespecified subgroup analysis in SOCRATES (n=13 199), randomizing patients with acute ischemic stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of ≤5) or transient ischemic attack (ABCD 2 score of ≥4) to 90-day treatment with ticagrelor or aspirin. Patients in the prior-aspirin group had received any aspirin within the week before randomization. Primary end point was time to stroke, myocardial infarction, or death. Safety end point was PLATO (Study of Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) major bleeding. The 4232 patients in the prior-aspirin group were older, had more vascular risk factors, and vascular disease than the other patients. In the prior-aspirin group, the primary end point occurred in 138/2130 (6.5%) of patients on ticagrelor and in 177/2102 (8.3%) on aspirin (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.61-0.95; P =0.02); in patients with no prior-aspirin usage an event occurred in 304/4459 (6.9%) and 320/4508 (7.1%) on ticagrelor and aspirin, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-1.12; P =0.59). The treatment-by-prior-aspirin interaction was not statistically significant ( P =0.10). In the prior-aspirin group, major bleeding occurred in 0.7% and 0.4% of patients on ticagrelor and aspirin, respectively (hazard ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.68-3.65; P =0.28). In this secondary analysis from SOCRATES, fewer primary end points occurred on ticagrelor treatment than on aspirin in patients receiving aspirin before randomization, but there was no significant treatment-by-prior-aspirin interaction. A new study will investigate the benefit-risk of combining ticagrelor and aspirin in patients with acute cerebral ischemia (URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT03354429). URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01994720. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Age-Specific Associations of Renal Impairment With Magnetic Resonance Imaging Markers of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in Transient Ischemic Attack and Stroke.

PubMed

Liu, Bian; Lau, Kui Kai; Li, Linxin; Lovelock, Caroline; Liu, Ming; Kuker, Wilhelm; Rothwell, Peter M

2018-04-01

It has been hypothesized that cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) and chronic renal impairment may be part of a multisystem small-vessel disorder, but their association may simply be as a result of shared risk factors (eg, hypertension) rather than to a systemic susceptibility to premature SVD. However, most previous studies were hospital based, most had inadequate adjustment for hypertension, many were confined to patients with lacunar stroke, and none stratified by age. In a population-based study of transient ischemic attack and ischemic stroke (OXVASC [Oxford Vascular Study]), we evaluated the magnetic resonance imaging markers of cerebral SVD, including lacunes, white matter hyperintensities, cerebral microbleeds, and enlarged perivascular space. We studied the age-specific associations of renal impairment (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min per 1.73 m 2 ) and total SVD burden (total SVD score) adjusting for age, sex, vascular risk factors, and premorbid blood pressure (mean blood pressure during 15 years preevent). Of 1080 consecutive patients, 1028 (95.2%) had complete magnetic resonance imaging protocol and creatinine measured at baseline. Renal impairment was associated with total SVD score (odds ratio [OR], 2.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-2.75; P <0.001), but only at age <60 years (<60 years: OR, 3.97; 95% CI, 1.69-9.32; P =0.002; 60-79 years: OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.72-1.41; P =0.963; ≥80 years: OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.59-1.54; P =0.832). The overall association of renal impairment and total SVD score was also attenuated after adjustment for age, sex, history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and premorbid average systolic blood pressure (adjusted OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.56-1.02; P =0.067), but the independent association of renal impairment and total SVD score at age <60 years was maintained (adjusted OR, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.21-7.98; P =0.018). Associations of renal impairment and SVD were consistent for each SVD marker at age <60 years but were strongest for cerebral microbleeds (OR, 5.84; 95% CI, 1.45-23.53; P =0.013) and moderate-severe periventricular white matter hyperintensities (OR, 6.28; 95% CI, 1.54-25.63; P =0.010). The association of renal impairment and cerebral SVD was attenuated with adjustment for shared risk factors at older ages, but remained at younger ages, consistent with a shared susceptibility to premature disease. © 2018 The Authors.

Randomized controlled trial of a coordinated care intervention to improve risk factor control after stroke or transient ischemic attack in the safety net: Secondary stroke prevention by Uniting Community and Chronic care model teams Early to End Disparities (SUCCEED).

PubMed

Towfighi, Amytis; Cheng, Eric M; Ayala-Rivera, Monica; McCreath, Heather; Sanossian, Nerses; Dutta, Tara; Mehta, Bijal; Bryg, Robert; Rao, Neal; Song, Shlee; Razmara, Ali; Ramirez, Magaly; Sivers-Teixeira, Theresa; Tran, Jamie; Mojarro-Huang, Elizabeth; Montoya, Ana; Corrales, Marilyn; Martinez, Beatrice; Willis, Phyllis; Macias, Mireya; Ibrahim, Nancy; Wu, Shinyi; Wacksman, Jeremy; Haber, Hilary; Richards, Adam; Barry, Frances; Hill, Valerie; Mittman, Brian; Cunningham, William; Liu, Honghu; Ganz, David A; Factor, Diane; Vickrey, Barbara G

2017-02-06

Recurrent strokes are preventable through awareness and control of risk factors such as hypertension, and through lifestyle changes such as healthier diets, greater physical activity, and smoking cessation. However, vascular risk factor control is frequently poor among stroke survivors, particularly among socio-economically disadvantaged blacks, Latinos and other people of color. The Chronic Care Model (CCM) is an effective framework for multi-component interventions aimed at improving care processes and outcomes for individuals with chronic disease. In addition, community health workers (CHWs) have played an integral role in reducing health disparities; however, their effectiveness in reducing vascular risk among stroke survivors remains unknown. Our objectives are to develop, test, and assess the economic value of a CCM-based intervention using an Advanced Practice Clinician (APC)-CHW team to improve risk factor control after stroke in an under-resourced, racially/ethnically diverse population. In this single-blind randomized controlled trial, 516 adults (≥40 years) with an ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack or intracerebral hemorrhage within the prior 90 days are being enrolled at five sites within the Los Angeles County safety-net setting and randomized 1:1 to intervention vs usual care. Participants are excluded if they do not speak English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, or Korean or if they are unable to consent. The intervention includes a minimum of three clinic visits in the healthcare setting, three home visits, and Chronic Disease Self-Management Program group workshops in community venues. The primary outcome is blood pressure (BP) control (systolic BP <130 mmHg) at 1 year. Secondary outcomes include: (1) mean change in systolic BP; (2) control of other vascular risk factors including lipids and hemoglobin A1c, (3) inflammation (C reactive protein [CRP]), (4) medication adherence, (5) lifestyle factors (smoking, diet, and physical activity), (6) estimated relative reduction in risk for recurrent stroke or myocardial infarction (MI), and (7) cost-effectiveness of the intervention versus usual care. If this multi-component interdisciplinary intervention is shown to be effective in improving risk factor control after stroke, it may serve as a model that can be used internationally to reduce race/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in stroke in resource-constrained settings. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01763203 .

[A Case of Middle Cerebral Artery Stenosis Presented with Limb-Shaking TIA].

PubMed

Uno, Junji; Mineta, Haruyuki; Ren, Nice; Takagishi, Sou; Nagaoka, Shintarou; Kameda, Katsuharu; Maeda, Kazushi; Ikai, Yoshiaki; Gi, Hidefuku

2016-07-01

Involuntary movement is a rare clinical manifestation of transient ischemic attack (TIA). However, limb-shaking TIA is well described presentation of carotid occlusive disease. We present the case of a patient who developed limb-shaking TIA associated with high-grade stenosis of middle cerebral artery (M1), which was treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). The procedure was performed successfully without complication and the symptom disappeared immediately after the procedure. The patient remained free of symptoms at the 38-month follow-up. There was no tendency of restenosis of M1. In this case, PTA was technically feasible and beneficial for limb-shaking TIA with M1 stenosis. Limb-shaking TIA can be a symptom of high-grade stenosis of M1.

Ivy Sign on Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery Images in Moyamoya Disease: Correlation with Clinical Severity and Old Brain Lesions.

PubMed

Seo, Kwon-Duk; Suh, Sang Hyun; Kim, Yong Bae; Kim, Ji Hwa; Ahn, Sung Jun; Kim, Dong-Seok; Lee, Kyung-Yul

2015-09-01

Leptomeningeal collateral, in moyamoya disease (MMD), appears as an ivy sign on fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) images. There has been little investigation into the relationship between presentation of ivy signs and old brain lesions. We aimed to evaluate clinical significance of ivy signs and whether they correlate with old brain lesions and the severity of clinical symptoms in patients with MMD. FLAIR images of 83 patients were reviewed. Each cerebral hemisphere was divided into 4 regions and each region was scored based on the prominence of the ivy sign. Total ivy score (TIS) was defined as the sum of the scores from the eight regions and dominant hemispheric ivy sign (DHI) was determined by comparing the ivy scores from each hemisphere. According to the degree of ischemic symptoms, patients were classified into four subgroups: 1) nonspecific symptoms without motor weakness, 2) single transient ischemic attack (TIA), 3) recurrent TIA, or 4) complete stroke. TIS was significantly different as follows: 4.86±2.55 in patients with nonspecific symptoms, 5.89±3.10 in patients with single TIA, 9.60±3.98 in patients with recurrent TIA and 8.37±3.39 in patients with complete stroke (p=0.003). TIS associated with old lesions was significantly higher than those not associated with old lesions (9.35±4.22 vs. 7.49±3.37, p=0.032). We found a significant correlation between DHI and motor symptoms (p=0.001). Because TIS has a strong tendency with severity of ischemic motor symptom and the presence of old lesions, the ivy sign may be useful in predicting severity of disease progression.

Ivy Sign on Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery Images in Moyamoya Disease: Correlation with Clinical Severity and Old Brain Lesions

PubMed Central

Seo, Kwon-Duk; Suh, Sang Hyun; Kim, Yong Bae; Kim, Ji Hwa; Ahn, Sung Jun; Kim, Dong-Seok

2015-01-01

Purpose Leptomeningeal collateral, in moyamoya disease (MMD), appears as an ivy sign on fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) images. There has been little investigation into the relationship between presentation of ivy signs and old brain lesions. We aimed to evaluate clinical significance of ivy signs and whether they correlate with old brain lesions and the severity of clinical symptoms in patients with MMD. Materials and Methods FLAIR images of 83 patients were reviewed. Each cerebral hemisphere was divided into 4 regions and each region was scored based on the prominence of the ivy sign. Total ivy score (TIS) was defined as the sum of the scores from the eight regions and dominant hemispheric ivy sign (DHI) was determined by comparing the ivy scores from each hemisphere. According to the degree of ischemic symptoms, patients were classified into four subgroups: 1) nonspecific symptoms without motor weakness, 2) single transient ischemic attack (TIA), 3) recurrent TIA, or 4) complete stroke. Results TIS was significantly different as follows: 4.86±2.55 in patients with nonspecific symptoms, 5.89±3.10 in patients with single TIA, 9.60±3.98 in patients with recurrent TIA and 8.37±3.39 in patients with complete stroke (p=0.003). TIS associated with old lesions was significantly higher than those not associated with old lesions (9.35±4.22 vs. 7.49±3.37, p=0.032). We found a significant correlation between DHI and motor symptoms (p=0.001). Conclusion Because TIS has a strong tendency with severity of ischemic motor symptom and the presence of old lesions, the ivy sign may be useful in predicting severity of disease progression. PMID:26256975

Serious hemorrhages after ischemic stroke or TIA - Incidence, mortality, and predictors.

PubMed

Ögren, Joachim; Irewall, Anna-Lotta; Söderström, Lars; Mooe, Thomas

2018-01-01

Data are lacking on the risk and impact of a serious hemorrhage on the prognosis after ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA). We aimed to estimate the incidence of serious hemorrhage, analyze the impact on mortality, and identify predictors of hemorrhage after discharge from IS or TIA. All patients admitted to Östersund Hospital for an IS or TIA in 2010-2013 were included (n = 1528, mean age: 75.1 years). Serious hemorrhages were identified until 31st December 2015. Incidence rates were calculated. The impact on mortality (stratified by functional level) was determined with Kaplan-Meier analysis. Non-parametric estimation under the assumption of competing risk was performed to assess the cumulative incidence and predictors of serious hemorrhages. The incidence rates of serious (n = 113) and intracranial hemorrhages (n = 45) after discharge from IS and TIA were 2.48% and 0.96% per year at risk, respectively. Patients with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores of 3-5 exhibited 58.9% mortality during follow-up and those with mRS scores of 0-2 exhibited 18.4% mortality. A serious hemorrhage did not affect mortality in patients with impaired functional status, but it increased the risk of death in patients with mRS scores of 0-2. Hypertension was associated with increased risk of serious hemorrhage. We found that, after discharge from an IS or TIA, serious hemorrhages were fairly common. Impairments in function were associated with high mortality, but serious hemorrhages only increased the risk of mortality in patients with no or slight disability. Improved hypertension treatment may decrease the risk of serious hemorrhage, but in patients with low functional status, poor survival makes secondary prevention challenging.

Emergency department evaluation of ischemic stroke and TIA: the BASIC Project.

PubMed

Brown, D L; Lisabeth, L D; Garcia, N M; Smith, M A; Morgenstern, L B

2004-12-28

To identify demographic and clinical variables of emergency department (ED) practices in a community-based acute stroke study. By both active and passive surveillance, the authors identified cerebrovascular disease cases in Nueces County, TX, as part of the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) Project, a population-based stroke surveillance study, between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2002. With use of multivariable logistic regression, variables independently associated with three separate outcomes were sought: hospital admission, brain imaging in the ED, and neurologist consultation in the ED. Prespecified variables included age, sex, ethnicity, insurance status, NIH Stroke Scale score, type of stroke (ischemic stroke or TIA), vascular risk factors, and symptom presentation variables. Percentage use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) was calculated. A total of 941 Mexican Americans (MAs) and 855 non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) were seen for ischemic stroke (66%) or TIA (34%). Only 8% of patients received an in-person neurology consultation in the ED, and 12% did not receive any head imaging. TIA was negatively associated with neurology consultations compared with completed stroke (odds ratio [OR] 0.35 [95% CI 0.21 to 0.57]). TIA (OR 0.14 [0.10 to 0.19]) and sensory symptoms (OR 0.59 [0.44 to 0.81]) were also negatively associated with hospital admission. MAs (OR 0.58 [0.35 to 0.98]) were less likely to have neurology consultations in the ED than NHWs. Only 1.7% of patients were treated with rt-PA. Neurologists are seldom involved with acute cerebrovascular care in the emergency department (ED), especially in patients with TIA. Greater neurologist involvement may improve acute stroke diagnosis and treatment efforts in the ED.

Risk of Cerebrovascular Accidents and Ischemic Heart Disease in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus: A Population-based Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Singh, Abha G.; Crowson, Cynthia S.; Singh, Siddharth; Davis, Mark Denis P.; Maradit-Kremers, Hilal; Matteson, Eric L.; Chowdhary, Vaidehi R.

2017-01-01

Objective It is unclear whether isolated cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) modifies cardiovascular risk. We estimated the cumulative incidence and mortality of cardiovascular diseases in a population-based CLE cohort, and compared the risk with a matched non-CLE cohort. Methods All incident cases of CLE in Olmsted County, Minnesota between 1965–2005 were followed until December 2013. Cumulative incidence of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA, including stroke, transient ischemic attack), ischemic heart disease (IHD, including coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, angina), heart failure, and peripheral arterial disease was derived and compared to an age-, sex- and calendar-year-matched non-CLE cohort using Cox models. Results There were a total of 155 patients with CLE (age at diagnosis, 48±16 years; 65% females; BMI, 26.3±7.1 kg/m2; 40% smokers, 9% with diabetes). During median follow-up of 14.6 years, 41 CLE patients developed cardiovascular events (15 patients with CVA, 32 patients with IHD), with a 20-year cumulative incidence of 31.6%. As compared to non-CLE subjects, the risk of CVAs (smoking-adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–7.78) and PAD (HR, 2.06; 95% CI, 0.99–4.32) was increased in patients with CLE, but risk of IHD was not increased (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.57–1.54). There was no increase in cardiovascular mortality (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 0.76–3.75). The magnitude of risk for any cardiovascular outcome was not significantly influenced by extent of cutaneous involvement. Conclusion CLE may be associated with an increased risk of CVA and PAD, but not IHD. Factors contributing to increase CVA risk in patients with CLE merit evaluation. PMID:27015109

Sex Differences in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention-Insights From the Coronary Angiography and PCI Registry of the German Society of Cardiology.

PubMed

Heer, Tobias; Hochadel, Matthias; Schmidt, Karin; Mehilli, Julinda; Zahn, Ralf; Kuck, Karl-Heinz; Hamm, Christian; Böhm, Michael; Ertl, Georg; Hoffmeister, Hans Martin; Sack, Stefan; Senges, Jochen; Massberg, Steffen; Gitt, Anselm K; Zeymer, Uwe

2017-03-20

Several studies have suggested sex-related differences in diagnostic and invasive therapeutic coronary procedures. Data from consecutive patients who were enrolled in the Coronary Angiography and PCI Registry of the German Society of Cardiology were analyzed. We aimed to compare sex-related differences in in-hospital outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for stable coronary artery disease, non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes, ST elevation myocardial infarction, and cardiogenic shock. From 2007 until the end of 2009 data from 185 312 PCIs were prospectively registered: 27.9% of the PCIs were performed in women. Primary PCI success rate was identical between the sexes (94%). There were no sex-related differences in hospital mortality among patients undergoing PCI for stable coronary artery disease, non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes, or cardiogenic shock except among ST elevation myocardial infarction patients. Compared to men, women undergoing primary PCI for ST elevation myocardial infarction have a higher risk of in-hospital death, age-adjusted odds ratio (1.19, 95% CI 1.06-1.33), and risk of ischemic cardiac and cerebrovascular events (death, myocardial infarction, transient ischemic attack/stroke), (age-adjusted odds ratio 1.19, 95% CI 1.16-1.29). Furthermore, access-related complications were twice as high in women, irrespective of the indication. Despite identical technical success rates of PCI between the 2 sexes, women with PCI for ST elevation myocardial infarction have a 20% higher age-adjusted risk of death and of ischemic cardiac and cerebrovascular events. Further research is needed to determine the reasons for these differences. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Emergency Department Visits Associated With Wildfire Smoke Exposure in California in 2015.

PubMed

Wettstein, Zachary S; Hoshiko, Sumi; Fahimi, Jahan; Harrison, Robert J; Cascio, Wayne E; Rappold, Ana G

2018-04-11

Wildfire smoke is known to exacerbate respiratory conditions; however, evidence for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events has been inconsistent, despite biological plausibility. A population-based epidemiologic analysis was conducted for daily cardiovascular and cerebrovascular emergency department (ED) visits and wildfire smoke exposure in 2015 among adults in 8 California air basins. A quasi-Poisson regression model was used for zip code-level counts of ED visits, adjusting for heat index, day of week, seasonality, and population. Satellite-imaged smoke plumes were classified as light, medium, or dense based on model-estimated concentrations of fine particulate matter. Relative risk was determined for smoky days for lag days 0 to 4. Rates of ED visits by age- and sex-stratified groups were also examined. Rates of all-cause cardiovascular ED visits were elevated across all lags, with the greatest increase on dense smoke days and among those aged ≥65 years at lag 0 (relative risk 1.15, 95% confidence interval [1.09, 1.22]). All-cause cerebrovascular visits were associated with smoke, especially among those 65 years and older, (1.22 [1.00, 1.49], dense smoke, lag 1). Respiratory conditions were also increased, as anticipated (1.18 [1.08, 1.28], adults >65 years, dense smoke, lag 1). No association was found for the control condition, acute appendicitis. Elevated risks for individual diagnoses included myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, dysrhythmia, pulmonary embolism, ischemic stroke, and transient ischemic attack. Analysis of an extensive wildfire season found smoke exposure to be associated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ED visits for all adults, particularly for those over aged 65 years. © 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Inpatient versus Outpatient Management of TIA or Minor Stroke: Clinical Outcome.

PubMed

Majidi, Shahram; Leon Guerrero, Christopher R; Burger, Kathleen M; Rothrock, John F

2017-06-01

The management of patients with acute transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke is highly variable. Whether hospitalization of such patients significantly improves short-term clinical outcome is unknown. We assessed the short-term clinical outcome associated with inpatient versus outpatient management of patients with TIA or minor stroke. We evaluated a consecutive series of patients with acute TIA or minor ischemic stroke (NIH Stroke Scale score ≤ 3) presenting to a single emergency department (ED). We randomized patients to either hospital-based or outpatient-based management. All patients underwent interview and examination 7-10 days following the index event. This study included 100 patients, 41 with TIA and 59 with minor stroke. Nineteen (46%) of the TIA patients and 29 (49%) of the minor stroke patients randomized to hospital management, and the remaining 22 TIA patients and 30 minor stroke patients randomized to outpatient-based management. In the patients with a minor stroke, neurologic worsening occurred in 6 out of 29 (21%) in the inpatient arm compared with 3 out of 30 (10%) in the outpatient arm ( p = 0.3). In none of these cases was acute interventional therapy or need for urgent admission considered medically appropriate. In the patients with a TIA, recurrence of a TIA occurred in 2 out of 19 (11%) in the inpatient arm compared with 2 out of 22 (9%) in the outpatient arm ( p = 1). None of the patients with a TIA randomized to the inpatient arm experienced a stroke compared with 1 out of 22 in the outpatient arm ( p = 1). There were no deaths in either group. Routine hospitalization of all patients with TIA or minor ischemic stroke may not positively affect short-term clinical outcome.

Inpatient versus Outpatient Management of TIA or Minor Stroke: Clinical Outcome

PubMed Central

Majidi, Shahram; Leon Guerrero, Christopher R.; Burger, Kathleen M.; Rothrock, John F.

2017-01-01

Background The management of patients with acute transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke is highly variable. Whether hospitalization of such patients significantly improves short-term clinical outcome is unknown. We assessed the short-term clinical outcome associated with inpatient versus outpatient management of patients with TIA or minor stroke. Methods We evaluated a consecutive series of patients with acute TIA or minor ischemic stroke (NIH Stroke Scale score ≤ 3) presenting to a single emergency department (ED). We randomized patients to either hospital-based or outpatient-based management. All patients underwent interview and examination 7–10 days following the index event. Results This study included 100 patients, 41 with TIA and 59 with minor stroke. Nineteen (46%) of the TIA patients and 29 (49%) of the minor stroke patients randomized to hospital management, and the remaining 22 TIA patients and 30 minor stroke patients randomized to outpatient-based management. In the patients with a minor stroke, neurologic worsening occurred in 6 out of 29 (21%) in the inpatient arm compared with 3 out of 30 (10%) in the outpatient arm (p = 0.3). In none of these cases was acute interventional therapy or need for urgent admission considered medically appropriate. In the patients with a TIA, recurrence of a TIA occurred in 2 out of 19 (11%) in the inpatient arm compared with 2 out of 22 (9%) in the outpatient arm (p = 1). None of the patients with a TIA randomized to the inpatient arm experienced a stroke compared with 1 out of 22 in the outpatient arm (p = 1). There were no deaths in either group. Conclusion Routine hospitalization of all patients with TIA or minor ischemic stroke may not positively affect short-term clinical outcome. PMID:28702120

[The Role of Urinary Lipocalin in Prognostication of Hospital Complications in Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting].

PubMed

Shafranskaya, K S; Kuzmina, O K; Sumin, D A; Krivoshapova, K Ye; Uchasova, Ye G; Ivanov, S V; Zykov, M V; Kashtalap, V V; Barbarash, O L

2016-10-01

To assess significance of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) for predicting hospital complications in subjects with ischemic heart disease (IHD) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The study included 720 subjects who underwent CABG between 03/2011 and 04/2012. Blood serum creatinine level, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (MDRD formula) and NGAL concentration were measured before and on day 7 after CABG. The following unfavorable outcomes of operative intervention: myocardial infarction (MI), stroke or transient ischemic attack, acute or progression of chronic renal disease, remediastinotomy were registered during in-hospital period. Additive EuroSCORE was calculated for all patients. There were no significant differences in serum creatinine level and GFR both before and on day 7 after CABG between groups of patients with different risk assessed by EuroSCORE, and with complicated and uncomplicated postoperative course. Urine NGAL level before and on day 7 after CABG was significantly higher in high and medium compared with low EuroSCORE risk groups. Preoperative NGAL urine level was significantly higher in patients with than in those without MI or stroke after CABG. NGAL urine level was also higher in patients with development of acute renal failure (ARF) compared with those without ARF. Both pre- and postoperative NGAL urine levels were higher in patients with unfavorable outcome while there were no significant differences in serum creatinine levels and CRF between patients with favorable and unfavorable outcomes. Preoperative measurement of urinary NGAL - a preclinical marker of acute kidney injury - allowed to predict more accurately the hospital risk of development of adverse cardiovascular and renal complications of CABG.

Brainstem leukoaraiosis independently predicts poor outcome after ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Giralt-Steinhauer, E; Medrano, S; Soriano-Tárraga, C; Mola-Caminal, M; Rasal, R; Cuadrado-Godia, E; Rodríguez-Campello, A; Ois, A; Capellades, J; Jimenez-Conde, J; Roquer, J

2018-04-16

Increased supratentorial white matter hyperintensities volume (S-WMHV) has been reported to be a predictor of worse outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, few studies have focused on less common locations, such as brainstem white matter hyperintensities (B-WMH), and their relationship to S-WMHV. This study aimed to examine whether B-WMH affect clinical outcome after AIS or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Based on magnetic resonance imaging evidence, B-WMH were evaluated in 313 prospectively identified patients with AIS/TIA and registered as absent or present. Standardized S-WMHV was quantified using a validated volumetric image analysis and natural log-transformed (Log_S-WMHV). Poor outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 3-6 at 3 months after the index event. Brainstem white matter hyperintensities were detected in 57 (18.2%) patients. In unadjusted analyses for outcome, the presence of B-WMH was associated with worse outcome, compared with patients without B-WMH (P = 0.034). In multivariate analysis controlling for age, atrial fibrillation, stroke severity, reperfusion therapies and Log_S-WMHV, only B-WMH [odds ratio (OR), 2.46; P = 0.021] and stroke severity (OR, 1.23; P < 0.001) remained independently associated with unfavourable 90-day modified Rankin Scale score. Patients with B-WMH were older (OR, 1.06; P < 0.001) and tended to have more hyperlipidaemia (OR, 2.21; P = 0.023) and peripheral arterial disease (OR, 2.57; P = 0.031). Brainstem white matter hyperintensities are an independent predictor of poor outcome after AIS/TIA and this relationship persists after adjustment for important prognostic factors. Our results also show that leukoaraiosis in this location identifies patients with a specific risk factor profile, suggesting differences in the underlying pathogenesis. © 2018 EAN.

Processes of care associated with acute stroke outcomes.

PubMed

Bravata, Dawn M; Wells, Carolyn K; Lo, Albert C; Nadeau, Steven E; Melillo, Jean; Chodkowski, Diane; Struve, Frederick; Williams, Linda S; Peixoto, Aldo J; Gorman, Mark; Goel, Punit; Acompora, Gregory; McClain, Vincent; Ranjbar, Noshene; Tabereaux, Paul B; Boice, John L; Jacewicz, Michael; Concato, John

2010-05-10

Many processes of care have been proposed as metrics to evaluate stroke care. We sought to identify processes of stroke care that are associated with improved patient outcomes after adjustment for both patient characteristics and other process measures. This retrospective cohort study included patients 18 years or older with an ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) onset no more than 2 days before admission and a neurologic deficit on admission. Patients were excluded if they resided in a skilled nursing facility, were already admitted to the hospital at stroke onset, or were transferred from another acute-care facility. The combined outcome included in-hospital mortality, discharge to hospice, or discharge to a skilled nursing facility. Seven processes of stroke care were evaluated: fever management, hypoxia management, blood pressure management, neurologic evaluation, swallowing evaluation, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis, and early mobilization. Risk adjustment included age, comorbidity (medical history), concomitant medical illness present at admission, preadmission symptom course, prestroke functional status, code status, stroke severity, nonneurologic status, modified APACHE (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation) III score, and admission brain imaging findings. Among 1487 patients, the outcome was observed in 239 (16%). Three processes of care were independently associated with an improvement in the outcome after adjustment: swallowing evaluation (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43-0.94); DVT prophylaxis (adjusted OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37-0.96); and treating all episodes of hypoxia with supplemental oxygen (adjusted OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.09-0.73). Outcomes among patients with ischemic stroke or TIA can be improved by attention to swallowing function, DVT prophylaxis, and treatment of hypoxia.

Progression of external and internal carotid artery stenosis is associated with a higher risk of ischemic neurologic events in patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis.

PubMed

Masoomi, Reza; Shah, Zubair; Dawn, Buddhadeb; Vamanan, Karthik; Nanjundappa, Aravinda; Gupta, Kamal

2017-10-01

A small percentage of patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACAS) who are on optimal medical management do go on to develop ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attacks (IS/TIA). Several diagnostic tools have been studied to identify those patients who are at increased risk. However, most of these diagnostic tools are not available for routine clinical use or are resource intensive. We performed a retrospective study to assess the incremental value of external carotid artery stenosis progression (ECASP) along with internal carotid artery stenosis progression (ICASP) in predicting risk of ipsilateral IS/TIA in a cohort of patients with ACAS. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with ACAS who had at least two serial duplex ultrasounds (DUS) at our center. A total of 356 patients (712 carotid arteries) were included in the study (mean age 74.7±9 years, 49.2% male) with a mean follow-up of 60.7±32.7 months. In univariate analysis, concurrent progression of ICA and ECA stenosis on the same side arteries was associated with a very significant increased risk of ipsilateral IS/TIA (14.7% vs 4.6%, p<0.001). Also, multivariable regression analysis showed that concurrent ECA/ICA progression was an independent predictor of IS/TIA (OR=3.6, 95% CI 1.64-7.8; p=0.001). ECASP along with ICASP is significantly associated with increased risk of ipsilateral IS/TIA and provides incremental risk stratification over that provided by ICASP alone. The ECA is routinely evaluated in clinical practice, and it could serve as an additional marker for identifying higher risk patients with ACAS.

Dabigatran Versus Warfarin After Bioprosthesis Valve Replacement for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation Postoperatively: DAWA Pilot Study.

PubMed

Durães, André Rodrigues; de Souza Roriz, Pollianna; de Almeida Nunes, Bianca; Albuquerque, Felipe Pinho E; de Bulhões, Fábio Vieira; de Souza Fernandes, Andre Mauricio; Aras, Roque

2016-06-01

Dabigatran is a direct thrombin inhibitor shown to be an effective alternative to warfarin in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). We evaluated the use of dabigatran in patients with bioprosthetic mitral and/or aortic valve replacement and AF. We selected 34 and randomized 27 patients in a 1:1 ratio to receive dabigatran or warfarin. The primary endpoint was the presence of a new intracardiac thrombus at 90 days, by transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE). Secondary endpoints included the development of dense spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) and incidence of stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), myocardium infarction, valve thrombosis and peripheral embolic events. The trial was terminated prematurely because of low enrollment. There were 27 patients in total: 15 patients placed in the dabigatran group and 12 in the warfarin group. After 90 days, one patient (8.3 %) in the warfarin group and none in the dabigatran group had developed a new intracardiac thrombus. In the dabigatran group, two patients (13.3 %) developed dense SEC versus one patient (8.3 %) in the warfarin group. In the warfarin group, one patient (8.3 %) presented ischemic stroke, and none did in the dabigatran group. We observed no cases of hemorrhagic stroke, valve thrombosis, embolic events or myocardial infarction in either group throughout the study. However, one patient (6.7 %) in the dabigatran group had a fully recovered transient ischemic attack and one patient in the warfarin group died of heart failure. The use of dabigatran appears to be similar to warfarin in preventing the formation of intracardiac thrombus. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01868243.

Impact of Aura and Status Migrainosus on Readmissions for Vascular Events After Migraine Admission.

PubMed

Velickovic Ostojic, Lili; Liang, John W; Sheikh, Huma U; Dhamoon, Mandip S

2018-06-22

-To estimate readmission rates for acute ischemic stroke (AIS), transient ischemic attack (TIA), subarachnoid hemorrhage, and intracerebral hemorrhage after an index admission for migraine, using nationally representative data. -The Nationwide Readmissions Database was designed to analyze readmissions for all payers and uninsured, with data on >14 million US admissions in 2013. We used International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes to identify index migraine admissions with and without aura or status migrainosus, and readmissions for cerebrovascular events. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed for each outcome with aura and status migrainosus as main predictors, adjusting for age and vascular risk factors. -Out of 12,448 index admissions for migraine, 9972 (80.1%) were women, mean age was 45.5 ± 14.8 years, aura was present in 3038 (24.41%), and status migrainosus in 1798 (14.44%). The 30-day readmission rate (per 100,000 index admissions) was 154 for ischemic stroke, 86 for TIA, 42 for subarachnoid hemorrhage, and 17 for intracranial hemorrhage. In unadjusted models, aura was significantly associated with TIA (hazard ratio 2.43, 95% CI 1.39-4.24), but not AIS (1.26, 0.73-2.18), intracranial hemorrhage (1.86, 0.45-7.79) or subarachnoid hemorrhage (1.85, 0.44-7.75). When adjusting for age and vascular risk factors, aura remained significantly associated with TIA (2.13, 1.22-3.74). Status, in adjusted models, was significantly associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage readmission (4.83, 1.09-21.42). -In this large, nationally representative retrospective cohort study, migraine admission with aura was independently associated with TIA readmission, and status migrainosus was independently associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Further research would clarify the role of misdiagnosis and causal relationships underlying these strong associations. © 2018 American Headache Society.

Pioglitazone and Risk for Bone Fracture: Safety Data From a Randomized Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Inzucchi, Silvio E.; Young, Lawrence H.; Insogna, Karl L.; Conwit, Robin; Furie, Karen L.; Gorman, Mark; Kelly, Michael A.; Lovejoy, Anne M.; Kernan, Walter N.

2017-01-01

Context: Pioglitazone reduces cardiovascular risk in nondiabetic patients after an ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) but is associated with increased risk for bone fracture. Objective: To characterize fractures associated with pioglitazone by location, mechanism, severity, timing, and sex. Design, Setting, and Patients: Patients were 3876 nondiabetic participants in the Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke trial randomized to pioglitazone or placebo and followed for a median of 4.8 years. Fractures were identified through quarterly interviews. Results: At 5 years, the increment in fracture risk between pioglitazone and placebo groups was 4.9% [13.6% vs 8.8%; hazard ratio (HR), 1.53; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.24 to 1.89). In each group, ∼80% of fractures were low energy (i.e., resulted from fall) and 45% were serious (i.e., required surgery or hospitalization). For serious fractures most likely to be related to pioglitazone (low energy, nonpathological), the risk increment was 1.6% (4.7% vs 3.1%; HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.03 to 2.09). Increased risk for any fracture was observed in men (9.4% vs 5.2%; HR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.36 to 2.48) and women (14.9% vs 11.6%; HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.78; interaction P = 0.13). Conclusions: Fractures affected 8.8% of placebo-treated patients within 5 years after an ischemic stroke or TIA. Pioglitazone increased the absolute fracture risk by 1.6% to 4.9% and the relative risk by 47% to 60%, depending on fracture classification. Our analysis suggests that treatments to improve bone health and prevent falls may help optimize the risk/benefit ratio for pioglitazone. PMID:27935736

Baseline feature of a randomized trial assessing the effects of disease management programs for the prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Fukuoka, Yasuko; Hosomi, Naohisa; Hyakuta, Takeshi; Omori, Toyonori; Ito, Yasuhiro; Uemura, Jyunichi; Kimura, Kazumi; Matsumoto, Masayasu; Moriyama, Michiko

2015-03-01

Comprehensive and long-term patient education programs designed to improve self-management can help patients better manage their medical condition. Using disease management programs (DMPs) that were created for each of the risk factor according to clinical practice guidelines, we evaluate their influence on the prevention of stroke recurrence. This is a randomized study conducted with ischemic stroke patients within 1 year from their onset. Subjects in the intervention group received a 6-month DMPs that included self-management education provided by a nurse along with support in collaboration with the primary care physician. Those in the usual care group received ordinary outpatient care. The primary end points are stroke recurrence and stroke death. Patients were enrolled for 2 years with plans for a 2-year follow-up after the 6-month education period (total of 30 months). A total of 321 eligible subjects (average age, 67.3 years; females, 96 [29.9%]), including 21 subjects (6.5%) with transient ischemic attack, were enrolled in this study. Regarding risk factors for stroke, 260 subjects (81.0%) had hypertension, 249 subjects (77.6%) had dyslipidemia, 102 subjects (31.8%) had diabetes mellitus, 47 subjects (14.6%) had atrial fibrillation, and 98 subjects (30.5%) had chronic kidney disease. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups with respect to subject characteristics. This article describes the rationale, design, and baseline features of a randomized controlled trial that aimed to assess the effects of DMPs for the secondary prevention of stroke. Subject follow-up is in progress and will end in 2015. Copyright © 2015 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Secure data exchange between intelligent devices and computing centers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naqvi, Syed; Riguidel, Michel

2005-03-01

The advent of reliable spontaneous networking technologies (commonly known as wireless ad-hoc networks) has ostensibly raised stakes for the conception of computing intensive environments using intelligent devices as their interface with the external world. These smart devices are used as data gateways for the computing units. These devices are employed in highly volatile environments where the secure exchange of data between these devices and their computing centers is of paramount importance. Moreover, their mission critical applications require dependable measures against the attacks like denial of service (DoS), eavesdropping, masquerading, etc. In this paper, we propose a mechanism to assure reliable data exchange between an intelligent environment composed of smart devices and distributed computing units collectively called 'computational grid'. The notion of infosphere is used to define a digital space made up of a persistent and a volatile asset in an often indefinite geographical space. We study different infospheres and present general evolutions and issues in the security of such technology-rich and intelligent environments. It is beyond any doubt that these environments will likely face a proliferation of users, applications, networked devices, and their interactions on a scale never experienced before. It would be better to build in the ability to uniformly deal with these systems. As a solution, we propose a concept of virtualization of security services. We try to solve the difficult problems of implementation and maintenance of trust on the one hand, and those of security management in heterogeneous infrastructure on the other hand.

Benign Granuloma Masquerading as Squamous Cell Carcinoma Due to a “Floater”

PubMed Central

Prat, Madeleine P; Hostler, David C

2017-01-01

Pathology specimen cross-contamination is a rare phenomenon in diagnostic pathology. Such “floaters” may result in delayed, missed or erroneous diagnoses. We describe the case of a patient with benign granuloma of the lung initially misdiagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma due to a “floater.” PMID:29164012

Early Motor Unit Disease Masquerading as Psychogenic Breathy Dysphonia: A Clinical Case Presentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aronson, Arnold E.

1971-01-01

Presented is a study of a 20-year-old girl with mild, breathy dysphonia, previously diagnosed as psychogenic. In actuality, her voice change was a sign of early myasthenia gravis. It is pointed out that voice changes can be a first and only sign of early neurologic disease. (Author/KW)

Little Masquerade: Russia’s Evolving Employment Of Maskirovka

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-26

formations and equipment. Camouflage and radar scattering nets, awnings, screens, and smoke are additional means to prevent observation and detection.30...light discipline, engagement restrictions ( fire discipline), and communication restrictions.31...same inert techniques but augments them with real equipment, soldiers, smoke , sounds, and light signatures.33 Creation of a false assembly area with

Sellar and supra-sellar glioblastoma masquerading as a pituitary macroadenoma.

PubMed

Mahta, Ali; Buhl, Ralf; Huang, Hongguang; Jansen, Olav; Kesari, Santosh; Ulmer, Stephan

2013-04-01

A few number of suprasellar gliomas have been reported thus far of which, some of them developed several years after radiation therapy for pituitary adenomas or craniopharyngiomas. Herein, we report a case of sellar glioblastoma with suprasellar extension with no prior radiation history who mimicked clinical and radiologic findings of a pituitary macroadenoma.

Plotting Inequalities, Building Resistance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renner, Adam; Brew, Bridget; Proctor, Crystal

2012-01-01

Media depictions of San Francisco show idyllic images of fog pouring under the Golden Gate Bridge or happy tourists riding cable cars, but rarely the mostly nonwhite neighborhoods of the east side. San Francisco public schools have a bad track record of mimicking this masquerade, with very low numbers of African American and Latina/o students…

Ectopic canine associated with a dentigerous cyst in the maxilla.

PubMed

Thakur, Jagdeep S; Mohindroo, Narinder K; Sharma, Dev R; Minhas, Ravinder S; Thakur, Anamika

2011-06-01

Ectopic eruption of a tooth is common in the dental arch, palate, and nose, but it is rare in the maxillary antrum. We present the case of a 35-year-old man with an ectopic canine and an associated dentigerous cyst in the maxillary sinus that masqueraded as an antrochoanal polyp.

Neoliberalism, Social Darwinism, and Consumerism Masquerading as School Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tienken, Christopher H.

2013-01-01

Education reform policies harvested from neoliberalism, social Darwinism, consumerism, and free-market ideologies have begun to replace the pragmatic progressivism of the pre-World War II era. In this article, I use three federal and state education reform policies and programs--No Child Left Behind Act, Common Core State Standards Initiative, and…

High-dose calcium stimulation test in a case of insulinoma masquerading as hysteria.

PubMed

Nakamura, Yoshio; Doi, Ryuichiro; Kohno, Yasuhiro; Shimono, Dai; Kuwamura, Naomitsu; Inoue, Koichi; Koshiyama, Hiroyuki; Imamura, Masayuki

2002-11-01

It is reported that some cases with insulinoma present with neuropsychiatric symptoms and are often misdiagnosed as psychosis. Here we report a case of insulinoma masquerading as hysteria, whose final diagnosis could be made using high-dose calcium stimulation test. A 28-yr-old woman was referred presenting with substupor, mutism, mannerism, restlessness, and incoherence. Laboratory examinations revealed hypoglycemia (33 mg/dL) and detectable insulin levels (9.7 microU/mL), suggesting the diagnosis of insulinoma. However, neither imaging studies nor selective arterial calcium injection (SACI) test with a conventional dose of calcium (0.025 mEq/kg) indicated the tumor. High-dose calcium injection (0.05 mEq/kg) evoked insulin secretion when injected into superior mesenteric artery. A solitary tumor in the head of the pancreas was resected, and her plasma glucose returned to normal. Postoperatively, iv injection of secretin resulted in a normal response of insulin, which was not found preoperatively. This case suggests the usefulness of the SACI test with high-dose of calcium in the case of insulinoma when the standard dose fails to detect such a tumor.

Cross-reactivity and masqueraders in seafood reactions.

PubMed

Banks, Taylor A; Gada, Satyen M

2013-01-01

Confounding variables play a significant role in many adverse seafood reactions and a clear understanding of these factors is important in properly characterizing reactions associated with potential masqueraders and mimics. Although the medical literature is replete with reviews of seafood hypersensitivity and reports of cross-reactive and newly characterized allergens, there has not been a recent effort to provide an updated overview of the several processes that may lead clinicians to draw incorrect conclusions in evaluating reported reactions to seafood. Ranging from seafood intoxications to other nonallergic or complex seafood reactions, these events can easily be misconstrued as representing a seafood IgE-mediated allergy. Among these are the more familiar topics of cross-reactivity and scombroid intoxication, and those with a still evolving understanding such as ciguatera fish poisoning and Anisakis reactions. This article seeks to provide an accessible but comprehensive summary of the relevant information surrounding these confounders in assessing adverse reactions to seafood. Such knowledge may be instrumental in unraveling complex or otherwise unclear presentations and aid clinicians in accurately evaluating and managing patients with reported seafood reactions.

Giant ovarian cyst masquerading as a massive ascites: a case report.

PubMed

Yeika, Eugene Vernyuy; Efie, Derrick Tembi; Tolefac, Paul Nkemtendong; Fomengia, Joseph Nkeangu

2017-12-19

Giant ovarian cysts are tumours of the ovary presenting with diameters greater than 10 cm. Giant ovarian cysts have become rare in recent days as they are diagnosed and managed early due to the availability of good imaging modalities. The aim of this case report is to show how a huge cystic ovarian mass can mislead the diagnosis of ascites in a postmenopausal woman. Factors associated with late presentation of giant ovarian cysts in sub-Saharan Africa have also been discussed. We present the case of a 65-year-old grand multiparous woman who was referred to our centre with a grossly distended abdomen misdiagnosed as a massive ascites. Abdominopelvic ultrasound scan revealed a right giant multiloculated ovarian cyst. She benefited from a cystectomy with an uneventful postoperative stay. Histopathology revealed mucinous cystadenoma. Large cystic ovarian tumours can present masquerading as massive ascites and misleading diagnosis as in this case report. We report this case to increase the suspicion index of a large ovarian cyst in all women presenting with massive ascites.

A Case of Retained Graphite Anterior Chamber Foreign Body Masquerading as Stromal Keratitis

PubMed Central

Han, Eun Ryung; Wee, Won Ryang; Lee, Jin Hak

2011-01-01

We report a case of a retained graphite anterior chamber foreign body that was masquerading as stromal keratitis. A 28-year-old male visited with complaints of visual disturbance and hyperemia in his right eye for four weeks. On initial examination, he presented with a stromal edema involving the inferior half of the cornea, epithelial microcysts, and moderate chamber inflammation. Suspecting herpetic stromal keratitis, he was treated with anti-viral and anti-inflammatory agents. One month after the initial visit, anterior chamber inflammation was improved and his visual acuity recovered to 20/20, but subtle corneal edema still remained. On tapering the medication, after three months, a foreign body was incidentally identified in the inferior chamber angle and was surgically removed resulting in complete resolution of corneal edema. The removed foreign body was a fragment of graphite and he subsequently disclosed a trauma with mechanical pencil 12 years earlier. This case showed that the presence of an anterior chamber foreign body should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of idiopathic localized corneal edema. PMID:21461226

Toll-Like Receptors: New Players in Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

PubMed Central

Ha, Tuanzhu; Liu, Li; Kelley, Jim; Kao, Race; Williams, David

2011-01-01

Abstract Innate immune and inflammatory responses have been implicated in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the mechanisms by which innate immunity and inflammatory response are involved in myocardial I/R have not been elucidated completely. Recent studies highlight the role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the induction of innate immune and inflammatory responses. Growing evidence has demonstrated that TLRs play a critical role in myocardial I/R injury. Specifically, deficiency of TLR4 protects the myocardium from ischemic injury, whereas modulation of TLR2 induces cardioprotection against ischemic insult. Importantly, cardioprotection induced by modulation of TLRs involves activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway, suggesting that there is a crosstalk between TLRs and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. In addition, TLRs also associate with other coreceptors, such as macrophage scavenger receptors in the recognition of their ligands. TLRs are also involved in the induction of angiogenesis, modulation of stem cell function, and expression of microRNA, which are currently important topic areas in myocardial I/R. Understanding how TLRs contribute to myocardial I/R injury could provide basic scientific knowledge for the development of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment and management of patients with heart attack. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 15, 1875–1893. PMID:21091074

Distal protection filter device efficacy with carotid artery stenting: comparison between a distal protection filter and a distal protection balloon.

PubMed

Iko, Minoru; Tsutsumi, Masanori; Aikawa, Hiroshi; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa; Go, Yoshinori; Nii, Kouhei; Abe, Gorou; Ye, Iwae; Nomoto, Yasuyuki; Kazekawa, Kiyoshi

2013-01-01

This retrospective study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the embolization prevention mechanism of two types of embolic protection device (EPD)-a distal protection balloon (DPB) and a distal protection filter (DPF). Subjects were 164 patients scheduled to undergo carotid artery stenting: a DPB was used in 82 cases (DPB group) from April 2007 until June 2010, and a DPF was used in 82 cases (DPF group) from July 2010 to July 2011. Rates of positive findings on postoperative diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and stroke incidence were compared. Positive postoperative DWI results were found in 34 cases in the DPB group (41.4 %), but in only 22 cases in the DPF group (26.8 %), and there was only a small significant difference within the DPF group. In the DPB group, there was one case of transient ischemic attack (TIA) (1.2 %) and four cases of brain infarction (2 minor strokes, 2 major strokes; 4.9 %), compared to the DFP group with one case of TIA (1.2 %) and no cases of minor or major strokes. In this study, significantly lower rates of occurrence of DWI ischemic lesions and intraoperative embolization were associated with use of the DPF compared to the DPB.

Association between bullous pemphigoid and neurologic diseases: a case-control study.

PubMed

Casas-de-la-Asunción, E; Ruano-Ruiz, J; Rodríguez-Martín, A M; Vélez García-Nieto, A; Moreno-Giménez, J C

2014-11-01

In the past 10 years, bullous pemphigoid has been associated with other comorbidities and neurologic and psychiatric conditions in particular. Case series, small case-control studies, and large population-based studies in different Asian populations, mainland Europe, and the United Kingdom have confirmed this association. However, no data are available for the Spanish population. This was an observational, retrospective, case-control study with 1:2 matching. Fifty-four patients with bullous pemphigoid were selected. We compared the percentage of patients in each group with concurrent neurologic conditions, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and solid tumors using univariate logistic regression. An association model was constructed with conditional multiple logistic regression. The case group had a significantly higher percentage of patients with cerebrovascular accident and/or transient ischemic attack (odds ratio [OR], 3.06; 95% CI, 1.19-7.87], dementia (OR, 5.52; 95% CI, 2.19-13.93), and Parkinson disease (OR, 5; 95% CI, 1.57-15.94). A significantly higher percentage of cases had neurologic conditions (OR, 6.34; 95% CI, 2.89-13.91). Dementia and Parkinson disease were independently associated with bullous pemphigoid in the multivariate analysis. Patients with bullous pemphigoid have a higher frequency of neurologic conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and AEDV. All rights reserved.

Thrombolysis and neuroprotection in cerebral ischemia.

PubMed

Gutiérrez, M; Díez Tejedor, E; Alonso de Leciñana, M; Fuentes, B; Carceller, F; Roda, J M

2006-01-01

Stroke is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. The resulting burden on society grows with the increase in the incidence of stroke. The term brain attack was introduced to describe the acute presentation of stroke and emphasize the need for urgent action to remedy the situation. Though a large number of therapeutic agents, like thrombolytics, NMDA receptor antagonists, calcium channel blockers and antioxidants, have been used or are being evaluated, there is still a large gap between the benefits of these agents and the properties of an ideal drug for stroke. So far, only thrombolysis with rtPA within a 3-hour time window has been shown to improve the outcome of patients with ischemic stroke. Understanding the mechanisms of injury and neuroprotection in these diseases is important to target news sites for treating ischemia. Better evaluation of the drugs and increased similarity between the results of animal experimentation and in the clinical setting requires critical assessment of the selection of animal models and the parameters to be evaluated. Our laboratory has employed a rat embolic stroke model to investigate the combination of rtPA with citicoline as compared to monotherapy alone and investigated whether neuroprotection should be provided before or after thrombolysis in order to achieve a greater reduction of ischemic brain damage. Copyright 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Myocardial Infarction in Neonates: A Review of an Entity with Significant Morbidity and Mortality.

PubMed

Papneja, Koyelle; Chan, Anthony K; Mondal, Tapas K; Paes, Bosco

2017-03-01

Coronary artery disease is a global problem with high mortality rates and significant residual sequelae that affect long-term quality of life. Myocardial infarction (MI) in neonates is a recognized, uncommon entity, but the incidence and broad spectrum of the disease is unknown and likely underestimated due to limited reporting which in the majority is confined to acute ischemic events. The challenges involve clinical diagnosis which masquerades in the early phase as non-specific symptoms and signs that are commonly found in a host of neonatal disorders. Precise diagnostic criteria for neonatal MI are lacking, and management is driven by clinical presentation and hemodynamic stabilization rather than an attempt to rapidly establish the root cause of the condition. We conducted a review of the published reports of neonatal MI from 2000 to 2014, to establish an approach to the diagnosis and management based on the existing evidence. The overall evidence from 32 scientific articles stemmed from case reports and case series which were graded as low-to-very low quality. Neonatal MI resembles childhood and adult MI with features that involve characteristic ECG changes, raised biomarkers, and diagnostic imaging, but with lack of robust, standardized criteria to facilitate prompt diagnosis and timely intervention. The mortality rate of neonatal MI ranges from 40 to 50% based on inclusion criteria, but the short-term data reflect normal quality of life in survivors. An algorithm for the diagnosis and management of neonatal MI may optimize outcomes, but at the present time is based on limited evidence. Well-designed clinical studies focusing on the definition, diagnosis, and management of neonatal MI, backed by international consensus guidelines, are needed to alter the prognosis of this serious condition.

Comparison of Acute Ischemic Stroke Care and Outcomes Between Comprehensive Stroke Centers and Primary Stroke Centers in the United States.

PubMed

Man, Shumei; Zhao, Xin; Uchino, Ken; Hussain, M Shazam; Smith, Eric E; Bhatt, Deepak L; Xian, Ying; Schwamm, Lee H; Shah, Shreyansh; Khan, Yosef; Fonarow, Gregg C

2018-06-01

To improve stroke care, the Brain Attack Coalition recommended establishing primary stroke center (PSC) and comprehensive stroke center (CSC) certification. This study aimed to compare ischemic stroke care and in-hospital outcomes between CSCs and PSCs. We analyzed patients with acute ischemic stroke who were hospitalized at stroke centers participating in Get With The Guidelines-Stroke from 2013 to 2015. Multivariable logistic regression models were generated to examine the association between stroke center certification (CSC versus PSC) and performances and outcomes. This study included 722 941 patients who were admitted to 134 CSCs and 1047 PSCs. Both CSCs and PSCs had good conformity to 7 performance measures and the summary defect-free care measure. Among emergency department admissions, CSCs had higher intravenous tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) and endovascular thrombectomy rates than PSCs (14.3% versus 10.3%, 4.1% versus 1.0%, respectively). Door to intravenous tPA time was shorter at CSCs (median, 52 versus 61 minutes; adjusted risk ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.89-0.95). More patients at CSCs had door to intravenous tPA time ≤60 minutes (79.7% versus 65.1%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-1.75). For transferred patients, CSCs and PSCs had comparable overall performance in defect-free care, except higher endovascular thrombectomy therapy rates. The overall in-hospital mortality was higher at CSCs in both emergency department admissions (4.6% versus 3.8%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.29) and transferred patients (7.7% versus 6.8%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.32). In-hospital outcomes were comparable between CSCs and PSCs in patients who received intravenous tPA or endovascular thrombectomy. CSCs and PSCs achieved similar overall care quality for patients with acute ischemic stroke. CSCs exceeded PSCs in timely acute reperfusion therapy for emergency department admissions, whereas PSCs had lower risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality. This information may be important for acute stroke triage and targeted quality improvement. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Congenital Syphilis Masquerading as Leukemia.

PubMed

Lee, Tiffany; Bell, Stephanie; Scimeme, Jason; Maraqa, Nizar

2017-07-01

As of late, the incidence of congenital syphilis in the United States is increasing. Each new case represents a failure of preventing, diagnosing, and treating syphilis in pregnant women. Pediatricians should confirm that all women have received adequate screening for and management of syphilis during pregnancy. Congenital syphilis is easily treatable but may be a diagnostic challenge with high morbidity and mortality.

Fictions of the Studio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belshaw, Michael

2011-01-01

Not so long ago the occasional story would be told in the news that someone with a fascination for all things medical had spent months or even years masquerading as a doctor in a large and anonymous hospital. No doubt the absence of such stories today is due to heightened security and vigilance, partly as a result of the realization among hospital…

[Moxiflaxin and iris transillumination].

PubMed

Broens, A; Collignon, N

2016-07-01

Bilateral Acute Iris Transillumination (BAIT) is a new clinical entity characterized by acute onset of pigment dispersion in the anterior chamber and angle, depigmentation of the iris stroma and permanent iris transillumination, masquerading as uveitis. An association with oral moxifloxacin is reported in some articles. We describe one case of bilateral acute iris transillumination, following the use of systemic moxifloxacin.

Postoperative cerebrovascular accidents in general surgery.

PubMed

Larsen, S F; Zaric, D; Boysen, G

1988-11-01

In a prospective study of postoperative complications, strokes occurred in 6 out of 2463 patients (0.2%) who underwent non-cardiac, non-carotid artery surgery. The patients who experienced cerebrovascular accidents, including three cases of transient ischemic attack, were significantly older than the rest of the group (mean age 79 years versus 65 years) and had manifestations of atherosclerosis in at least one organ preoperatively. Significant predictors of risk for postoperative cerebrovascular accidents were previous cerebrovascular disease, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, and hypertension. Cerebrovascular accidents occurred late in the postoperative period, 5-26 days after surgery, and were not directly related to surgery and anesthesia. They were more frequent after acute than after elective operations. Precipitating factors for some of the stroke incidents were rapid atrial fibrillation and postoperative dehydration.

Elevated troponin in patients with acute stroke - Is it a true heart attack?

PubMed

Dous, George V; Grigos, Angela C; Grodman, Richard

2017-09-01

Although the prognostic value of a positive troponin in an acute stroke patient is still uncertain, it is a commonly encountered clinical situation given that Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) frequently co-exist in the same patient and share similar risk factors. Our objectives in this review are to (1) identify the biologic relationship between acute cerebrovascular stroke and elevated troponin levels, (2) determine the pathophysiologic differences between positive troponin in the setting of acute stroke versus acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and (3) examine whether positive troponin in the setting of acute stroke has prognostic significance. We also will provide an insight analysis of some of the available studies and will provide guidance for a management approach based on the available data according to the current guidelines.

Late night activity regarding stroke codes: LuNAR strokes.

PubMed

Tafreshi, Gilda; Raman, Rema; Ernstrom, Karin; Rapp, Karen; Meyer, Brett C

2012-08-01

There is diurnal variation for cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death. Stroke may show a similar pattern. We assessed whether strokes presenting during a particular time of day or night are more likely of vascular etiology. To compare emergency department stroke codes arriving between 22:00 and 8:00 hours (LuNAR strokes) vs. others (n-LuNAR strokes). The purpose was to determine if late night strokes are more likely to be true strokes or warrant acute tissue plasminogen activator evaluations. We reviewed prospectively collected cases in the University of California, San Diego Stroke Team database gathered over a four-year period. Stroke codes at six emergency departments were classified based on arrival time. Those arriving between 22:00 and 8:00 hours were classified as LuNAR stroke codes, the remainder were classified as 'n-LuNAR'. Patients were further classified as intracerebral hemorrhage, acute ischemic stroke not receiving tissue plasminogen activator, acute ischemic stroke receiving tissue plasminogen activator, transient ischemic attack, and nonstroke. Categorical outcomes were compared using Fisher's Exact test. Continuous outcomes were compared using Wilcoxon's Rank-sum test. A total of 1607 patients were included in our study, of which, 299 (19%) were LuNAR code strokes. The overall median NIHSS was five, higher in the LuNAR group (n-LuNAR 5, LuNAR 7; P=0·022). There was no overall differences in patient diagnoses between LuNAR and n-LuNAR strokes (P=0·169) or diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke receiving tissue plasminogen activator (n-LuNAR 191 (14·6%), LuNAR 42 (14·0%); P=0·86). Mean arrival to computed tomography scan time was longer during LuNAR hours (n-LuNAR 54·9±76·3 min, LuNAR 62·5±87·7 min; P=0·027). There was no significant difference in 90-day mortality (n-LuNAR 15·0%, LuNAR 13·2%; P=0·45). Our stroke center experience showed no difference in diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke between day and night stroke codes. This similarity was further supported in similar rates of tissue plasminogen activator administration. Late night strokes may warrant a more rapid stroke specialist evaluation due to the longer time elapsed from symptom onset and the longer time to computed tomography scan. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2011 World Stroke Organization.

Colonic basidiobolomycosis with liver involvement masquerading as gastrointestinal lymphoma: a case report and literature review.

PubMed

Zekavat, Omid Reza; Abdolkarimi, Babak; Pouladfar, Gholamreza; Fathpour, Gholamreza; Mokhtari, Maral; Shakibazad, Nader

2017-01-01

Basidiobolomycosis is an unusual fungal skin infection that rarely involves the gastrointestinal tract. This study reported a 5-year-old boy with gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis that had been misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal lymphoma. He was treated by surgical resection and a combination of posaconazole and amphotericin B deoxycholate with an acceptable response and no recurrence.

Reduction of Photodiode Nonlinearities by Adaptive Biasing

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-14

2016 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Meredith N. hutchiNsoN Nicholas J. Frigo Photonics Technology Branch Optical Sciences...Unclassified Unlimited Unclassified Unlimited 19 Meredith N. Hutchinson (202) 767-9549 Fiber optics Analog photonics RF photonic links impress information...to nonlinearities. These spurious tones masquerade as signals and impair the performance of the photonic link. Earlier research has shown the

High-mass twins & resolution of the reconfinement, masquerade and hyperon puzzles of compact star interiors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blaschke, David; Instytut Fizyki Teoretycznej, Uniwersytet Wroclawski, 50-204 Wroclaw; Alvarez-Castillo, David E.

2016-01-22

We aim at contributing to the resolution of three of the fundamental puzzles related to the still unsolved problem of the structure of the dense core of compact stars (CS): (i) the hyperon puzzle: how to reconcile pulsar masses of 2 M{sub ⊙} with the hyperon softening of the equation of state (EoS); (ii) the masquerade problem: modern EoS for cold, high density hadronic and quark matter are almost identical; and (iii) the reconfinement puzzle: what to do when after a deconfinement transition the hadronic EoS becomes favorable again? We show that taking into account the compositeness of baryons (bymore » excluded volume and/or quark Pauli blocking) on the hadronic side and confining and stiffening effects on the quark matter side results in an early phase transition to quark matter with sufficient stiffening at high densities which removes all three present-day puzzles of CS interiors. Moreover, in this new class of EoS for hybrid CS falls the interesting case of a strong first order phase transition which results in the observable high mass twin star phenomenon, an astrophysical observation of a critical endpoint in the QCD phase diagram.« less

Carcinoma transverse colon masquerading as carcinoma gall bladder

PubMed Central

Kumar, Ashwani; Singh, Harnam; Singh, Gurpreet; Singh, Bimaljot; Chauhan, Mahak

2014-01-01

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancer worldwide .Its incidence is reported to be increasing in developing countries. It commonly presents with weight loss, anaemia, lump abdomen, change of bowel habit, obstruction or fresh rectal bleeding. Beside these common modes of presentations, there are some rare manifestations which masqueraded as different disease like obstructive jaundice, empyema gall bladder or cholecystitis. A 60-year-old male presented to hospital with right sided pain abdomen. On abdominal examination mild tenderness was present in right hypochondrium. Intra operatively gall bladder was separated from the adjoining gut, peritoneum and liver bed and was removed. On further exploration, there was a large mass in the vicinity of the gall bladder related to transverse colon. Extended right hemicolectomy was done. Histopathological examination of gut mass revealed adenocarcinoma of transverse colon with free margins and gall bladder showed cholecystitis with no evidence of malignancy. We present an interesting case of colon cancer colon that caused diagnostic confusion by mimicking as cholecystitis. Colorectal cancer constitutes a major public health issue globally. Therefore, public awareness, screening of high-risk populations, early diagnosis and effective treatment and follow-up will help to reduce its occurance and further complications. PMID:24772345

Carcinoma transverse colon masquerading as carcinoma gall bladder.

PubMed

Munghate, Anand; Kumar, Ashwani; Singh, Harnam; Singh, Gurpreet; Singh, Bimaljot; Chauhan, Mahak

2014-04-01

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancer worldwide .Its incidence is reported to be increasing in developing countries. It commonly presents with weight loss, anaemia, lump abdomen, change of bowel habit, obstruction or fresh rectal bleeding. Beside these common modes of presentations, there are some rare manifestations which masqueraded as different disease like obstructive jaundice, empyema gall bladder or cholecystitis. A 60-year-old male presented to hospital with right sided pain abdomen. On abdominal examination mild tenderness was present in right hypochondrium. Intra operatively gall bladder was separated from the adjoining gut, peritoneum and liver bed and was removed. On further exploration, there was a large mass in the vicinity of the gall bladder related to transverse colon. Extended right hemicolectomy was done. Histopathological examination of gut mass revealed adenocarcinoma of transverse colon with free margins and gall bladder showed cholecystitis with no evidence of malignancy. We present an interesting case of colon cancer colon that caused diagnostic confusion by mimicking as cholecystitis. Colorectal cancer constitutes a major public health issue globally. Therefore, public awareness, screening of high-risk populations, early diagnosis and effective treatment and follow-up will help to reduce its occurance and further complications.

Epibulbar Plasmacytoma Masquerading as Subconjunctival Hemorrhage in a Patient With Multiple Myeloma.

PubMed

Bradley, Amanda; Estes, Amy; Ulrich, Lane; Thomas, Dilip; Gay, David

2017-02-01

We report a 75-year-old woman with a history of multiple myeloma immunoglobulin D (IgD) variant, who presented with an epibulbar plasmacytoma masquerading as a subconjunctival hemorrhage. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and orbits with and without contrast was obtained and surgical biopsy of the subconjunctival lesion was performed; histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of plasmacytoma. Subconjunctival biopsy revealed a plasma cell neoplasm infiltrate in the episcleral layer. The subconjunctival biopsy stained positive for CD138 and lambda-immunohistochemistry in the majority of plasma cells. Histologic findings were consistent with involvement by known IgD plasma cell myeloma where previous bone marrow biopsy demonstrated myeloma cells which stained monoclonally for IgD-lambda light chains. Although plasma cell neoplasms seldom present with ocular manifestations, it is crucial to recognize that these tumors may be associated with multiple myeloma. In patients with known multiple myeloma who present with subconjunctival hemorrhage, close follow-up is highly recommended, as this may be the initial presentation of an ocular plasmacytoma. Although a plasmacytoma is a rare subconjunctival lesion, it should not be immediately excluded from the differential diagnosis of such lesions.

Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Masquerading as Jugular Foramen Paraganglioma: A Role for Novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

PubMed

Thomas, Andrew J; Wiggins, Richard H; Gurgel, Richard K

2017-08-01

To describe a case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) masquerading as a jugular foramen paraganglioma (JP). To compare imaging findings between skull base metastatic RCC and histologically proven paraganglioma. A case of unexpected metastatic skull base RCC is reviewed. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were compared between 3 confirmed cases of JP and our case of metastatic RCC. Diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) sequences and computed apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were compared between these entities. A 55-year-old man presents with what appears clinically and radiographically to be JP. The tumor was resected, then discovered on postoperative pathology to be metastatic RCC. Imaging was retrospectively compared between 3 histologically confirmed cases of JP and our case of skull base RCC. The RCC metastasis was indistinguishable from JP on CT and traditional MRI but distinct by ADC values calculated from DW-MRI. Metastatic RCC at the skull base may mimic the clinical presentation and radiographic appearance of JP. The MRI finding of flow voids is seen in both paraganglioma and metastatic RCC. Diffusion-weighted MRI is able to distinguish these entities, highlighting its potential utility in distinguishing skull base lesions.

Scabies masquerading as bullous pemphigoid: scabies surrepticius

PubMed Central

Cohen, Philip R

2017-01-01

Scabies, a parasitic infestation caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, is diagnosed by observing either the mite, its ova, or its excrement. The mite tracts, known as burrows and a characteristic presentation of the pruritic condition, are typically found on the web spaces between the fingers. Other cutaneous lesions include excoriated papules, pustules, and vesicles. However, atypical clinical variants of scabies, such as bullous, crusted, hidden, incognito, nodular, and scalp forms of the parasitic infestation, mimic the morphologic features of other non-parasitic dermatoses. A 76-year-old man presented with pruritic blisters and urticarial plaques that demonstrated not only pathology changes, but direct immunofluorescence also showed findings of bullous pemphigoid. His condition improved, but did not resolve, with topical corticosteroid cream for the management of the primary autoimmune blistering disorder. When other family members subsequently developed scabies, the correct diagnosis for his condition, bullous scabies, was established by demonstrating mites, ova, and scybala on a mineral oil preparation from a skin scraping of a newly appearing burrow. Bullous scabies can masquerade not only clinically, but also both pathologically and immunologically as bullous pemphigoid. Scabies serrupticius is introduced as a unifying term to designate all of the non-classic presentations of S. scabiei mite infestation. PMID:28883737

Etiological classifications of transient ischemic attacks: subtype classification by TOAST, CCS and ASCO--a pilot study.

PubMed

Amort, Margareth; Fluri, Felix; Weisskopf, Florian; Gensicke, Henrik; Bonati, Leo H; Lyrer, Philippe A; Engelter, Stefan T

2012-01-01

In patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIA), etiological classification systems are not well studied. The Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST), the Causative Classification System (CCS), and the Atherosclerosis Small Vessel Disease Cardiac Source Other Cause (ASCO) classification may be useful to determine the underlying etiology. We aimed at testing the feasibility of each of the 3 systems. Furthermore, we studied and compared their prognostic usefulness. In a single-center TIA registry prospectively ascertained over 2 years, we applied 3 etiological classification systems. We compared the distribution of underlying etiologies, the rates of patients with determined versus undetermined etiology, and studied whether etiological subtyping distinguished TIA patients with versus without subsequent stroke or TIA within 3 months. The 3 systems were applicable in all 248 patients. A determined etiology with the highest level of causality was assigned similarly often with TOAST (35.9%), CCS (34.3%), and ASCO (38.7%). However, the frequency of undetermined causes differed significantly between the classification systems and was lowest for ASCO (TOAST: 46.4%; CCS: 37.5%; ASCO: 18.5%; p < 0.001). In TOAST, CCS, and ASCO, cardioembolism (19.4/14.5/18.5%) was the most common etiology, followed by atherosclerosis (11.7/12.9/14.5%). At 3 months, 33 patients (13.3%, 95% confidence interval 9.3-18.2%) had recurrent cerebral ischemic events. These were strokes in 13 patients (5.2%; 95% confidence interval 2.8-8.8%) and TIAs in 20 patients (8.1%, 95% confidence interval 5.0-12.2%). Patients with a determined etiology (high level of causality) had higher rates of subsequent strokes than those without a determined etiology [TOAST: 6.7% (95% confidence interval 2.5-14.1%) vs. 4.4% (95% confidence interval 1.8-8.9%); CSS: 9.3% (95% confidence interval 4.1-17.5%) vs. 3.1% (95% confidence interval 1.0-7.1%); ASCO: 9.4% (95% confidence interval 4.4-17.1%) vs. 2.6% (95% confidence interval 0.7-6.6%)]. However, this difference was only significant in the ASCO classification (p = 0.036). Using ASCO, there was neither an increase in risk of subsequent stroke among patients with incomplete diagnostic workup (at least one subtype scored 9) compared with patients with adequate workup (no subtype scored 9), nor among patients with multiple causes compared with patients with a single cause. In TIA patients, all etiological classification systems provided a similar distribution of underlying etiologies. The increase in stroke risk in TIA patients with determined versus undetermined etiology was most evident using the ASCO classification. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Age-Specific Associations of Renal Impairment With Magnetic Resonance Imaging Markers of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in Transient Ischemic Attack and Stroke

PubMed Central

Liu, Bian; Lau, Kui Kai; Li, Linxin; Lovelock, Caroline; Liu, Ming; Kuker, Wilhelm

2018-01-01

Background and Purpose— It has been hypothesized that cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) and chronic renal impairment may be part of a multisystem small-vessel disorder, but their association may simply be as a result of shared risk factors (eg, hypertension) rather than to a systemic susceptibility to premature SVD. However, most previous studies were hospital based, most had inadequate adjustment for hypertension, many were confined to patients with lacunar stroke, and none stratified by age. Methods— In a population-based study of transient ischemic attack and ischemic stroke (OXVASC [Oxford Vascular Study]), we evaluated the magnetic resonance imaging markers of cerebral SVD, including lacunes, white matter hyperintensities, cerebral microbleeds, and enlarged perivascular space. We studied the age-specific associations of renal impairment (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min per 1.73 m2) and total SVD burden (total SVD score) adjusting for age, sex, vascular risk factors, and premorbid blood pressure (mean blood pressure during 15 years preevent). Results— Of 1080 consecutive patients, 1028 (95.2%) had complete magnetic resonance imaging protocol and creatinine measured at baseline. Renal impairment was associated with total SVD score (odds ratio [OR], 2.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69–2.75; P<0.001), but only at age <60 years (<60 years: OR, 3.97; 95% CI, 1.69–9.32; P=0.002; 60–79 years: OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.72–1.41; P=0.963; ≥80 years: OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.59–1.54; P=0.832). The overall association of renal impairment and total SVD score was also attenuated after adjustment for age, sex, history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and premorbid average systolic blood pressure (adjusted OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.56–1.02; P=0.067), but the independent association of renal impairment and total SVD score at age <60 years was maintained (adjusted OR, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.21–7.98; P=0.018). Associations of renal impairment and SVD were consistent for each SVD marker at age <60 years but were strongest for cerebral microbleeds (OR, 5.84; 95% CI, 1.45–23.53; P=0.013) and moderate–severe periventricular white matter hyperintensities (OR, 6.28; 95% CI, 1.54–25.63; P=0.010). Conclusions— The association of renal impairment and cerebral SVD was attenuated with adjustment for shared risk factors at older ages, but remained at younger ages, consistent with a shared susceptibility to premature disease. PMID:29523652

Prognostic Significance of Blood Pressure Variability on Beat-to-Beat Monitoring After Transient Ischemic Attack and Stroke.

PubMed

Webb, Alastair J S; Mazzucco, Sara; Li, Linxin; Rothwell, Peter M

2018-01-01

Visit-to-visit and day-to-day blood pressure (BP) variability (BPV) predict an increased risk of cardiovascular events but only reflect 1 form of BPV. Beat-to-beat BPV can be rapidly assessed and might also be predictive. In consecutive patients within 6 weeks of transient ischemic attack or nondisabling stroke (Oxford Vascular Study), BPV (coefficient of variation) was measured beat-to-beat for 5 minutes (Finometer), day-to-day for 1 week on home monitoring (3 readings, 3× daily), and on awake ambulatory BP monitoring. BPV after 1-month standard treatment was related (Cox proportional hazards) to recurrent stroke and cardiovascular events for 2 to 5 years, adjusted for mean systolic BP. Among 520 patients, 26 had inadequate beat-to-beat recordings, and 22 patients were in atrial fibrillation. Four hundred five patients had all forms of monitoring. Beat-to-beat BPV predicted recurrent stroke and cardiovascular events independently of mean systolic BP (hazard ratio per group SD, stroke: 1.47 [1.12-1.91]; P =0.005; cardiovascular events: 1.41 [1.08-1.83]; P =0.01), including after adjustment for age and sex (stroke: 1.47 [1.12-1.92]; P =0.005) and all risk factors (1.40 [1.00-1.94]; P =0.047). Day-to-day BPV was less strongly associated with stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.29 [0.97-1.71]; P =0.08) but similarly with cardiovascular events (1.41 [1.09-1.83]; P =0.009). BPV on awake ambulatory BP monitoring was nonpredictive (stroke: 0.89 [0.59-1.35]; P =0.59; cardiovascular events: 1.08 [0.77-1.52]; P =0.65). Despite a weak correlation ( r =0.119; P =0.02), beat-to-beat BPV was associated with risk of recurrent stroke independently of day-to-day BPV (1.41 [1.05-1.90]; P =0.02). Beat-to-beat BPV predicted recurrent stroke and cardiovascular events, independently of mean systolic BP and risk factors but short-term BPV on ambulatory BP monitoring did not. Beat-to-beat BPV may be a useful additional marker of cardiovascular risk. © 2017 The Authors.

Progress in carotid artery surgery at the base of the skull.

PubMed

Sandmann, W; Hennerici, M; Aulich, A; Kniemeyer, H; Kremer, K W

1984-11-01

From 1977 to 1984, 752 reconstructions of the supra-aortic arteries were performed at our service. In a group of 31 patients presenting with transient ischemic attacks (13) or minor strokes (15), preoperative multiplane angiograms identified lesions from various causes in extremely high locations (fibromuscular dysplasia, 10; atherosclerosis, 6; traumatic changes, 10; spontaneous dissection, 3; and mycotic aneurysms and others, 4) in 34 internal carotid arteries (aneurysms, 10; and stenosis, 24). Surgery was performed on 30 patients. Flow restoration was achieved by resection and vein graft replacement (20), gradual dilatation (5), thromboendarterectomy (6), and tangential clip for exclusion of a lateral aneurysm (1). Only one patient was treated with an extracranial-intracranial anastomosis because the stenosis extended into the carotid siphon. One patient was treated with heparin. Exposure of the internal carotid artery (ICA) at the base of the skull required dissection of the digastric muscle, careful mobilization of the cranial nerves, and detachment of the styloid process in 29 patients. Partial resection of the mastoid process was helpful in two patients. The carotid bone canal was opened from the lateral side in four cases to allow the most distal anastomosis 1 cm within the carotid canal. Back-bleeding was controlled by a balloon catheter. A shunt was impossible to use and clamping time averaged 62 +/- 40 minutes. Except for one recurrent stroke and two transient ischemic attacks no other neurologic deficits occurred. Cranial nerve damage could not be avoided in 21 cases (nervus recurrens, 7; nervus glossopharyngeus, 16; and nervus facialis, 4) but disappeared clinically within a 1- to 6-month period in all but two. Each surgical patient underwent control angiography, which demonstrated 30 arteries to be patent, two became occluded, and one had an insignificant stenosis. We conclude that standard surgical techniques are unsuitable for repair of highly located lesions of the ICA. Although extracranial-intracranial anastomosis has been proposed in patients with planned ligation of the ICA, the anatomic reconstruction remains advantageous because flow is restored to normal and the source of emboli is eliminated. With the use of a special approach, graft replacement can be performed up to the base of the skull.

Montreal Cognitive Assessment 5-minute protocol is a brief, valid, reliable, and feasible cognitive screen for telephone administration.

PubMed

Wong, Adrian; Nyenhuis, David; Black, Sandra E; Law, Lorraine S N; Lo, Eugene S K; Kwan, Pauline W L; Au, Lisa; Chan, Anne Y Y; Wong, Lawrence K S; Nasreddine, Ziad; Mok, Vincent

2015-04-01

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Canadian Stroke Network Vascular Cognitive Impairment Harmonization working group proposed a brief cognitive protocol for screening of vascular cognitive impairment. We investigated the validity, reliability, and feasibility of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment 5-minute protocol (MoCA 5-minute protocol) administered over the telephone. Four items examining attention, verbal learning and memory, executive functions/language, and orientation were extracted from the MoCA to form the MoCA 5-minute protocol. One hundred four patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack, including 53 with normal cognition (Clinical Dementia Rating, 0) and 51 with cognitive impairment (Clinical Dementia Rating, 0.5 or 1), were administered the MoCA in clinic and a month later, the MoCA 5-minute protocol over the telephone. Administration of the MoCA 5-minute protocol took 5 minutes over the telephone. Total score of the MoCA 5-minute protocol correlated negatively with age (r=-0.36; P<0.001) and positively with years of education (r=0.41; P<0.001) but not with sex (ρ=0.03; P=0.773). Total scores of the MoCA and MoCA 5-minute protocol were highly correlated (r=0.87; P<0.001). The MoCA 5-minute protocol performed equally well as the MoCA in differentiating patients with cognitive impairment from those without (areas under receiver operating characteristics curve for MoCA 5-minute protocol, 0.78; MoCA=0.74; P>0.05 for difference; Cohen d for group difference, 0.80-1.13). It differentiated cognitively impaired patients with executive domain impairment from those without (areas under receiver operating characteristics curve, 0.89; P<0.001; Cohen d=1.7 for group difference). Thirty-day test-retest reliability was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.89). The MoCA 5-minute protocol is a free, valid, and reliable cognitive screen for stroke and transient ischemic attack. It is brief and highly feasible for telephone administration. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Clinical and Economic Implications of Apixaban Versus Aspirin in the Low-Risk Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Patients.

PubMed

Lip, Gregory Y H; Lanitis, Tereza; Mardekian, Jack; Kongnakorn, Thitima; Phatak, Hemant; Dorian, Paul

2015-10-01

Although recommended by guidelines, the benefits of treating patients with atrial fibrillation with a low-stroke risk score, with aspirin or anticoagulants, have not been clearly established. With advent of safer non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant, we assessed the clinical and economic implications of 5 mg BID of apixaban versus aspirin among patients with a relative low risk of stroke as assessed using the CHADS2 (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age>75, diabetes mellitus, stroke/transient ischemic attack) and CHA2DS2-VASc (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes mellitus, stroke/transient ischemic attack, vascular disease) stroke risk classification. A previously developed and validated Markov model was adapted. A secondary analysis of the Apixaban Versus Acetylsalicylic Acid to Prevent Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Who Have Failed or Are Unsuitable for Vitamin K Antagonist Treatment (AVERROES) study was conducted to estimate event rates in different low-risk cohorts by treatment. Three cohorts (n=1000) with a CHADS2 score of 1, CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1, and CHA2DS2-VASc of score 2 to 4 were simulated to assess the number of clinical events avoided in terms of strokes and major bleeds, as well as life years gained, quality-adjusted life years gained, costs, and incremental costs per quality-adjusted life year gained. Apixaban was associated with fewer strokes and systemic embolism versus aspirin across all subgroups; however, it caused more major bleeding events. The reduction in systemic embolism offset the increase in major bleeding events leading to increased life expectancy and quality-adjusted life year gains, achieved at an increased cost that was lower than the UK threshold of $44,400 (ie, £30,000) per quality-adjusted life year gained across the 3 cohorts examined. Anticoagulant treatment with apixaban versus aspirin in low-risk patients, as identified using CHADS2 or CHA2DS2-VASc, is projected to increase life expectancy and provide clinical benefits that are cost effective. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Therapeutic Decisions in Atrial Fibrillation for Stroke Prevention: The Role of Aversion to Ambiguity and Physicians' Risk Preferences.

PubMed

Sposato, Luciano A; Stirling, Devin; Saposnik, Gustavo

2018-04-09

Knowledge-to-action gaps influence therapeutic decisions in atrial fibrillation (AF). Physician-related factors are common, but the least studied. We evaluated the prevalence and determinants of physician-related factors and knowledge-to-action gaps among physicians involved in the management of AF patients. In this cross-sectional study, participants from 6 South American countries recruited during an educational program answered questions regarding 16 case scenarios of patients with AF and completed experiments assessing 3 outcome measures: therapeutic inertia, herding, and errors in risk stratification knowledge translated into action (ERSKTA) based on commonly used stratification tools (Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age ≥75 years (double), Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke/transient ischemic attack/thromboembolism (double), Vascular disease, Age 65-74 years, and female gender (score of 0 for males and 1 for female) (CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc) and Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age ≥75 years, Diabetes mellitus, and previous Stroke/transient ischemic attack (double) (CHADS 2 )). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine factors associated with the outcomes. Overall, 149 physicians were invited to participate, of which 88 (59.1%) completed the online assessment tool. Cardiology was the most frequent specialty (69.3%). Therapeutic inertia was present in 53 participants (60.2%), herding in 66 (75.0%), and ERSKTA in 46 (52.3%). Therapeutic inertia was inversely associated with willingness to take financial risks (odds ratio [OR] .72, 95% confidence interval [CI] .59-.89 per point in the financial risk propensity score), herding was associated with aversion to ambiguity in the medical domain (OR 5.35, 95% CI 1.40-20.46), and ERSKTA was associated with the willingness to take risks (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.15-2.50, per point in score). Among physicians involved in stroke prevention in AF, individual risk preferences and aversion to ambiguity lead to therapeutic inertia, herding, and errors in risk stratification and subsequent use of oral anticoagulants. Educational interventions, including formal training in risk management and decision-making are needed. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Associations of Circulating Growth Differentiation Factor-15 and ST2 Concentrations With Subclinical Vascular Brain Injury and Incident Stroke.

PubMed

Andersson, Charlotte; Preis, Sarah R; Beiser, Alexa; DeCarli, Charles; Wollert, Kai C; Wang, Thomas J; Januzzi, James L; Vasan, Ramachandran S; Seshadri, Sudha

2015-09-01

Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) and soluble (s)ST2 are markers of cardiac and vascular stress. We investigated the associations between circulating concentrations of these biomarkers and incident stroke and subclinical vascular brain injury in a sample from the Framingham Offspring cohort. We followed 3374 stroke- and dementia-free individuals (mean age, 59.0±9.7 years; 53% women) attending the Framingham Offspring sixth examination cycle 11.8±3.0 years for incident stroke. A subsample of 2463 individuals underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological testing ≈4.0±1.7 years after the sixth examination. After adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, B-type natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and urine albumin levels, higher stress biomarker levels were associated cross-sectionally with lower brain volumes (β coefficients for intracranial volume comparing fourth [Q4] versus first biomarker [Q1] quartiles: -0.71% for GDF-15; P=0.002 and 0.47% for sST2; P=0.02) and worse performance on the visual reproduction test (β coefficients for Q4 versus Q1: -0.62 for GDF-15; P=0.009 and -0.40 for sST2; P=0.04). Higher GDF-15 concentrations were also associated with greater log-transformed white-matter hyperintensity volumes (β for Q4 versus Q1=0.19; P=0.01). Prospectively, a total of 203 (6%) individuals developed incident stroke/transient ischemic attack during follow-up. After multivariable adjustment, sST2 remained significantly associated with stroke/transient ischemic attack, hazard ratio for Q4 versus Q1 of 1.76, 95% confidence interval of 1.06 to 2.92, and P=0.03. Circulating GDF-15 and sST2 are associated with subclinical brain injury and cognitive impairment. Higher sST2 concentrations are also associated with incident stroke, suggesting potential links between cardiac stress biomarkers and brain injury. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Intracranial hemorrhage among patients with atrial fibrillation anticoagulated with warfarin or rivaroxaban: the rivaroxaban once daily, oral, direct factor Xa inhibition compared with vitamin K antagonism for prevention of stroke and embolism trial in atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Hankey, Graeme J; Stevens, Susanna R; Piccini, Jonathan P; Lokhnygina, Yuliya; Mahaffey, Kenneth W; Halperin, Jonathan L; Patel, Manesh R; Breithardt, Günter; Singer, Daniel E; Becker, Richard C; Berkowitz, Scott D; Paolini, John F; Nessel, Christopher C; Hacke, Werner; Fox, Keith A A; Califf, Robert M

2014-05-01

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a life-threatening complication of anticoagulation. We investigated the rate, outcomes, and predictors of ICH in 14 264 patients with atrial fibrillation from Rivaroxaban Once Daily, Oral, Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared With Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation (ROCKET AF). Cox proportional hazards modeling was used. During 1.94 years (median) of follow-up, 172 patients (1.2%) experienced 175 ICH events at a rate of 0.67% per year. The significant, independent predictors of ICH were race (Asian: hazard ratio, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.39-2.94; black: hazard ratio, 3.25; 95% CI, 1.43-7.41), age (1.35; 1.13-1.63 per 10-year increase), reduced serum albumin (1.39; 1.12-1.73 per 0.5 g/dL decrease), reduced platelet count below 210×10(9)/L (1.08; 1.02-1.13 per 10×10(9)/L decrease), previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (1.42; 1.02-1.96), and increased diastolic blood pressure (1.17; 1.01-1.36 per 10 mm Hg increase). Predictors of a reduced risk of ICH were randomization to rivaroxaban (0.60; 0.44-0.82) and history of congestive heart failure (0.65; 0.47-0.89). The ability of the model to discriminate individuals with and without ICH was good (C-index, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.64-0.73). Among patients with atrial fibrillation treated with anticoagulation, the risk of ICH was higher among Asians, blacks, the elderly, and in those with previous stroke or transient ischemic attack, increased diastolic blood pressure, and reduced platelet count or serum albumin at baseline. The risk of ICH was significantly lower in patients with heart failure and in those who were randomized to rivaroxaban instead of warfarin. The external validity of these findings requires testing in other atrial fibrillation populations.

Secondary Prevention Three and Six Years after Stroke Using the French National Insurance Healthcare System Database.

PubMed

Mechtouff, Laura; Haesebaert, Julie; Viprey, Marie; Tainturier, Valérie; Termoz, Anne; Porthault-Chatard, Sylvie; David, Jean-Stéphane; Derex, Laurent; Nighoghossian, Norbert; Schott, Anne-Marie

2018-05-14

Secondary prevention is inadequate in the first 2 years after stroke but what happens after that is less documented. The aim of this study was to assess the use and the adherence to preventive drugs 3 and 6 years after experiencing a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or an ischemic stroke (IS). The population study was from the AVC69 cohort (IS or TIA admitted in an emergency or stroke unit in the Rhône area, France, for an IS or a TIA during a 7-month period). Medication use was defined as ≥1 purchase during the studied year and adherence as Continuous Measure of Medication Acquisition ≥0.8 using the French medical insurance health care funding database. The study population consisted of 210 patients at 3 years and 163 patients at 6 years. Medication use at 3 and 6 years was, respectively, 80.9 and 79.8% for antithrombotics, 69.1 and 66.3% for antihypertensives, 60.5 and 55.2% for statins and 48.6 and 46.6% for optimal treatment defined as the treatment achieved by the use of the 3 drugs. Adherence to each class was good at 3 years and tends to decrease at 6 years. More than one patient out of 2 do not use the optimal preventive treatment. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Design and rationale of dabigatran's stroke prevention in real life in Turkey (D-SPIRIT).

PubMed

Türk, Uğur Önsel; Alioğlu, Emin; Tunçer, Eşref; Özpelit, Mehmet Emre; Pekel, Nihat; Tengiz, İstemihan; Çetin, Nurullah; Dalgıç, Onur; Topaloğlu, Caner; Bilgin, Nazile; Altın, Cihan; Özdemirkıran, Tolga; Tülüce, Kamil; Türkoğlu, Ebru İpek; Özpelit, Ebru

2016-04-01

The D-SPIRIT registry is designed to investigate the safety and efficacy of dabigatran etexilate in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and to collect data on outcomes in clinical practice. The D-SPIRIT is a national, prospective, observational, post-marketing registry involving patients with NVAF who have been taking dabigatran etexilate therapy for stroke prevention for a minimum of 6 months prior to enrollment. The registry will collect and analyze data from routine care, enrolling up to 600 patients in 9 centers. Patients will be followed up for 2 years to evaluate effectiveness and safety. A sample size of 600 subjects is proposed based on the following assumptions; Two-sided significance level of 0.05 (1-sided significance level of 0.025), ischemic stroke incidence rate of 0.768%-1.111%, hemorrhagic stroke incidence rate of 0.109%-0.130%, transient ischemic attack incidence rate of 0.722%-0.623%, therapy discontinuation incidence rate of 40% at day 730, and duration of enrollment period of 12 months with non-uniformed enrollment rate. Ethics approval was given by Dokuz Eylül University Ethics Committee of Clinical Research (2014/54) and approved by the Turkish Ministry of Health. Potential results of D-SPIRIT registry will add data from clinical practice to those from the RE-LY trial to expand knowledge of dabigatran etexilate treatment in patients with NVAF.

Outcomes for Patients With Diabetes After Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

PubMed

Vest, Amanda R; Mistak, Stanley M; Hachamovitch, Rory; Mountis, Maria M; Moazami, Nader; Young, James B

2016-10-01

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for mortality among patients with heart failure as well as for patients who undergo cardiothoracic surgery. However it is unknown whether DM is associated with increased mortality or major complications during continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) support. We retrospectively reviewed 300 consecutive adults who received CF-LVADs at a single center in the years 2006-2013; 129 patients had DM before LVAD, as defined by American Diabetes Association criteria (HbA1c ≥6.5% and/or taking DM medications). Compared with the non-DM group, DM patients were older, with a higher pre-LVAD body mass index, more ischemic heart failure etiology, and higher pre-LVAD creatinine. Ninety-three patients died on LVAD support, 43 with DM and 50 without DM (P = .4526). After control for 9 covariates in a Cox proportional hazards model, DM was unassociated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.883, 95% confidence interval 0.571-1.366; P = .5768). Diabetes was also unassociated with the adverse event end points of stroke/transient ischemic attack, intracerebral hemorrhage, pump thrombosis, and device-related infections. Diabetes is common in LVAD recipients (43% of the present cohort) but does not increase mortality or rates of major adverse events during CF-LVAD support. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is It Acute Stroke or Not - A Prospective Observational Study from a Multidisciplinary Emergency Department.

PubMed

Wolf, Marc E; Chatzikonstantinou, Anastasios; Grüttner, Joachim; Ebert, Anne D; Walter, Thomas; Hennerici, Michael G; Fatar, Marc

2016-01-01

Acute stroke is a medical emergency with various clinical presentations. Since the introduction of systemic thrombolytic treatment, stroke diagnosis has been made quickly and with great caution, and the trend of rapid presentation at hospitals has increased. In our multidisciplinary Emergency Department, we prospectively collected and analysed data of consecutive patients presenting with suspected acute stroke (SAS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Four hundred ten patients (200 men, mean age 68 ± 16, range 17-93 years) with SAS were admitted of which 105 were prehospitally announced as within the time-window for thrombolytic treatment (TW). Diagnosis of acute stroke/TIA was retained in 147 (35.9%). The initially reported TW <4.5 h was wrong in 35.3%. Thrombolysis was performed in 27 patients (23.5% of ischemic stroke patients; 6.6% of all SAS). Diagnosis of another neurologic disease was made in 62 (15.1%). Major differential diagnoses came from the field of internal medicine, psychiatry or otorhinolaryngology. One hundred fifty patients (36.6%) were rapidly discharged. About half the number of our patients admitted for SAS did not suffer from an acute neurologic disease. Residual symptoms post-stroke might be partly responsible for initial misinterpretation. The crucial difference between symptom onset and symptom recognition needs to be emphasized to improve the prehospital assessment of the TW. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Tips for taking the medical history in patients with syncope].

PubMed

Israel, Carsten W

2018-06-01

Transient loss of consciousness represents one of the most frequent reasons for patients to present in the emergency room. Already at the very beginning, the diagnostic work-up is faced with fundamental questions: (1) Was it really a loss of consciousness? (2) Which department (neurology, cardiology, or others) should check the patient? (3) Is an in-hospital diagnostic work-up required? These questions can be answered from a meticulous patient history which needs to be adjusted to the individual case but also has to systematically go through a list of questions. Patient history has to clarify whether syncope was present. Nonsyncopal events such as falls, transient global amnesia, epilepsy, psychogenic pseudosyncope, transient ischemic attack and drop attacks should be distinguished. In a second step, the four groups of causes of syncope can be assessed. Neurocardiogenic reflex syncope usually occurs with typical prodromes in typical situations in (younger) patients without heart disease. Orthostasis always occurs in upright position, typically associated with standing up and in patients treated with antihypertensive drugs. Arrhythmogenic syncope frequently shows an abrupt onset without prodromes, associated with injury and with palpitations or fast heart beat before the attack, in older patients frequently associated with known heart disease, in young patients without heart disease frequently with a family history positive for arrhythmias or sudden cardiac death. A positive history of structural cardiovascular disease should be considered as a cause of syncope, particularly if it occurs during exercise or in supine position, or is associated with chest pain or dyspnea. This review summarizes the most important questions that can elucidate the cause of syncope.

[Multiple risk factors models of patients with acute coronary syndromes of different genders].

PubMed

Sun, Wanglexian; Hu, Tiemin; Huang, Xiansheng; Zhang, Ying; Guo, Jinrui; Wang, Wenfeng; Shi, Fei; Wang, Pengfei; Wang, Huarong; Sun, Jing; Li, Chunhua

2014-12-23

To establish the multiple risk factors models for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) of different genders and quantitatively assess the pathopoiesis of all factors. A total of 2 308 consecutive ACS inpatients and a control group of 256 cases with normal coronary artery from January 2010 to December 2012 were enrolled and divided into 4 groups of female ACS (n = 970), male ACS (n = 1 338), female control (n = 136) and male control (n = 120). All demographic and clinical data were collected by the physicians and master degree candidates in the division of cardiology. The Logistic regression models of multiple risk factors were established for ACS by different genders. More than 45 years of age, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity and hypertension were all independent risk factors of ACS for different genders (P < 0.05). However, the same risk factors had different pathogenic effects on ACS between genders. The odds ratio (OR) was markedly different for females and males: per 5-year increase aged over 45 years (1.45 vs 1.13), dyslipidemia (3.45 vs 1.68), type 2 diabetes mellitus (4.06 vs 2.33), obesity (2.93 vs 1.91) and hypertension (1.78 vs 3.80) respectively (all P < 0.05). In addition, current smoking increased the risk of ACS attack in males by 5.49 (P < 0.05) while not statistically significant in females. Particularly cerebral ischemic stroke increased the risk of ACS attack by 5.49 folds in males other than females (P < 0.05). Type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and obesity may present higher risks of ACS attack for females than males. And smoking and hypertension are much more dangerous for males. Males with cerebral infarction are more susceptible for ACS than females.

Ruptured superficial dorsal vein of the penis masquerading as a penile fracture: case report.

PubMed

Perlmutter, Adam E; Roberts, Lawrence; Farivar-Mohseni, Hesam; Zaslau, Stanley

2007-08-01

Acute onset of pain, swelling, and ecchymosis of the penis during sexual intercourse indicate a penile fracture until proven otherwise. However, there have been few case reports of isolated injuries to the dorsal penile artery or dorsal vein mimicking a penile fracture. Presented herein is a rare case of a patient who ruptured his superficial dorsal vein during intercourse.

Penile carcinoma presenting as inguinal bubo, masquerading as a venereal disease.

PubMed

Gupta, Vishal; Rai, Ajay; Mutha, Shreyans; Firdaus Ali, Mohammad; Sharma, Vinod K

2016-03-01

We report a case of penile carcinoma presenting as an inguinal bubo in a young man. The associated painful genital ulcer and history of high-risk sexual behaviour raised a strong suspicion of a sexually transmitted infection. We review the literature for similar cases, highlight the similarities with venereal disease and discuss the differential diagnosis of inguinal bubo. © The Author(s) 2016.

Acute Legionella pneumophila infection masquerading as acute alcoholic hepatitis.

PubMed

Hunter, Jonathan Michael; Chan, Julian; Reid, Angeline Louise; Tan, Chistopher

2013-01-25

A middle-aged man had deteriorated rapidly in hospital after being misdiagnosed with acute alcoholic hepatitis. Acute Legionnaires disease (Legionellosis) was subsequently diagnosed on rapid antigen urinary testing and further confirmed serologically. This led to appropriate antibiotic treatment and complete clinical resolution. Physicians caring for patients with alcohol-related liver disease should consider Legionella pneumophila in their differential diagnosis even with a paucity of respiratory symptoms.

A Case of Fatal Serotonin Syndrome-Like Human Rabies Caused by Tricolored Bat-Associated Rabies Virus.

PubMed

Regunath, Hariharan; Chinnakotla, Bhavana; Rojas-Moreno, Christian; Salzer, William; Hughes, Natalie J; Sangha, Harbaksh

2016-06-01

Human rabies is a fatal disease, transmitted by saliva of infected animals, and the diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. Very few cases are reported annually in the United States. We present a case of human rabies without a clear exposure history that masqueraded as serotonin syndrome. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Preclinical and clinical examinations of Salvia miltiorrhiza and its tanshinones in ischemic conditions

PubMed Central

Adams, James David; Wang, Rubin; Yang, Jun; Lien, Eric Jungchi

2006-01-01

Salvia miltiorrhiza (Labiatae, Laminaceae), danshen, is an annual sage mainly found in China and neighboring countries. The crude drug (dried root) and its preparations are currently used in China to treat patients suffering from heart attack, angina pectoris, stroke and some other conditions. The use of S. miltiorrhiza has been increasing in the management of stroke. Pharmacological examinations showed that the plant and its active ingredients, tanshinones and salvianolic acids, have anticoagulant, vasodilatory, increased blood flow, anti-inflammatory, free radical scavenging, mitochondrial protective and other activities. This review discusses the pharmacology, medicinal chemistry and clinical studies published, especially in China, for danshen and tanshinone preparations. Clinical examinations are evaluated in terms of S. miltiorrhiza preparation, dose, double blinding, control, clinical assessments of outcomes and other parameters. Meta-analyses of S. miltiorrhiza are also discussed. PMID:17302964

The Japan Statin Treatment Against Recurrent Stroke (J-STARS): A Multicenter, Randomized, Open-label, Parallel-group Study.

PubMed

Hosomi, Naohisa; Nagai, Yoji; Kohriyama, Tatsuo; Ohtsuki, Toshiho; Aoki, Shiro; Nezu, Tomohisa; Maruyama, Hirofumi; Sunami, Norio; Yokota, Chiaki; Kitagawa, Kazuo; Terayama, Yasuo; Takagi, Makoto; Ibayashi, Setsuro; Nakamura, Masakazu; Origasa, Hideki; Fukushima, Masanori; Mori, Etsuro; Minematsu, Kazuo; Uchiyama, Shinichiro; Shinohara, Yukito; Yamaguchi, Takenori; Matsumoto, Masayasu

2015-09-01

Although statin therapy is beneficial for the prevention of initial stroke, the benefit for recurrent stroke and its subtypes remains to be determined in Asian, in whom stroke profiles are different from Caucasian. This study examined whether treatment with low-dose pravastatin prevents stroke recurrence in ischemic stroke patients. This is a multicenter, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint, parallel-group study of patients who experienced non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke. All patients had a total cholesterol level between 4.65 and 6.21 mmol/L at enrollment, without the use of statins. The pravastatin group patients received 10 mg of pravastatin/day; the control group patients received no statins. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA), with the onset of each stroke subtype set to be one of the secondary endpoints. Although 3000 patients were targeted, 1578 patients (491 female, age 66.2 years) were recruited and randomly assigned to pravastatin group or control group. During the follow-up of 4.9 ± 1.4 years, although total stroke and TIA similarly occurred in both groups (2.56 vs. 2.65%/year), onset of atherothrombotic infarction was less frequent in pravastatin group (0.21 vs. 0.64%/year, p = 0.0047, adjusted hazard ratio 0.33 [95%CI 0.15 to 0.74]). No significant intergroup difference was found for the onset of other stroke subtypes, and for the occurrence of adverse events. Although whether low-dose pravastatin prevents recurrence of total stroke or TIA still needs to be examined in Asian, this study has generated a hypothesis that it may reduce occurrence of stroke due to larger artery atherosclerosis. This study was initially supported by a grant from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan. After the governmental support expired, it was conducted in collaboration between Hiroshima University and the Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation.

High on-treatment platelet reactivity in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease: assessment of prevalence and stability over time using four platelet function tests.

PubMed

Jover, Eva; Rodríguez, José M; Bernal, Agustina; Arroyo, Ana B; Iniesta, Juan A; Guiú, Isabel Sánchez; Martínez, Constantino; Vicente, Vicente; Lozano, María L; Rivera, José

2014-09-01

High on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR), referred to as a higher than expected platelet reactivity in patients under antiplatelet therapy, could influence outcome in cerebrovascular disease (CVD), but its prevalence and its stability over time is uncertain. Platelet reactivity was assessed in 18 patients with ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) 7 days (D7) and 90 days (D90) after prescription of clopidogrel, using four methods: light transmission aggregometry with 5 μmol/l ADP (LTA-ADP), vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP), Verify Now P2Y12 and platelet function analyzer (PFA) P2Y. HTPR was defined as LTA-ADP more than 46%; PFA-100-P2Y closure time less than 106 s; VerifyNow P2Y12, PRU greater than 235, VASP, PRI greater than 50%. Patients displayed, both at D7 and D90, a marked inhibition of platelet reactivity towards ADP in all tests as compared with reference levels. Correlations between the results obtained with all the tests at D7 and D90 and between measurements on each day in each test were low-to-moderate. The prevalence of HTPR for all the tests was 40% at D7 and 42% at D90. There was a moderate degree of agreement (k statistic < 0.5) between tests with regard to categorizing patients as HTPR/No-HTPR (D7 and D90). The on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity phenotype, HTPR/No-HTPR, remained stable in 55-72% of patients, depending on the test. A high prevalence of HTPR is found among CVD patients treated with clopidogrel and this platelet reactivity phenotype remains over time. There is poor agreement between the different platelet function tests for categorizing the platelet reactivity phenotype in these patients. The new PFA-100 P2Y equals other platelet function assays for evaluating HTPR in CVD.

Risk of Cerebrovascular Accidents and Ischemic Heart Disease in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

PubMed

Singh, Abha G; Crowson, Cynthia S; Singh, Siddharth; Denis, Mark; Davis, P; Maradit-Kremers, Hilal; Matteson, Eric L; Chowdhary, Vaidehi R

2016-11-01

It is unclear whether isolated cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) affects cardiovascular risk. We estimated the cumulative incidence and mortality of cardiovascular diseases in a population-based CLE cohort and compared the risk with a matched non-CLE cohort. All incident cases of CLE in Olmsted County, Minnesota, between 1965 and 2005 were followed until December 2013. The cumulative incidence of cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs [including stroke and transient ischemic attack]), ischemic heart disease (IHD [including coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and angina pectoris]), heart failure, and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) was derived and compared to an age-, sex-, and calendar year-matched non-CLE cohort using Cox models. There were 155 patients with CLE (mean ± SD age at diagnosis 48 ± 16 years, 65% female, mean ± SD BMI 26.3 ± 7.1 kg/m 2 , 40% smokers, 9% with diabetes mellitus). During a median followup of 14.6 years, 41 CLE patients had cardiovascular events (15 patients with CVAs, 32 patients with IHD), with a 20-year cumulative incidence of 31.6%. As compared to non-CLE subjects, the risk of CVAs (smoking-adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.97 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.13-7.78]) and PAD (HR 2.06 [95% CI 0.99-4.32]) was increased in patients with CLE, but the risk of IHD was not increased (HR 0.94 [95% CI 0.57-1.54]). There was no increase in cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.68 [95% CI 0.76-3.75]). The magnitude of risk for any cardiovascular outcome was not significantly influenced by the extent of cutaneous involvement. CLE may be associated with an increased risk of CVAs and PAD, but not IHD. Factors contributing to increased CVA risk in patients with CLE merit evaluation. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Comparison of ( sup 99m Tc)HMPAO SPECT with ( sup 18 F)fluoromethane PET in cerebrovascular disease

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heiss, W.D.; Herholz, K.; Podreka, I.

1990-09-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) of (18F)fluoromethane (FM) and single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) of (99mTc)hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) were performed under identical conditions within 2 h in 22 patients suffering from cerebrovascular disease (8 ischemic infarction, 2 intracerebral hemorrhages, 7 transient ischemic attacks, and 5 multi-infarct syndrome). While gross pathological changes could be seen in the images of either procedure, focal abnormalities corresponding to transient ischemic deficits or to lesions in multi-infarct syndrome and areas of functional deactivation were sometimes missed on SPECT images. Overall, HMPAO SPECT images showed less contrast between high and low activity regions than the FM PET images,more » and differences between lesions and contralateral regions were less pronounced (6.4 vs 13.3% difference). Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was calculated from FM PET studies in 14 large territorial regions and the pathological lesion, and the regional values relative to mean flow were compared to the relative HMPAO uptake in an identical set of regions defined on the SPECT images. Among individual patients, the Spearman rank-correlation coefficient between relative rCBF and HMPAO uptake varied between 0.48 and 0.89, with a mean of 0.70. While an underestimation of high flow with SPECT--which was demonstrated in a curvilinear relationship between all relative regional PET and SPECT values--could be corrected by linearization taking into account HMPAO efflux from the brain before metabolic trapping, correspondence of SPECT data with PET rCBF values was not improved since this procedure also increased the variance in high flow areas. In the cerebellum, however, a high HMPAO uptake in SPECT always overestimated CBF in relation to forebrain values; this finding might be due to high capillary density in the cerebellum.« less

[Impact of plasma pro-B-type natriuretic peptide amino-terminal and galectin-3 levels on the predictive capacity of the LIPID Clinical Risk Scale in stable coronary disease].

PubMed

Higueras, Javier; Martín-Ventura, José Luis; Blanco-Colio, Luis; Cristóbal, Carmen; Tarín, Nieves; Huelmos, Ana; Alonso, Joaquín; Pello, Ana; Aceña, Álvaro; Carda, Rocío; Lorenzo, Óscar; Mahíllo-Fernández, Ignacio; Asensio, Dolores; Almeida, Pedro; Rodríguez-Artalejo, Fernando; Farré, Jerónimo; López Bescós, Lorenzo; Egido, Jesús; Tuñón, José

2015-01-01

At present, there is no tool validated by scientific societies for risk stratification of patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD). It has been shown that plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), galectin-3 and pro-B-type natriuretic peptide amino-terminal (NT-proBNP) have prognostic value in this population. To analyze the prognostic value of a clinical risk scale published in Long-term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischemic Disease (LIPID) study and determining its predictive capacity when combined with plasma levels of MCP-1, galectin-3 and NT-proBNP in patients with SCAD. A total of 706 patients with SCAD and a history of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were analyzed over a follow up period of 2.2 ± 0.99 years. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of an ischemic event (any SCA, stroke or transient ischemic attack), heart failure, or death. A clinical risk scale derived from the LIPID study significantly predicted the development of the primary endpoint, with an area under the ROC curve (Receiver Operating Characteristic) of 0.642 (0.579 to 0.705); P<0.001. A composite score was developed by adding the scores of the LIPID and scale decile levels of MCP -1, galectin -3 and NT-proBNP. The predictive value improved with an area under the curve of 0.744 (0.684 to 0.805); P<0.001 (P=0.022 for comparison). A score greater than 21.5 had a sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 61% for the development of the primary endpoint (P<0.001, log -rank test). Plasma levels of MCP-1, galectin -3 and NT-proBNP improve the ability of the LIPID clinical scale to predict the prognosis of patients with SCAD. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Arteriosclerosis. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Enlarged perivascular spaces and cognitive impairment after stroke and transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Arba, Francesco; Quinn, Terence J; Hankey, Graeme J; Lees, Kennedy R; Wardlaw, Joanna M; Ali, Myzoon; Inzitari, Domenico

2018-01-01

Background Previous studies suggested that enlarged perivascular spaces are neuroimaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease. However, it is not clear whether enlarged perivascular spaces are associated with cognitive impairment. We aimed to determine the cross-sectional relationship between enlarged perivascular spaces and small vessel disease, and to investigate the relationship between enlarged perivascular spaces and subsequent cognitive impairment in patients with recent cerebral ischemic event. Methods Anonymized data were accessed from the virtual international stroke trial archive. We rated number of lacunes, white matter hyperintensities, brain atrophy, and enlarged perivascular spaces with validated scales on magnetic resonance brain images after the index stroke. We defined cognitive impairment as a mini mental state examination score of ≤26, recorded at one year post stroke. We examined the associations between enlarged perivascular spaces and clinical and imaging markers of small vessel disease at presentation and clinical evidence of cognitive impairment at one year using linear and logistic regression models. Results We analyzed data on 430 patients with mean (±SD) age 64.7 (±12.7) years, 276 (64%) males. In linear regression analysis, age (β = 0.24; p < 0.001), hypertension (β = 0.09; p = 0.025), and deep white matter hyperintensities (β = 0.31; p < 0.001) were associated with enlarged perivascular spaces. In logistic regression analysis, basal ganglia enlarged perivascular spaces were independently associated with cognitive impairment at one year after adjusting for clinical confounders (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.22-2.42) and for clinical and imaging confounders (OR = 1.54; 95% CI = 1.03-2.31). Conclusions Our data show that in patients with ischemic cerebral events, enlarged perivascular spaces are cross-sectionally associated with age, hypertension, and white matter hyperintensities and suggest that enlarged perivascular spaces in the basal ganglia are associated with cognitive impairment after one year.