Association between deficiency of free protein S and anticardiolipin antibodies in patients ≤ 65 years of age with acute ischemic stroke and TIA

A possible association between anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA), which are a marker for increased risk of cerebral ischemia, and deficiency of free Protein S, a naturally occurring anticoagulant, has been suspected in some studies of ischemic stroke, particularly in young adults. In order to investigate this further, we prospectively studied all stroke patients ≤ 65 years of age admitted to our stroke unit during 1991–1992. A total of 66 patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attacks (TIA) (embolic/thrombotic infarction n = 30, embolic infarction n = 13, thrombotic infarction n = 10, and TIA n = 13) were analysed for ACA, protein C and S, free protein S and antithrombin III (AT III). Traditional risk factors were scrutinized in each patient. Eight patients had some previously undetected derangement of the coagulation process; five had elevated ACA levels, four had low, free Protein S levels, and three had low AT III levels. None of the patients showed any decrease in total protein C or S levels. A striking association between the presence of ACA and free protein S deficiency was noted. All patients with free protein S deficiency had concomitant elevated ACA levels. Sixteen patients had had a previous episode of ischemic stroke/TIA or mycocardial infarction, two of them had lowered AT III levels. Thirty-four patients had one or more elevated infectious parameters but with no clear correlation to derangement of the coagulation factors. We conclude that a probable association between ACA and free protein S deficiency exist in ischemic stroke patients, and that it may have a pathogenetic importance.     

Neurobrucellosis as an exceptional cause of transient ischemic attacks

We report a series of four cases presented with transient ischemic attacks (TIA) or ischemic stroke as the predominant manifestation of neurobrucellosis (NB). Three of the patients were 20-28 years of age, and one patient was 53 years old. They all used to consume unpasteurized milk or its products. Two patients had systemic brucellosis in the past and received antibiotic treatment. Other causes of TIA including cardiac embolism, hypercoagulability, vascular malformations, systemic vasculitis, and infective endocarditis were excluded. NB was diagnosed with serological tests or cultures for Brucella in the cerebrospinal fluid. None of the patients had any further TIA after the initiation of specific treatment. NB should always be sought in young patients with TIA or ischemic stroke, especially if they have no risk factors for stroke and live in an endemic area for brucellosis, even if they do not have other systemic signs of brucellosis.     

Statin treatment after a recent TIA or stroke: is effectiveness shown in randomized clinical trials also observed in everyday clinical practice?

Lingsma HF, Steyerberg EW, Scholte op Reimer WJM, van Domburg R, Dippel DWJ, the Netherlands Stroke Survey Investigators. Statin treatment after a recent TIA or stroke: is effectiveness shown in randomized clinical trials also observed in everyday clinical practice?
Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 122: 15–20.
© 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Munksgaard. Aim and background – The benefit of statin treatment in patients with a previous ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) has been demonstrated in randomized clinical trials (RCT). However, the effectiveness in everyday clinical practice may be decreased because of a different patient population and less controlled setting. We aim to describe statin use in an unselected cohort of patients, identify factors related to statin use and test whether the effect of statins on recurrent vascular events and mortality observed in RCTs is also observed in everyday clinical practice. Methods – In 10 centers in the Netherlands, patients admitted to the hospital or visiting the outpatient clinic with a recent TIA or ischemic stroke were prospectively and consecutively enrolled between October 2002 and May 2003. Statin use was determined at discharge and during follow‐up. We used logistic regression models to estimate the effect of statins on the occurrence of vascular events (stroke or myocardial infarction) and mortality within 3 years. We adjusted for confounders with a propensity score that relates patient characteristics to the probability of using statins. Results – Of the 751 patients in the study, 252 (34%) experienced a vascular event within 3 years. Age, elevated cholesterol levels and other cardiovascular risk factors were associated with statin use at discharge. After 3 years, 109 of 280 (39%) of the users at discharge had stopped using statins. Propensity score adjusted analyses showed a beneficial effect of statins on the occurrence of the primary outcome (odds ratio 0.8, 95% CI: 0.6–1.2). Conclusion – In our study, we found poor treatment adherence to statins. Nevertheless, after adjustment for the differences between statin users and non‐statin users, the observed beneficial effect of statins on the occurrence of vascular events within 3 years, although not statistically significant, is compatible with the effect observed in clinical trials.     

Relationship between microemboli in the internal carotid artery and the occurrence of ischemic stroke after transient ischemic attack

Microembolic signals (MES) have been reported to be an independent risk factor for stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA). We examined the relationship between MES in the internal carotid artery and the occurrence of ischemic stroke in patients with TIA. A total of 67 patients who had a TIA were examined with transcranial Doppler ultrasonography to detect microemboli in the internal carotid artery 1, 3, and 7 days after admission, and 3 months after discharge. The relationship between the presence of MES and the subsequent occurrence of ischemic stroke was the primary outcome of interest. 35.8% (24/67) of patients were MES(+). During follow-up, ischemic stroke occurred significantly more frequently in patients who were MES(+) compared with patients who were MES(?) (6/24; 25.0% versus 2/43; 4.7%, p = 0.021), as did TIA (11/24; 45.8% versus 4/43; 9.3%). MES(+) status was significantly associated with the occurrence of ischemic stroke after adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and drug therapy (odds ratio: 8.30; 95% confidence interval: 1.37–50.42; p = 0.021). The positive and negative predictive values of MES status for predicting ischemic stroke were 25.0% and 95.4%, respectively. The presence of microemboli in the internal carotid artery appears to be an important risk factor for the occurrence of ischemic stroke after TIA. The MES(+) rate in patients with transient ischemic attack with severe internal carotid artery stenosis is markedly higher than in patients without internal carotid artery stenosis.     

短暂性脑缺血发作患者ABCD2评分与脑血管狭窄相关性初步研究

目的 评价短暂性脑缺血发作（transient ischemic attack,TIA）患者ABCD2评分和脑血管狭窄之间的关系。方法 回顾性研究了88例TIA患者ABCD2评分和颅脑磁共振血管成像（magnetic resonance angiography,MRA）影像资料,根据ABCD2评分分为评分≥4分组和评分＜4分组,根据MRA评估分为血管狭窄≥50%组和狭窄＜50%组,评价ABCD2评分与脑血管狭窄之间的相关性。结果 血管狭窄≥50%组与狭窄＜50%组比较,ABCD2评分≥4分的比率增高[74.4% vs 44.9%,比值比（odds ratio,OR）3.559,95%可信区间（credibility interval,CI）1.428～8.868,P =0.005];既往有卒中病史的患者比率增高（33.3% vs 10.2%,OR =4.400,95%CI 1.408～4.869,P =0.01）;脑血管狭窄≥50%组与狭窄＜50%组比较,前者TIA后2d内卒中发生率明显增高（10.3% vs 0%,OR =0.417,95%CI 0.324～0.537,P =0.04）。结论 ABCD2评分≥4分MRA示颅内血管狭窄率高,既往有卒中病史的TIA患者颅内血管狭窄率增高,颅内血管狭窄≥50%TIA后2d内发生卒中的风险增高。     

肾病综合征合并脑梗死62例临床分析

目的 探讨肾病综合征(NS)合并脑梗死患者的临床特点及潜在发病机制。方法 收集NS合并脑梗死患者的临床表现、实验室及影像学检查,回顾性分析其临床资料。结果 收集到NS合并脑梗死患者共62例,占同期4584例NS患者的1.35%,其中男47例(75.81%),女15例(24.19%),发病年龄20～80岁,平均年龄(58.87±11.67)岁。33例(53.23%)脑梗死发生于NS发病6个月内; 35例行肾穿刺活检中31例是膜性肾病(88.57%); 32例(51.61%)血浆白蛋白水平低于20 g/L; 42例(66.74%)纤维蛋白原水平升高; 29例行D-二聚体检查中18例其水平升高(62.07%); 10例(16.13%)以脑梗死为NS的首发症状,48例(77.41%)出现非单一动脉供血区的2个及以上病灶。结论 脑梗死多发生于NS发病6个月内,NS病理类型以膜性肾病为主,多数患者血浆白蛋白水平明显降低,血浆D-二聚体、纤维蛋白原水平升高,部分患者表现为无症状脑梗死,部分患者以脑梗死为NS的首发症状,多数患者脑内出现多发性病灶,其发病机制可能与血液的高凝状态有关。     

Multiple sleep–wake disturbances after stroke predict an increased risk of cardio-cerebrovascular events or death: A prospective cohort study

Background and purpose

Contradictory evidence on the impact of single sleep-wake-disturbances (SWD), such as sleep-disorderd breating (SDB) or insomnia, in patients with stroke, on the risk of subsequent cardio- and cerebrovascular events (CCE) and death, exists. Very recent studies in the general population suggest that the presence of multiple SWD increases cardio-cerebrovascular risk. Hence, the aim of this study was to asssess whether a novel score capturing the burden of multiple SWD, a so called "sleep burden index", is predictive for subsequent CCE including death in a prospectively followed cohort of stroke patients.

Methods

Patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) were prospectively recruited. Four SWD were analyzed: (i) SDB with respirography; (ii) insomnia (defined using the insomnia severity index [ISI]); (iii) restless legs syndrome (RLS; defined using the International RLS Study Group rating scale); and (iv) self-estimated sleep duration at 1 and 3 months. A “sleep burden index”, calculated using the mean of z-transformed values from assessments of these four SWD, was created. The occurrence of CCE was recorded over a mean ± standard deviation (SD) follow-up of 3.2 ± 0.3 years.

Results

We assessed 437 patients (87% ischemic stroke, 13% TIA, 64% males) with a mean ± SD age of 65.1 ± 13.0 years. SDB (respiratory event index ≥ 5/h) was present in 66.2% of these patients. Insomnia (ISI ≥ 10), RLS and extreme sleep duration affected 26.2%, 6.4% and 13.7% of the patients 3 months post-stroke. Seventy out of the 437 patients (16%) had at least one CCE during the follow-up. The sleep burden index was associated with a higher risk for subsequent CCE, including death (odds ratio 1.80 per index unit, 95% confidence interval 1.19–2.72; p = 0.0056).

Conclusion

The presence of multiple SWDs constitutes a risk for subsequent CCE (including death) within the first 3 years following stroke. Larger systematic studies should assess the utility of the sleep burden index for patients' risk stratification in clinical practice.     

抗心磷脂抗体动态变化与血栓性脑梗死关系研究

目的探讨抗心磷脂抗体（anticardiolipin antibodies,ACA）与血栓性脑梗死患者发病与复发的关系。方法应用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）法检测血栓性脑梗死患者发病后1d,7d．14d,21d,28d清晨空腹血清中ACA的含量,与不同组间（血栓性脑梗死组、短暂脑缺血组、脑出血组、正常对照组）相比较；通过对血栓性脑梗死患者随访观察,了解ACA阳性和阴性患者的1年到3年复发率情况,以期为血栓性脑梗死进行预防性干预寻找依据。还比较血栓性脑梗死患者中50岁以下和50岁以上ACA阳性和阴性者的差异。结果血栓性脑梗死组的ACA阳性率远较短暂脑缺血发作组、脑出血组、正常对照组高,均有显著性差异（P＜0．01,P＜0．01,P＜0．01）；随时间变化,血栓性脑梗死组ACA阳性率逐渐减少,病程第1周与第2、3、4周相比较（P＜0．01）；血栓性脑梗死ACA阳性者3年内再发血栓性脑梗死较阴性者高,差异显著（P＜0．01）；ACA阳性多发生于50岁以下（含50岁）的患者。结论抗心磷脂抗体是50岁以下血栓性脑梗死及缺血性卒中复发的重要危险因素。     

How to monitor vascular aging with an ultrasound

Plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are frequently elevated after an acute stroke and have been shown to be an independent predictor of mortality. However, the relationships between stroke and BNP concentrations have not yet been systematically investigated. Plasma BNP assay and echocardiography were performed in 48 patients with ischemic stroke or TIA with a mean delay of 12.7 h after onset. Median BNP concentration was 88.6 pg/mL (range 5–1270). Older age, chronic heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke severity, lower hemoglobin levels, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, and abnormalities of left atrium or appendage (LA/LAA) were univariately associated with increased BNP levels. At multivariable analysis, the presence of at least one LA/LAA abnormality (atrial dilatation, low flow velocity, spontaneous echocontrast or thrombus) had the strongest association with BNP, explaining 38.9% of the variance in the whole sample and 28.5% in patients without atrial fibrillation. In acute ischemic stroke patients, elevated plasma BNP levels have multiple determinants, among which left atrial disease appears to be the stronger, even in patients without atrial fibrillation. These results encourage further investigation of plasma BNP concentration as a potential marker of the presence of left atrial sources of emboli.     

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage: Clinical characteristics and long-term predictors

Few studies have examined the long-term prognosis of Chinese patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This study assessed the clinical characteristics and predictors of vascular events occurring within 5 years after ICH.We included consecutive patients diagnosed with first-ever ICH between June 2013 and December 2014. Based on follow-up data (collected until December 2019), we used multivariable logistic regression to examine the clinical characteristics and long-term predictors of vascular events (including recurrent ICH, ischemic stroke, and acute coronary syndrome) in patients who survived more than 30 days after ICH.Across the 307 patients in our analysis, the 5-year mortality rate was 28.01%. Within 5 years after ICH, major vascular events were observed in 62 patients (17.82%, 95% CI 13.78–21.82%). We observed high incidence of recurrent ICH (8.91%) and ischemic stroke (10.06%), but low incidence of acute coronary syndrome (1.15%). Most cases of recurrent ICH (80.65%) occurred within 3 years after ICH. Age ≥56 years and history of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) were identified as predictors of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.ICH survivors are at high risk of both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, especially older patients (≥56 years) and those who experienced ischemic stroke or TIA prior to their first ICH. Recurrent ICH is more likely to occur within the first three years after first ICH than at later times. Clinicians should monitor patients closely for adverse events, particularly during the first three years after initial ICH.     

Association of periprocedural neurological deficit in carotid stenting with increased anticardiolipin antibodies

INTRODUCTION: Carotid stenting (CS) has become a therapeutic alternative to endarterectomy in selected patients. Periinterventional plaque thromboembolism leading to neurological ischemic events remain the major risk of the procedure. We prospectively studied the potential role of thrombophilic conditions including anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA, IgG and IgM isotype), lupus anticoagulants, activated protein C resistance, antithrombin, and protein C and S. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was approved by the local ethics committee, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients. In total, 236 consecutive patients were included (158 men, 78 woman; median age 73 years). Prothrombotic markers were quantitated on the day of admission. Periprocedural neurological deficits (PND) occurring within 48 hours of the intervention were recorded and classified by an independent neurologist as transient ischemic attack, minor or major stroke. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed to test for the influence of thrombophilic conditions, demographic factors and lesion characteristics on PND. RESULTS: Neurologic complications occurred in 18 interventions (7.6%). In 4 (36.4%; 3 minor, 1major stroke) out of 11 patients with elevated IgG-ACA neurological events were observed as compared to 14 (6.2%; 6 TIA, 5 minor stroke, 3 major stroke) out of 225 patients with normal IgG-ACA levels. In multivariable analysis, two variables were independently associated with PND: elevated IgG-ACA (OR 6.09, 95% CI 1.49-25.88; P=0.012) and lesion length >10 mm (OR 4.36, 95% CI 1.19 to 16.01; P=0.027). CONCLUSIONS: A thrombophilic condition due to elevation of anticardiolipin antibodies increases the risk of periinterventional neurological complications during CS.     

A diagnostic approach to ischemic stroke in young and middle-aged adults

We prospectively studied 160 patients (18–47 years of age) with TIA (18) or ischemic stroke (142). Eighty-five subjects were under the age of 40. All patients underwent noninvasive ultrasound studies (transcranial doppler and echocardiography), plus a battery of laboratory studies including coagulation and antibodies tests and blood lactate-pyruvate. Angiographic studies were performed in 42% of patients (33% with DSA and 9% with MRA). The most common etiologies were found to be cardioembolic (more common in the 18–39 age group) and atherothromboticic (more common in the 40–47 age group). Autoimmune conditions affected 12.5% of patients, while arterial dissections affected 11%. In 10% of patients the etiology of the cerebral ischemic event could not be determined, in spite of an extensive and expensive workout Hence, a set of guidelines aimed at optimizing, in terms of cost-benefit, a protocol of investigations in young adults with ischemic stroke is tentatively proposed.     

Differences in Cognitive Profile between TIA, Stroke and Elderly Memory Research Subjects: A Comparison of the MMSE and MoCA

Background: The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) appears more sensitive to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) than the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): over 50% of TIA and stroke patients with an MMSE score of ≥27 ('normal' cognitive function) at ≥6 months after index event, score <26 on the MoCA, a cutoff which has good sensitivity and specificity for MCI in this population. We hypothesized that sensitivity of the MoCA to MCI might in part be due to detection of different patterns of cognitive domain impairment. We therefore compared performance on the MMSE and MoCA in subjects without major cognitive impairment (MMSE score of ≥24) with differing clinical characteristics: a TIA and stroke cohort in which frontal/executive deficits were expected to be prevalent and a memory research cohort. Methods: The MMSE and MoCA were done on consecutive patients with TIA or stroke in a population-based study (Oxford Vascular Study) 6 months or more after the index event and on consecutive subjects enrolled in a memory research cohort (the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing). Patients with moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment (MMSE score of <24), dysphasia or inability to use the dominant arm were excluded. Results: Of 207 stroke patients (mean age ± SD: 72 ± 11.5 years, 54% male), 156 TIA patients (mean age 71 ± 12.1 years, 53% male) and 107 memory research subjects (mean age 76 ± 6.6 years, 46% male), stroke patients had the lowest mean ± SD cognitive scores (MMSE score of 27.7 ± 1.84 and MoCA score of 22.9 ± 3.6), whereas TIA (MMSE score of 28.4 ± 1.7 and MoCA score of 24.9 ± 3.3) and memory subject scores (MMSE score of 28.5 ± 1.7 and MoCA score of 25.5 ± 3.0) were more similar. Rates of MoCA score of <26 in subjects with normal MMSE ( ≥27) were lowest in memory subjects, intermediate in TIA and highest after stroke (34 vs. 48 vs. 67%, p < 0.001). The cerebrovascular patients scored lower than the memory subjects on all MoCA frontal/executive subtests with differences being most marked in visuoexecutive function, verbal fluency and sustained attention (all p < 0.0001) and in stroke versus TIA (after adjustment for age and education). Stroke patients performed worse than TIA patients only on MMSE orientation in contrast to 6/10 subtests of the MoCA. Results were similar after restricting analyses to those with an MMSE score of ≥27. Conclusions: The MoCA demonstrated more differences in cognitive profile between TIA, stroke and memory research subjects without major cognitive impairment than the MMSE. The MoCA showed between-group differences even in those with normal MMSE and would thus appear to be a useful brief tool to assess cognition in those with MCI, particularly where the ceiling effect of the MMSE is problematic.     

L-arginine-mediated vasoreactivity in patients with a risk of stroke

OBJECTIVES:L-arginine is the substrate for nitric oxide (NO) production and has been shown to induce an endothelium-dependent increase in cerebral blood flow in humans. We studied the hypothesis that L-arginine-mediated vasoreactivity is impaired in patients with cardiovascular risk factors and a risk of stroke. METHODS: 55 patients with cardiovascular risk factors (mean age 63.0 +/- 8.5 years) were included in the study. 45 of them had a history of previous minor stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) while 10 patients had cardiovascular risk factors but no previous cerebral ischemic event. Endothelium-dependent changes in cerebral blood flow during the infusion of 30 g L-arginine were assessed by continuous transcranial Doppler sonography of both middle cerebral arteries, intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery, by Duplex sonography. Associations between risk factors, IMT, L-arginine reactivity and previous cerebrovascular events were analyzed by stepwise multiple linear regression analysis and patient groups were compared. RESULTS: Normal young volunteers showed an L-arginine-mediated increase in mean flow velocity of 22 +/- 8%; L-arginine reactivity of the 55 patients was 28 +/- 10%. Patients with a history of stroke or TIA had significantly higher flow velocity responses to L-arginine (29 +/- 10%) than patients with cardiovascular risk factors but no previous cerebrovascular event (21 +/- 8%, p < 0.05). Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed a significant association of enhanced L-arginine reactivity with previous stroke/TIA (p < 0.001) and elevated fibrinogen levels (p < 0.05) but not with age, IMT, hypertension, cholesterol or other risk factors. The same regression model showed an association between IMT and previous stroke/TIA (p < 0.001) and serum cholesterol levels (p < 0.05) but not L-arginine reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: L-arginine reactivity of the cerebral vessels may be assessed by Doppler sonography and was enhanced in patients with a history of stroke or TIA. It was independent of IMT of the carotid arteries. We conclude that enhanced L-arginine reactivity is a potential marker for cerebral endothelial dysfunction and an independent indicator for an increased risk of stroke.     

Burden of Premature Atrial Complexes and Risk of Recurrent Stroke and Death in Patients with Mild to Moderate Ischemic Stroke

BackgroundPremature atrial complexes (PACs) meet increased attention as a potential intermediary between sinus rhythm and atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients with even high numbers of PACs do not fulfill current guidelines for oral anticoagulation treatment though an associated stroke risk is suspected. Objective: We aimed to determine whether a high number of PACs or runs of AF less than 30 seconds in 2-day continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) recording was associated with risk of recurrent ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) or death in a large cohort of patients with acute ischemic stroke or TIA and no prior AF.MethodsWe performed 48 hours continuous ECG recording within 1 week after ischemic stroke/TIA. PACs were reported as mean number of PACs per hour. Patients were followed in Danish Stroke Registry, Danish Civil Registration System, and Danish National Patient Registry. Cox Regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios.ResultsWe included 1507 patients with TIA (40%) or ischemic stroke (60%), of which 98.7% had mild to moderate strokes. Mean age was 72.9 (7.8) years, 43.4% were females. Follow-up was 2.3 (1.3) years. Hazard ratio for recurrent stroke/TIA or death did not differ between quartiles of PAC burden, nor did any of the 2 components of this composite endpoint. Nonsustained AF less than 30 seconds was not associated with higher risk of recurrent stroke/TIA or death.ConclusionsIn a large cohort of patients with recent ischemic stroke or TIA, burden of PACs or nonsustained AF less than 30 seconds were not associated to higher risk of recurrent stroke/TIA or death.     

Number of teeth is independently associated with ischemic stroke: A case-control study

Poor oral health has been suggested as a potential risk factor for the occurrence of cardiovascular events. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that the number of permanent natural teeth (NT) is independently associated with the occurrence of ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in a southern Brazilian population. This case-control study enrolled 458 subjects, 229 hospital patients diagnosed with IS or TIA (cases) and 229 patients with no history of cardiovascular disease (controls). NT was assessed through a head and neck multidetector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) and panoramic radiographs. The participants were matched by age and sex. Sociodemographic and medical confounding variables were obtained from the hospital charts and through a structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis were carried out to estimate the association between NT and the occurrence of IS or TIA. The mean age was 58.37 ± 10.75 years, with 46.7% males. Adjusted analyses showed an independent association between IS or TIA and hypertension (OR = 6.34, 95%CI = 3.93–10.24), smoking (OR = 4.70, 95%CI = 2.76–7.99) and NT (lower quartile: ≤7 teeth) (OR = 5.59, 95%CI = 2.88–10.86). The number of permanent natural teeth was inversely and independently associated with the occurrence of IS or TIA in this population. Present findings suggest a gradient effect on the association between oral health and IS.     

Prognostic indicators for mortality in transient ischemic attack and minor stroke

In a prospective study, 129 consecutive patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) and 80 consecutive patients with minor ischemic stroke, involving the carotid artery territory in both cases, were followed-up for six years from their inclusion during the period from January 1984 to October 1985. All patients were 40–80 years old at inclusion, the median age being 74 years in the TIA group and 76 years in the minor stroke group. Overall mortality in the TIA group was significantly higher than in the minor stroke group, [44%, (57/129) vs 20% (16/80), p<0.0006 after correction for age], and that in the general population of Malmö. Pre-existing vascular disease was slightly more prevalent in the TIA than in the minor stroke group [27% (35/129 vs 21% (17/80), NS]. Of the 19 patients with intermittent claudication, who all died [12 (63%) of them due to myocardial infarction (MI)], 18 belonged to the TIA group and only one to the minor stroke group. The respective frequencies of the putative risk factors in the TIA and minor stroke groups were 28% (36/129) vs 9% (7/80) for hypertension (p = 0.016), 9% (12/129) vs 6% (5/80) for diabetes mellitus (NS), and 8% (10/129) vs 9% (7/80) for cardiac arrhythmia (NS). Mortality due to MI was higher in the TIA than in the minor stroke group[24% (31/129) vs 6% (5/80), p = 0.001]. Of the minor stroke patients, none without vascular disease died of MI. Regarding the risk of death in the study population as a whole (i.e., both groups), mortality was greater among those with vascular disease than among those without [81% (42/52) vs 20% (31/157), p = 0.0001], the corresponding figures for death due to MI being 56% (29/52) vs 4% (7/157), p = 0.0001. All six patients with both vascular disease and hypertension died, five of them due to MI. Thus, both in the TIA and minor stroke groups, mortality was greatest among those with preexisting vascular disease. To significantly reduce mortality among TIA and minor stroke patients, it is suggested that very active measures need to be taken against cardiovascular disease.     

High titer of anticardiolipin antibody is associated with first-ever ischemic stroke in Taiwan

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The association between anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) and ischemic stroke is controversial, and there are few case-control studies of Asian populations. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine whether aCL is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke in Taiwanese patients over the age of 40 years. METHODS: Both the IgG and IgM isotypes of aCL were measured in 273 patients (> 40 years of age) hospitalized for first-ever ischemic stroke and in 181 non-stroke controls. Results were defined as: negative (< 10 IgG phospholipid units [GPL] or < 7.5 IgM phospholipid units [MPL]); low positive (10-20 GPL or 7.5-15 MPL); or, high positive (> 20 GPL or > 15 MPL). Odds ratios (OR) were estimated by logistic regression with adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS: A high positive IgG aCL was present in 4.4% of the stroke patients and 1.2% of the controls. Age- and sex-adjusted analysis showed a borderline association between a high positive level for aCL IgG titer and stroke, with an OR of 4.01 (95% CI 0.87-18.37; p = 0.0739). Final analysis, with adjustments for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, tobacco smoking, atrial fibrillation, left ventricular hypertrophy and hyperlipidemia, revealed an OR of 5.25 (95% CI 1.06-25.89; p = 0.0419). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that elevated titer of aCL IgG (> 20 GPL) is associated with first-ever ischemic stroke in Taiwanese patients aged over 40 years. High positive aCL titer is related to ischemic stroke after adjustment for conventional cerebrovascular risk factors, indicating that it is probably an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke.     

The cause and prognosis of strokes in people under 50 years

A study of 192 personal cases of completed stroke, reversible ischaemic neurological deficit (RIND) or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) in patients aged 10–49 years seen between 1961 and 1979 inclusive is reported. Three died acutely; 189 were followed for up to 15 years. The main cause of the initial event was atheromatous or hypertensive vascular disease. Of the 90 patients whose initial event was a completed stroke 19 (21%) developed a second stroke, whereas only 4 of the 78 patients with TIA suffered a stroke later. In the entire series there were 6 cardiac deaths and one from mesenteric thrombosis during the follow-up period.The risk of stroke following TIA is less in persons under 50 years than in the older age group. The risk of a second stroke following an initial stroke depends on whether or not there is evidence of vascular disease. In the absence of such evidence the risk is small; in the presence of evidence it is high, being of the order of 20%.     

The prognostic value of pulsatility index, flow velocity, and their ratio, measured with TCD ultrasound, in patients with a recent TIA or ischemic stroke

Wijnhoud AD, Koudstaal PJ, Dippel DWJ. The prognostic value of pulsatility index, flow velocity, and their ratio, measured with TCD ultrasound, in patients with a recent TIA or ischemic stroke.
Acta Neurol Scand: 2011: 124: 238–244.
© 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Background – Increased flow velocities, and combinations of low mean flow velocity (MFV) and a high pulsatility index (PI) are associated with intracranial arterial disease. We investigated the association of MFV and the ratio of PI and MFV (PI–MFV ratio) in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) with recurrence of vascular events in patients with a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor ischemic stroke. Methods – Five hundred and ninety‐eight consecutive patients underwent TCD investigation. Outcome events were fatal or non‐fatal stroke and the composite of stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death (major vascular events). Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated with Cox proportional hazards multiple regression method, adjusted for age, gender, and vascular risk factors. Results – TCD registration was successful in 489 patients. Mean follow‐up was 2.1 years. Cumulative incidence was 9% for all stroke and 12% for major vascular events. MFV over 60.5 cm/s increased the risk for both stroke (HR 2.8; 95% CI: 1.3–6.0) and major vascular events (HR 2.6; 95% CI: 1.3–5.0). Each unit increase in PI–MFV ratio was associated with a HR 2.8 (95% CI: 1.7–4.8) for stroke and HR 2.2 (95% CI: 1.3–3.6) for major vascular events. Conclusion – In patients with a TIA or non‐disabling ischemic stroke, MFV and the PI–MFV ratio in the MCA are independent prognostic factors for recurrent vascular events.