Coronary artery disease and cardiac events with asymptomatic and symptomatic cerebrovascular disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of coronary artery disease and coronary events during follow-up in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis, transient ischemic attacks, or small strokes. METHODS: We prospectively studied 60 consecutive patients with thallium-201 scintigraphy followed by coronary arteriography according to an established protocol. RESULTS: The 201Tl testing was abnormal in seven of 15 patients (47%) with asymptomatic carotid stenosis and in 19 of 44 patients (43%) with transient ischemic attacks or small strokes (p greater than 0.05). In 33 patients with no history of coronary artery disease, 11 (33%) had reversible 201Tl defects. In 26 patients with a history of coronary artery disease, 15 (58%) had reversible and/or fixed defects (p = 0.054 compared with patients with no history). A history of peripheral vascular disease was the only risk factor significantly associated with an abnormal 201Tl test (p = 0.032). Coronary artery stenosis of greater than 50% was identified in one or more vessels in 14 of 15 patients undergoing coronary arteriography. Over a mean follow-up period of 311 days, four patients (7%) developed new onset of angina. There were four coronary events among 14 patients (29%) with both a reversible area on the 201Tl and abnormal coronary arteriography. In comparison, there were only four coronary events among 46 patients (9%) without reversible defects on the 201Tl studies (p = 0.055). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that one third of patients with no history of coronary artery disease had an abnormal 201Tl test and that nearly one half of patients with either symptomatic or asymptomatic cerebrovascular disease had abnormal 201Tl tests. Patients with a reversible 201Tl defect and significant stenosis by coronary arteriography were at higher risk for subsequent cardiac events. These findings demonstrate the utility of screening patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic cerebrovascular disease for cardiac disease.     

Cerebral ischemia and asymptomatic coronary artery disease: a prospective study of 83 patients

A prospective cardiologic evaluation was performed in 83 consecutive patients with transient cerebral ischemia or mild stroke and without symptoms or electrocardiographic signs of ischemic heart disease. Patients were studied with an electrocardiographic exercise test; a positive test was followed by exercise Thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy. Results were compared to those obtained in a group of 83 age and sex-matched healthy subjects submitted to the same study protocol. Asymptomatic coronary artery disease was detected in 28% of cerebrovascular patients with adequate electrocardiographic exercise test. A scintigraphic perfusion defect of variable extension was found in 19 of them. In the control group the electrocardiographic exercise test was positive in only 6% (p less than 0.01). Our results support the concept that: asymptomatic ischemic heart disease is often associated with cerebrovascular disease; therefore cerebral ischemic attacks may be a marker of coronary artery disease, an active investigation of the heart should be considered in cerebrovascular patients in order to plan optimal, comprehensive management.     

Self-reported memory symptoms with coronary artery disease: a prospective study of CABG patients and nonsurgical controls.

OBJECTIVE: Subjective memory complaints are common after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), but previous studies have concluded that such symptoms are more closely associated with depressed mood than objective cognitive dysfunction. We compared the incidence of self-reported memory symptoms at 3 and 12 months after CABG with that of a control group of patients with comparable risk factors for coronary artery disease but without surgery. METHODS: Patients undergoing CABG (n = 140) and a demographically similar nonsurgical control group with coronary artery disease (n = 92) were followed prospectively at 3 and 12 months. At each follow-up time, participants were asked about changes since the previous evaluation in areas of memory, calculations, reading, and personality. A Functional Status Questionnaire (FSQ) and self-report measure of symptoms of depression (CES-D) were also completed. RESULTS: The frequency of self-reported changes in memory, personality, and reading at 3 months was significantly higher among CABG patients than among nonsurgical controls. By contrast, there were no differences in the frequency of self-reported symptoms relating to calculations or overall rating of functional status. After adjustment for a measure of depression (CES-D rating score), the risk for self-reported memory changes remained nearly 5 times higher among the CABG patients than among control subjects. The relative risk of developing new self-reported memory symptoms between 3 and 12 months was 2.5 times higher among CABG patients than among nonsurgical controls (CI 1.24-5.02), and the overall prevalence of memory symptoms at 12 months was also higher among CABG patients (39%) than controls (14%). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of self-reported memory symptoms 3 and 12 months after baseline is significantly higher among CABG patients than control patients with comparable risk factors for coronary and cerebrovascular disease. These differences could not be accounted for by symptoms of depression. The self-reported cognitive symptoms appear to be relatively specific for memory and may reflect aspects of memory functioning that are not captured by traditional measures of new verbal learning and memory. The etiology of these self-reported memory symptoms remains unclear, but our findings, as well as those of others, may implicate factors other than cardiopulmonary bypass itself.     

缺血性脑血管病患者颅外动脉狭窄与肾动脉狭窄的关系

目的 探讨缺血性脑血管病(ICVD)患者颅外动脉狭窄与肾动脉狭窄(RAS)的关系.方法 对310例ICVD患者行全脑数字减影血管造影(DSA)及肾动脉造影检查,分析颅外动脉狭窄程度及数量与RAS率的关系.结果 颅外动脉重度狭窄及闭塞组的RAS率显著高于轻、中度狭窄组及无狭窄组(均P＜0.01);2支及≥3支颅外动脉狭窄患者的RAS率显著高于无狭窄及1支血管狭窄的患者(P ＜0.05 ～0.01).重度颅外动脉狭窄及闭塞、2支、≥3支颅外动脉狭窄是RAS的危险因素(OR=3.025,OR=3.343,OR=5.733;均P＜0.01).结论 重度颅外动脉狭窄及闭塞、≥2支颅外动脉狭窄是ICVD患者RAS的危险因素.     

Depression in patients with moderate Alzheimer disease: a prospective observational cohort study

Syndromes of depression are frequently concomitant with Alzheimer disease (AD), although often inaccurately diagnosed and/or treated. This prospective, multicenter, observational, cohort study assessed baseline data and 6-month disease changes in moderate AD patients (n=1249) from Spain. Baseline Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) scores defined 2 cohorts (depressive ≥8 or nondepressive <8). Fewer patients had baseline Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental disorders-IV depression diagnosis (38.9%) than CSDD ≥8 (55.6%). Analysis of diagnostic accuracy of the CSDD versus the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental disorders-IV criteria showed an optimal cutoff score of ≥12. However, the predefined CSDD cutoff score showed subsyndromal depressive symptomatology associated with lower functionality, worse neuropsychiatric symptomatology, increased caregiver distress, and greater 6-month functional and clinical impairments. Cognition (baseline and 6-month progression) was not significantly associated with depressive symptomatology. Depressive patients received more antidepressive and/or antipsychotic treatments, showing CSDD and Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (severity and caregiver distress) 6-month improvements but maintaining doubled scores than nondepressive patients. In conclusion, CSDD ≥8 identified depressive symptomatology in moderate AD patients, significantly associated with excessive neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional, but not cognitive, 6-month deterioration. The health effects over patients and caregivers, alongside the finding that most patients remained depressive after 6 months, demand accurate diagnostic tools and effective treatments for depression in AD.     

缺血性脑血管病患者颈动脉病变与糖代谢的关系

目的 探讨缺血性脑血管病(ICVD)患者颈动脉病变与糖代谢的关系.方法 122例ICVD患者根据葡萄糖耐量试验(OGTT)结果分为糖耐量正常(NGT)组(44例)、糖耐量减低(IGT)组(27例)及糖尿病(DM)组(51例),对各组患者进行颈动脉彩色多普勒超声检查,并对3组间颈动脉病变情况进行分析.结果 DM组年龄明显...     

脑血管病ACE基因缺失多态性的初步研究

目的 探讨血管紧张素转化酶（ＡＣＥ）基因缺失多态性与中国人脑梗死、高血压性脑出血的关系。方法 应用聚合酶链反应（ＰＣＲ）方法,检测５８例脑梗死患者、３１例高血压性脑出血患者以及６０名正常人的ＡＣＥ基因型。结果 高血压性脑出血组缺失纯合子（ＤＤ）基因型频率为２６％,与正常对照组比较有显著性差异（Ｐ〈０．０５）;脑梗死组ＤＤ基因型频经为２１％,与正常对照组比无显著性差异（Ｐ〉０．０５）,但进一步分析表     

Hemorheologic parameters in correlation to extracranial carotid artery disease in patients with acute cerebrovascular disorders

In order to determine possible correlations to the extent of extracranial carotid artery disease (ECAD), the hemorheologic parameters (hematocrit, fibrinogen, whole blood and plasma viscosity, induced platelet aggregation) of 120 patients with acute cerebrovascular disorders (CVD) were studied and their carotid arteries were investigated by means of Duplex scanning. Plasma viscosity was only significantly elevated in CVD patients with severe ECAD (stenosis greater than 80% lumen reduction and/or occlusion) in comparison to CVD patients with normal to minimally diseased carotids and 67 normal controls. These results suggest that high plasma viscosity is an indicator for the existence of severe ECAD in CVD patients during the acute stage.     

Headache in patients with epilepsy: a prospective incidence study

High prevalence of headache has been reported in patients with refractory epilepsy in cross-sectional surveys based on retrospective recall. We conducted a prospective study to document the incidence of headache over a 3-month observation period in a cohort of 227 adult patients with less refractory epilepsy. The mean seizure frequency was 2.46 per month. Fifty (22%) patients reported to have had at least one headache episode, 45 (19.8%) had interictal headache, 11 (4.8%) had periictal headache, and 5 (2.2%) had both interictal and periictal headache. Forty-nine percent of the patients with headache took over-the-counter analgesics as acute treatment. The headache was rated to have made very severe or substantial impact on their lives by 34% of patients. A formal headache diagnosis was not made in any of the patients prior to the survey. Although the incidence of headache in epilepsy patients appeared to be low, it was underdiagnosed and associated with substantial negative impact.     

Voiding disorders in patients with cerebrovascular disease.

Eighty patients affected by ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD) in stable conditions were studied: brain CT scan was performed in all patients to evaluate site/extension of brain injury, while urodynamic tests were employed in those patients who showed urinary bladder symptomatology (n = 30). Twenty-six complained of urgency and urge incontinence, only 4 patients showed urinary retention. Micturition abnormalities seem to occur mostly in patients with multiple infarcts and cerebral atrophy and particularly among those with bilateral lesions.     

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in patients with cerebrovascular ischemic disease

We studied 137 patients who were treated with heparin for cerebral infarction (73), partially reversible ischemic neurologic deficit (22), or transient ischemic attack (42). Platelet counts were performed before therapy, twice weekly, and at cessation of therapy. Platelets decreased in 118 patients (86%). In 21 (15.3%), platelets dropped greater than or equal to 40%; 9 of 14 new ischemic events and three of six deaths occurred in this group of patients. Because there was a significant association between poor outcome and platelet drop greater than or equal to 40% (p less than 0.001), we believe that platelets should be monitored frequently when patients are treated with heparin for ischemic cerebrovascular disease.     

Incidence of cerebrovascular lesions in Alzheimer's disease: a postmortem study

Recent epidemiological and clinico-pathological data suggest overlaps between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cerebrovascular lesions (CVL) that may show some synergistic effects, but the results of studies of the relationship between AD and stroke have been controversial. The objective of this study was to compare the frequency of cerebral infarcts, hemorrhages and minor cerebrovascular lesions in autopsy-confirmed AD and age-matched control brains. Using current routine and immunohistochemical methods 173 consecutive cases of autopsy-confirmed AD and 130 age-matched controls were compared. The total incidence of vascular pathology (56.5%) in AD was significantly less than in a previously reported smaller AD autopsy cohort (82.3%) (P<0.01), and was higher than in controls (42.4%). The incidence of severe CVL (old and recent infarcts, hemorrhages) in our cohort was slightly higher (12.7%) than in controls (8.5%), that of minor to moderate CVL (lacunes, cerebral amyloid angiopathy with or without minor vascular lesions) was more frequent in AD (43.8%) than in controls (33.9%), but the results were not statistically significant (P<0.03). The brain weight and severity of cognitive decline did not correspond to the degree of vascular pathology, but higher neuritic Braak scores and reduced brain weight contributed to the production of cognitive impairment. Like previous findings in Parkinson's disease, our data do not indicate a protective effect from stroke or a significantly greater susceptibility to death from stroke in AD in the population studied, but further prospective clinico-pathological studies are necessary.     

Trypanosoma cruzi-associated cerebrovascular disease: a case-control study in Eastern Colombia

Trypanosoma cruzi infection is a common cause of cardiopathy in South America leading it eventually to an established stroke; however, the association between T. cruzi infection itself and cerebrovascular disease is still unknown. We did a case-control study at Eastern Colombia and found that T. cruzi infection was more frequent and statistically significant in stroke cases (24.4%) than controls (1.9%), (Chi square: 21.72; OR: 16.13; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.64-71.4; p<0.00001). After removing the seropositive patients with cardiological abnormalities, the significance still remained by multivariate analysis (p<0.05). This is the first case-control study that demonstrated a significant link between this infection and symptomatic cerebrovascular disease, mainly ischemic, regardless of cardiac abnormalities. Therefore, we recommend that patients with stroke must be screened for T. cruzi infection if they currently live or have lived in places where this parasite is considered endemic.