Association of higher serum calcium levels with smaller infarct volumes in acute ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND: Elevated serum calcium levels at admission in patients with stroke have been associated with less severe clinical deficits and with better outcomes; however, the relationship between serum calcium levels and volumetric measurement of cerebral infarct size on neuroimaging has not been studied, to our knowledge. OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between serum calcium levels at admission and initial diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) infarct volumes among patients with acute ischemic stroke. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of prospectively collected hospital quality improvement data. SETTING: Tertiary university hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred seventy-three consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke initially seen within 24 hours of the last known well time. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total serum calcium levels were measured on admission and were collapsed into quartiles. The DWI lesions were outlined using a semiautomated threshold technique. The relationship between serum calcium level quartiles and DWI infarct volumes was examined using multivariate quartile regression analysis. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-three patients (mean age, 70.3 years [age range, 24-100 years]; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, 4 [range, 0-38]) met the study criteria. The median DWI infarct volumes for the serum calcium level quartiles (lowest to highest quartile) were 9.42, 2.11, 1.03, and 3.68 mL. The median DWI infarct volume in the lowest serum calcium level quartile was larger than that in the other 3 quartiles (P < .005). After multivariate analysis, the median adjusted DWI infarct volumes for the serum calcium level quartiles (lowest to highest) were 8.9, 5.8, 4.5, and 3.8 mL. The median adjusted DWI infarct volume in the lowest serum calcium level quartile was statistically significantly larger than that in the other 3 quartiles (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Higher serum calcium levels at admission are associated with smaller cerebral infarct volumes among patients with acute ischemic stroke. These results suggest that serum calcium level may serve as a clinical prognosticator following stroke and may be a potential therapeutic target for improving stroke outcome.     

Serum cholesterol levels do not influence outcome or recovery in acute ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVE: To examine the influence of admission serum cholesterol levels (SCL) on severity of initial neurological deficit, neurological outcome at month 3 and neurological recovery in patients with acute first-ever ischemic stroke. METHODS: Prospectively collected data from 889 consecutive patients with first-ever acute ischemic stroke were retrospectively analysed. Patients who suffered a recurrent ischemic stroke (n=22) or died (n=30) during the follow-up period were excluded from this study. Age, gender, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, stroke etiology, SCL and severity of neurological deficit, using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), at presentation (NIHSS0) and after 3 months (NIHSS1), were assessed. Neurological recovery was defined as difference in NIHSS score (Delta(NIHSS)), according to Delta(NIHSS)=NIHSS0 - NIHSS1. RESULTS: Data from 837 patients (66% men, age: 62 +/- 14 years) were analysed. NIHSS1 was 2.3 +/- 1.8 and Delta(NIHSS) was 3.4 +/- 3. Clinically insignificant correlations between SCL and NIHSS0 (r=-0.13, p=0.0002), NIHSS1 (r=-0.09, p=0.001) and Delta(NIHSS) (r=-0.1, p=0.03) were evident. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed smoking (p=0.008), stroke etiology (p=0.023) and NIHSS0 (p<0.001) but not age, gender, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus or SCL as predictors for Delta(NIHSS). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that SCL in patients with acute ischemic stroke are not associated with neurological deficit on admission, outcome or neurological recovery.     

Serum cholesterol levels and survival after rtPA treatment in acute stroke

Background: According to the reverse epidemiology hypothesis, high cholesterol levels might be protective and associated with greater survival rates under certain conditions. In stroke patients, a clear correlation between lipid levels and mortality after ischaemic and hemorrhagic strokes has been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of lipid levels on 3‐month mortality in patients with ischaemic stroke (IS) homogeneously treated with intravenous rtPA and admitted to a monitored acute stroke unit. Methods: Retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort of 220 patients with an IS treated with rtPA within the first 4.5 h in a single tertiary hospital from January 2005 to August 2010. Results: Mortality at 3 months was 15.0%. Univariate analysis showed that age, NIHSS at admission, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation were directly related to 3‐month mortality; cholesterol, triglycerides, and low density lipoprotein were inversely associated. The death rate by cholesterol level was 5.5% for the highest tertile (>192 mg/dl), 13.7% for the middle (192–155 mg/dl), and 25.7% for the lowest (<155 mg/dl), P = 0.003. Multivariate analysis showed that amongst the lipid determinations, only cholesterol [OR: 0.985 (95% CI: 0.972–0.998), P = 0.021] was inversely associated with 3‐month mortality. The ‘protective’ effect of cholesterol was independent of stroke severity and remained significant in non‐lacunar strokes. Conclusions: Survival of stroke patients receiving current, most effective medical treatment is related to blood cholesterol levels, with an inverse relationship between cholesterol and mortality. The mechanism of this apparently paradoxical situation remains unexplained but merits further research.     

Discharge outcome after stroke rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relations between host characteristics (age and side of body affected) and program variables (lengths of stay in acute care and rehabilitation, levels of functional ability at admission and discharge, and rates of community discharge). METHODS: A sample of 7,905 patients was drawn from medical rehabilitation facilities enrolled in the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation who were admitted and discharged for the first time between January 1988 and June 1989. Data were analyzed using either chi 2 tests or z normal tests of proportions, and analyses of variance (ANOVA) and/or t tests. Significance was set at p less than 0.05, and statistically significant F ratios were examined using Student-Newman-Keuls tests. RESULTS: The average age of patients was 70.7 years (24% less than 65 years, 53% 65-79 years, and 23% greater than 79 years). Lengths of stay in acute care and rehabilitation, admission and discharge functional independence ratings, and rates of community discharge were generally inversely related to patient age. Patients with bilateral paresis had lower rates of community discharge than those with unilateral paresis, although this distinction was not evident in the older group. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that older age and bilateral paresis are negatively associated with levels of independence at admission and discharge and with rates of community discharge.     

Early cognitive outcome after neonatal stroke

The purpose of this study was to assess the cognitive development of 27 children with nonhemorrhagic neonatal stroke (occurring within the first 28 days of life). The cognitive evaluation consisted of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, administered at 12 and/or 24 months poststroke. Compared with the normative sample, children with neonatal stroke obtained significantly lower scores on the Bayley Psychomotor Development Index at 12 months poststroke and on the Bayley Mental and Psychomotor Development Indices at 24 months poststroke. Outcome did not differ based on stroke type or laterality of infarct. However, there was a trend toward higher scores on the Bayley Psychomotor Development Index at 24 months in the left hemisphere group compared to the right hemisphere group. Overall, children with neonatal stroke evidenced significant impairment within the first 2 years poststroke. Further research is required to confirm whether cognitive impairments in these children resolve, remain in the low-average range, or increase with development as more complex skills are learned.     

Age and functional outcome after stroke

The effect of age on functional outcome after stroke remains uncertain. Many studies have found that younger patients do better than older patients, whereas others have found minimal or no effect of age on rehabilitation outcomes. We examined the effect of advancing age on FIM trade mark gain, length of stay, length of stay efficiency, and home discharge in 979 stroke rehabilitation patients at a long-term acute care rehabilitation hospital. We found a strong relationship of increasing age to poorer outcome in all measures for patients with admission FIM (AFIM) score <40, a variable relationship in those with AFIM 40-80, and no relationship of age to the outcome measures in patients with AFIM >80.     

尿酸与缺血性脑卒中rt-PA静脉溶栓预后:前瞻性研究

目的探讨血清尿酸水平与rt-PA静脉溶栓急性缺血脑卒中临床预后的相关性。方法对108例急性缺血性脑卒中rt-PA静脉溶栓患者为研究对象,收集一般基线资料,并进行为期6 m的随访,评估神经功能恢复情况。结果 rt-PA溶栓前正常尿酸组平均尿酸为(285.5±49.6)μmol/L,高尿酸组为(460.3±58.5)μmol/L;溶栓前NIHSS评分正常尿酸组为(12±6),高尿酸组为(11±5.25)(P=0.41),无明显统计学意义。病程2 w时正常尿酸组评分为(9±4),高尿酸组为(7±4.25)(P=0.022)、高尿酸组中早期神经功能好转人数比例(24例,75.0%)明显高于正常尿酸组(40例,52.6%)(P=0.034);病程6 m时,高尿酸组神经功能预后不良(mRS 3~6)人数比例低于正常尿酸组(P=0.035)。多因素Logistic回归分析提示高尿酸水平(P=0.037,OR=0.467,95.0%CI:0.250~0.873)是rt-PA溶栓后远期预后的保护因素。结论高尿酸水平有助于rt-PA静脉溶栓治疗缺血性脑卒中早期及远期神经功能恢复,提示高尿酸水平是其近期及远期预后的保护性因素。