1-year Stroke Research Articles

Abstract 15438: Long-Term Outcomes of Bariatric Surgery in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Introduction: Obesity is associated with a higher burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) and related complications. Hypothesis: Bariatric surgery in patients with AF is associated with a reduction in mortality and long-term complications at 1 year. Methods: Patients with AF who underwent bariatric surgery were identified by analyzing the nationwide readmission database and incorporating the validated ICD-10 CM codes from October 2015 to December 2019. We performed the propensity score matching to adjust the confounders and cox proportional hazard regression to generate hazard ratios. Moreover, we generated Kaplan Meier curves for time-to-event analysis. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 1 year, whereas secondary endpoints were ischemic stroke, major bleeding, and AF readmission at 1 year. Results: Out of 892488 obese patients with AF, 18766 underwent bariatric surgery. After propensity score matching, 18764 patients were identified in each group. At 1-year, patients undergoing bariatric surgery had a significant reduction in mortality (2.18% vs. 2.73%, HR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.96, p=0.001). Additionally, risk of ischemic stroke was also reduced (1.98% vs. 2.29%, HR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86-0.97, p=0.01), whereas no difference was noted in AF readmissions (4.02% vs. 3.34%, HR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.92-1.04, p=0.49) and risk of major bleeding was increased (5.74% vs. 3.42%, HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.10-1.25, p<0.0001) at 1 year in AF patients with bariatric surgery. (Figure 1) Conclusions: Bariatric surgery in patients with AF was associated with a reduction in 1-year mortality and ischemic stroke. However, the risk of major bleeding was noted to be increased and no difference was noted in AF readmission at 1 year.

Abstract 12636: Association Between Pre-Operative Specialist Assessment and Adverse Outcomes Among Patients Scheduled for Major Vascular Surgery

Background: The impact of pre-operative specialist assessment on outcomes following high-risk vascular surgery remains uncertain. Our objective was to characterize the association between pre-operative cardiology or general internal medicine (GIM) assessment and post-operative outcomes following scheduled major vascular surgery. Methods: This is a population-based cohort study of all adult scheduled major vascular surgery patients in Ontario, Canada (April 1, 2004-March 31, 2019). Those who underwent an ambulatory cardiology and/or GIM assessment within 6 months prior to surgery were compared to those who did not. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality, myocardial infarction or stroke; 30-day cardiovascular death; 1-year mortality; 1-year mortality, myocardial infarction or stroke; and 1-year cardiovascular death. Multivariable cox proportional hazard regression using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to mitigate confounding by indication. Results: Among 50,228 scheduled major vascular surgery patients, 20,484 underwent pre-operative ambulatory specialist assessment: 11,074 (54.1%) with cardiology, 8,071 (39.4%) with GIM and 1,339 (6.5%) with both. Patients who underwent cardiology or GIM assessment had a higher Revised Cardiac Risk Index (N with Index over 2= 4,989 [24.4%] vs. 4,587 [15.4%], p<0.001) and more frequent pre-operative cardiac testing (N=7,772 [37.9%] vs. 6,113 [20.6%], p<0.001) but had lower crude 30-day mortality (N=551 [2.7%] vs. 970 [3.3%], p<0.001). After application of IPTW, pre-operative specialist assessment remained associated with a lower rate of 30-day mortality (Hazard Ratio [95%CI] = 0.73 [0.65-0.82]) and a lower rate of all secondary outcomes (Figure). Conclusion: Pre-operative ambulatory cardiology or GIM assessment is associated with improved outcomes following scheduled major vascular surgery

Abstract 13462: Valve-in-Valve Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement versus Redo Surgical Mitral Valve Replacement for Degenerated Bioprosthetic Valves: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Valve-in-valve transcatheter mitral valve replacement (ViV-TMVR) and redo surgical mitral valve replacement (redo-SMVR) are two treatment strategies for patients with bioprosthetic mitral valve dysfunction. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the outcomes of ViV-TMVR versus redo-SMVR. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Google Scholar for studies comparing outcomes of ViV-TMVR versus redo-SMVR in degenerated bioprosthetic mitral valves. We used a random effects model to calculate risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Outcomes included in-hospital, 30-day, 1-year, and 2-year mortality, stroke, bleeding and vascular complications, acute kidney injury (AKI), arrhythmias, and hospital length of stay (LOS). Results: Six observational studies with a total of 1,339 subjects were included. Median follow-up was 2 years. Compared to redo-SMVR, ViV-TMVR was associated with significantly lower in-hospital (RR 0.42; 95% CI 0.25-0.70; p=0.001) and 30-day mortality (RR 0.49; 95% CI 0.24-0.98; p=0.04) but similar 1-year (RR 0.97; 95% CI 0.64-1.47; p=0.89) and 2-year mortality (RR 1.14; 95% CI 0.71-1.81; p=0.59). Stroke, bleeding, AKI, and arrhythmias were less frequent and hospital LOS was shorter with ViV-TMVR, however vascular complications were similar between both strategies. Conclusion: In patients with degenerated bioprosthetic mitral valves, ViV-TMVR is associated with better outcomes compared to redo-SMVR including lower in-hospital and 30-day mortality, lower complication rates, and shorter hospital LOS. Given these findings and the ongoing advances in transcatheter therapeutics, ViV-TMVR may be preferred over redo-SMVR, particularly in individuals at intermediate-to-high surgical risk.

Abstract 12367: Tavr Outcomes in Overweight and Obese Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: In recent years, the “obesity paradox” has been shown in studies demonstrating better outcomes in overweight and obese patients undergoing percutaneous or surgical cardiovascular procedures. This study compares the effect of body-mass index (BMI) on outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods: A comprehensive systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane library for relevant studies. Studies were included if they had categories for BMI (normal-weight, overweight, and obese) and reported the outcomes of TAVR in each group. Random-effects using STATA was performed for the meta-analysis. Results: 34 studies with 96,093 patients were included in our study. Overweight and obese patients had a significantly lower rate of 1-year all-cause mortality, long-term all-cause mortality and moderate to severe aortic regurgitation compared to normal-weight patients (Figure 1). Incidence of 30-day myocardial infarction was lower in overweight patients, and 1-year stroke incidence was significantly lower in obese patients compared with normal cases. In contrast, permanent pacemaker implantation was more observed in overweight and obese patients. There was no significant difference in outcomes in underweight patients compared to normal-weight ones except for a higher rate of major vascular complications in underweight cases. Conclusions: Our analysis showed improved outcomes in terms of all-cause mortality and aortic regurgitation in overweight and obese patients undergoing TAVR compared to normal-weight patients.

The effects of levosimendan in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement- a retrospective analysis.

Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) increases left ventricular afterload, leading to cardiac damage and heart failure (HF). Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an effective therapy for AS. No inotropic agents including levosimendan have been evaluated in patients undergoing TAVR. Methods: A total of 285 patients underwent TAVR between 2014 and 2019; 210 were included in the matched analysis and 105 received 0.1μg/kg body weight/min levosimendan immediately after the prosthesis had been successfully implanted. Medical history, laboratory tests, and echocardiography results were analyzed. Endpoints including 2-year all-cause mortality, stroke, or HF-related hospitalization, and a combination of the above were analyzed by Cox proportional hazard models. Results: The levosimendan group had no difference in 2-year mortality compared with the control group (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.603, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.197-1.844; p = 0.375). However, levosimendan reduced stroke or HF-related hospitalization (HR: 0.346; 95% CI: 0.135-0.884; p = 0.027) and the combined endpoint (HR: 0.459, 95% CI: 0.215-0.980; p = 0.044). After adjusting for multiple variants, levosimendan still reduced stroke or HF-related hospitalization (HR: 0.346, 95% CI: 0.134-0.944; p = 0.038). Conclusion: Prophylactic levosimendan administration immediately after valve implantation in patients undergoing TAVR can reduce stroke or HF-related hospitalization but does not lower all-cause mortality.

Diffusion-weighted imaging-based radiomics for predicting 1-year ischemic stroke recurrence.

To investigate radiomics based on DWI (diffusion-weighted imaging) for predicting 1-year ischemic stroke recurrence. A total of 1,580 ischemic stroke patients were enrolled in this retrospective study conducted from January 2018 to April 2021. Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between recurrence and non-recurrence groups. On DWI, lesions were segmented using a 2D U-Net automatic segmentation network. Further, radiomics feature extraction was done using the segmented mask matrix on DWI and the corresponding ADC map. Additionally, radiomics features were extracted. The study participants were divided into a training cohort (n = 157, 57 recurrence patients, and 100 non-recurrence patients) and a test cohort (n = 846, 28 recurrence patients, 818 non-recurrence patients). A sparse representation feature selection model was performed to select features. Further classification was accomplished using a recurrent neural network (RNN). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values was obtained for model performance. A total of 1,003 ischemic stroke patients (682 men and 321 women; mean age: 65.90 ± 12.44 years) were included in the final analysis. About 85 patients (8.5%) recurred in 1 year, and patients in the recurrence group were older than the non-recurrence group (P = 0.003). The stroke subtype was significantly different between recurrence and non-recurrence groups, and cardioembolic stroke (11.3%) and large artery atherosclerosis patients (10.3%) showed a higher recurrence percentage (P = 0.005). Secondary prevention after discharge (statins, antiplatelets, and anticoagulants) was found significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.004). The area under the curve (AUC) of clinical-based model and radiomics-based model were 0.675 (95% CI: 0.643-0.707) and 0.779 (95% CI: 0.750-0.807), respectively. With an AUC of 0.847 (95% CI: 0.821-0.870), the model that combined clinical and radiomic characteristics performed better. DWI-based radiomics could help to predict 1-year ischemic stroke recurrence.

Trends in 1-Year Recurrent Ischemic Stroke in the US Medicare Fee-for-Service Population.

There have been important advances in secondary stroke prevention and a focus on healthcare delivery over the past decades. Yet, data on US trends in recurrent stroke are limited. We examined national and regional patterns in 1-year recurrence among Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for ischemic stroke from 2001 to 2017. This cohort study included all fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years who were discharged alive with a principal diagnosis of ischemic stroke from 2001 to 2017. Follow-up was up to 1 year through 2018. Cox models were used to assess temporal trends in 1-year recurrent ischemic stroke, adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics. We mapped recurrence rates and identified persistently high-recurrence counties as those with rates in the highest sextile for stroke recurrence in ≥5 of the following periods: 2001-2003, 2004-2006, 2007-2009, 2010-2012, 2013-2015, and 2016-2017. There were 3 638 346 unique beneficiaries discharged with stroke (mean age 79.0±8.1 years, 55.2% women, 85.3% White). The national 1-year recurrent stroke rate decreased from 11.3% in 2001-2003 to 7.6% in 2016-2017 (relative reduction, 33.5% [95% CI, 32.5%-34.5%]). There was a 2.3% (95% CI, 2.2%-2.4%) adjusted annual decrease in recurrence from 2001 to 2017 that included reductions in all age, sex, and race subgroups. County-level recurrence rates ranged from 5.5% to 14.0% in 2001-2003 and from 0.2% to 8.9% in 2016-2017. There were 76 counties, concentrated in the South-Central United States, that had the highest recurrence throughout the study. These counties had populations with a higher proportion of Black residents and uninsured adults, greater wealth inequity, poorer general health, and reduced preventive testing rates as compared with other counties. Recurrent ischemic strokes decreased over time overall and across demographic subgroups; however, there were geographic areas with persistently higher recurrence rates. These findings can inform secondary prevention intervention opportunities for high-risk populations and communities.

Educational level differences in the primary and secondary prevention of stroke

The aim of this study is to estimate the educational level differences in the primary and secondary prevention of stroke among the Chinese population. Data were obtained from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) survey of 512,891 people aged 30–79 years in 10 geographic regions of China, which was conducted from 2002 to 2008. The Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China model was used to identify individuals with a high estimated 10-year stroke risk. A total of 8884 participants (1.7%) had established stroke and 218,972 (42.7%) had a high stroke risk. In both primary and secondary prevention, the participants' educational level was positively associated with the control of smoking, blood pressure, consuming a healthy diet, and the use of antiplatelet, BP-lowering medications but negatively associated with higher physical activity levels (all Ptrend < 0.001). In addition, the positive associations were observed with the control of drinking and use of anti-hyperglycaemia medication for primary prevention (all Ptrend < 0.001) and with the use of lipid-lowering medication for secondary prevention (Ptrend = 0.019). The results of the interaction between education level and prevention level showed that, compared with participants in primary prevention, educational level disparities in those with secondary prevention had significantly higher use of antiplatelets and lipid-lowering drugs, achieving the physical activity goal and non-current drinker (all Pfor interaction < 0.05). A higher education level was associated with an increased acceptance of primary and secondary prevention strategies (not smoking or drinking, consuming a healthier diet) except for engaging in a suitable level of physical activity.

Late Myocardial Infarction and Repeat Revascularization after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients with Prior Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the risk of late mortality and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with prior percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 2948 patients undergoing isolated CABGs were included in a prospective multicenter registry. Outcomes were adjusted for multiple covariates in logistic regression, Cox proportional hazards analysis and competing risk analysis. Results: In all, 2619 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria of this analysis. Of them, 2199 (79.1%) had no history of PCI and 420 (20.9%) had a prior PCI. An adjusted analysis showed that a single prior PCI and multiple prior PCIs did not increase the risk of 30-day and 5-year mortality. Patients with multiple prior PCIs had a significantly higher risk of 5-year myocardial infarction (SHR 2.566, 95%CI 1.379–4.312) and repeat revascularization (SHR 1.774, 95%CI 1.140–2.763). Similarly, 30-day and 5-year mortality were not significantly increased in patients with prior PCI treatment of single or multiple vessels. Patients with multiple vessels treated with PCI had a significantly higher risk of 5-year myocardial infarction (SHR 2.640, 95%CI 1.497–4.658), repeat revascularization (SHR 1.648, 95%CI 1.029–2.638) and stroke (SHR 2.215, 95%CI 1.056–4.646) at 5-year. The risk for repeat revascularization was also increased with a prior single vessel PCI, but not for other outcomes. Conclusions: Among patients undergoing CABGs, multiple prior PCIs seem to increase the risk of late myocardial infarction and the need for repeat revascularization, but not the risk of mortality.

Comparison of long-term cardiovascular and renal outcomes between percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting in multi-vessel disease with chronic kidney disease.

ObjectiveThis study aims to analyze cardiac and renal outcomes of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with multi-vessel disease who have undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Materials and methodsChronic kidney disease patients with multi-vessel disease who underwent CABG or PCI were retrospectively selected from our database and divided into the PCI group [further stratified into PCI with complete revascularization (PCI-CR) and PCI with incomplete revascularization (PCI-IR) groups] and the CABG group. The primary endpoint was the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke at 5 years. The key secondary endpoint was the 5-year rate of the renal composite outcome, defined as >40% glomerular filtration rate decrease, initiation of dialysis, and/or kidney transplant. Outcomes were compared using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, and the results were further adjusted by multivariable analyses and inverse probability weighting.ResultsAmong the study population (n = 798), 443 (55.5%) patients received CABG and 355 (44.5%) patients received PCI. Compared with the CABG group, the PCI group had similar risk of the primary endpoint (CABG vs. PCI, 19.3% vs. 24.0%, HR: 1.28, 95% CI: 0.95–1.73, p = 0.11) and a lower risk of the renal composite outcome (36.6% vs. 31.2%, HR: 0.74, 95% CI 0.58–0.94, p = 0.03). In addition, PCI-IR was associated with a significantly higher risk of the primary endpoint than CABG (HR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.11–2.13, p = 0.009) or PCI-CR (HR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.09–2.89, p = 0.02). However, PCI-CR had a comparable 5-year death, MI, or stroke rate to CABG (HR: 0.86, 95% CI 0.54–1.38, p = 0.54).ConclusionCoronary artery bypass grafting showed an incidence of death, MI, or stroke similar to PCI but was associated with a higher risk of renal injury. PCI-CR had a prognosis comparable with that of CABG, while PCI-IR had worse prognosis. If PCI is chosen for revascularization in patients with CKD, achieving CR should be attempted to ensure favorable outcomes.Clinical trial registration[clinicaltrials.gov], identifier [NCT 03870815].

The Impact of Sex on Outcomes following Carotid Endarterectomy

Previous studies have demonstrated significant sex differences in vascular surgery outcomes. We assessed stroke or death rates following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in women versus men. The Vascular Quality Initiative was used to identify all patients who underwent CEA between 2010 and 2019. Demographic, clinical, and procedural characteristics were recorded and differences between women and men were assessed using independent t-test and chi-squared test. The primary outcomes were 30-day and 1-year stroke or death. Associations between sex and outcomes were assessed using univariate/multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards analysis. Overall, 52,137 women and 79,974 men underwent CEA in Vascular Quality Initiative sites during the study period. Women were younger (70.3 vs. 70.5years, P<0.001) and more likely to have hypertension (89.2% vs. 88.9%, P<0.05) and diabetes (36.2% vs. 35.8%, P<0.001) but less likely to be diagnosed with coronary artery disease (23.2% vs. 31.0%, P<0.001). A greater proportion of men were receiving cardiovascular risk reduction medications and had symptomatic carotid stenosis (28.5% vs. 26.7%, P<0.001). Women had shorter procedure times (113 vs. 122min, P<0.001) and were less likely to receive electroencephalography neuromonitoring (27.9% vs. 28.8%, P<0.001), drain (35.9% vs. 37.3%, P<0.001), and protamine (67.4% vs. 68.0%, P<0.01). Stroke or death at 30days (1.9% vs. 1.8%, P=0.60) and 1year (hazard ratio [HR] 0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.94-1.01, P=0.20) were similar between groups, which persisted in asymptomatic patients (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.93-1.01, P=0.17) and symptomatic patients (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.93-1.05, P=0.71). The similarities in 1-year stroke or death rates existed in both the United States (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.92-1.01, P=0.09) and Canada (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.47-3.11, P=0.70). Despite sex differences in clinical and procedural characteristics, women and men have similar 30-day and 1-year outcomes following CEA.

Recurrence prediction of Essen Stroke Risk and Stroke Prognostic Instrument-II scores in ischemic stroke: A study of 5-year follow-up

ObjectiveTo evaluate the predictive accuracy of the Essen Stroke Risk Score and the Stroke Prognostic Instrument II score on the long-term recurrence in Chinese patients with acute ischemic stroke. MethodsPatients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled and had completed ESRS and SPI-II scores. Patients were stratified according to the Essen Stroke Risk Score and Stroke Prognostic Instrument II score and were followed until stroke recurrence or composite endpoint event (stroke recurrence, myocardial infarction or cardiovascular death). We estimated stratified incidence rates and calculated the cumulative risks at 5 years using Kaplan-Meier estimates. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to compare the predictive ability of the Essen Stroke Risk Score and Stroke Prognostic Instrument II score. ResultsA total of 578 patients completed the follow-up. The cumulative 5-year event rates were 32.3% (95% CI, 28.2% to 36.4%) for recurrent stroke and 37.9% (95% CI: 33.8%-42.0%) for composite endpoint event. The cumulative risk of all outcomes increased with increasing risk scores. AUC for ESRS and SPI-II risk scores were 0.613 (95% CI: 0.565–0.661) and 0.613 (95% CI: 0.564–0.662) for 5-year stroke recurrence respectively and correspondingly 0.622 (95% CI: 0.576–0.668) and 0.627 (95% CI: 0.581–0.674) for composite endpoint events. ConclusionIn Chinese patients with acute ischemic stroke, both Essen Stroke Risk Score and Stroke Prognostic Instrument II scores could equally stratify the risk of 5-year recurrent stroke and combined vascular events.

Association between diabetes duration and 1-year prognosis of stroke: A national registry study.

Background and purposeDiabetes mellitus is a strong independent risk factor for stroke recurrence. However, the association between diabetes duration and the prognosis of stroke remains uncertain. We aimed to characterize whether an association exists between diabetes duration and stroke outcomes in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).MethodsBetween 2015 and 2018, 14,674 patients with ischemic stroke or TIA within 7 days and older than 18 years from the Third China National Stroke Registry (CNSR‐III) were included in this analysis. Diabetes duration at baseline was collected by face‐to‐face interviews and further categorized into groups of without diabetes, diabetes < 4, 4 to <8 and ≥8 years. The association between diabetes duration and clinical outcomes, including stroke recurrence, poor function outcome (modified Rankin Scale score of 3–6), and all‐cause mortality at the 1‐year follow‐up after stroke onset, was evaluated by a multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model, competing risk model and logistic regression model with adjustment for demographic and clinical features.ResultsAmong the 14,674 patients included, the average age was 62.0 years, and 68.5% were male. There were 1419 (9.7%) patients who had stroke recurrence, 1912 (13.0%) who had poor function outcome, and 478 (3.3%) who had all‐cause mortality at the 1‐year follow‐up. After adjusting for potential covariates, a diabetes duration ≥8 years was associated with an increased risk of 1‐year stroke recurrence (adjusted hazards ratio [HR], 1.31; 95% CI, 1.05–1.64; p = .02) in comparison to those without Diabetes mellitus. Using a competing risk regression model, a diabetes duration ≥8 years was a significant risk factor for stroke recurrence (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.12–1.53). In contrast, there was no significant association between diabetes duration < 4, 4 to <8 years and clinical outcomes.ConclusionsLong‐term diabetes duration (≥8 years), but not short‐term diabetes duration, was associated with an increased risk of 1‐year stroke recurrence in patients with ischemic stroke or TIA.

Sinus rhythm restoration and improved outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke and in-hospital paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

It is unclear whether early cardiac rhythm control is beneficial in patients with acute ischemic stroke and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). We sought to investigate whether PAF self-termination and in-hospital sinus rhythm (SR) restoration is associated with improved outcome in ischemic stroke patients with PAF, compared to those with sustained atrial fibrillation (AF). Consecutive patients with first-ever acute stroke and confirmed PAF during hospitalization were followed for up to 10 years after the index stroke or until death. We investigated the association of in-hospital self-terminated PAF and PAF conversion to SR compared to sustained AF with 10-year all-cause mortality, stroke recurrence, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of each outcome. Among 297 ischemic stroke patients with in-hospital PAF detection, PAF was self-terminated in 87 (29.3%) patients, while 143 (48.1%) patients received antiarrhythmic medication in order to achieve PAF conversion to SR. During a median (Interquartile range, IQR) period of 28 (4-68) months, among patients with self-terminated PAF there were 13.5 deaths, 3.6 stroke recurrences, and 5.3 MACE per 100 patient-year while in patients who underwent medical PAF conversion there were 11.7 deaths, 4.6 stroke recurrences, and 5.8 MACE per 100 patient-year. Patients with sustained AF experienced 23.8 deaths, 8.7 stroke recurrences, and 13.9 MACE per 100 patient-years. In multivariable analysis, compared to patients with sustained AF, PAF self-termination was associated with significantly lower 10 years-risk of death (adjusted hazards ratio (adjHR): HR: 0.63, 95% Confidence interval: 0.40-0.96), stroke recurrence (adjHR: HR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.19-0.91), and MACE (adjHR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.23-0.81), while PAF medical conversion to SR was associated with lower 10 years-risk of death (adjHR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.44-0.97) and MACE (adjHR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.33-0.95). This study showed that in-hospital PAF self-termination was associated with lower risk of 10-year mortality, stroke recurrence, and MACE, potentially attributed to the lower burden of AF, whereas in-hospital PAF conversion to SR was associated with lower risk of 10-year mortality and MACE. Early restoration of sinus rhythm is associated with improved survival and MACE in patients with acute ischemic stroke and PAF.

Identifying transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients at high-risk of adverse outcomes: development and validation of an approach using electronic health record data

BackgroundRisk-stratification tools that have been developed to identify transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients at risk of recurrent vascular events typically include factors which are not readily available in electronic health record systems. Our objective was to evaluate two TIA risk stratification approaches using electronic health record data.MethodsPatients with TIA who were cared for in Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals (October 2015—September 2018) were included. The six outcomes were mortality, recurrent ischemic stroke, and the combined endpoint of stroke or death at 90-days and 1-year post-index TIA event. The cohort was split into development and validation samples. We examined the risk stratification of two scores constructed using electronic health record data. The Clinical Assessment Needs (CAN) score is a validated measure of risk of hospitalization or death. The PREVENT score was developed specifically for TIA risk stratification.ResultsA total of N = 5250 TIA patients were included in the derivation sample and N = 4248 in the validation sample. The PREVENT score had higher c-statistics than the CAN score across all outcomes in both samples. Within the validation sample the c-statistics for the PREVENT score were: 0.847 for 90-day mortality, 0.814 for 1-year mortality, 0.665 for 90-day stroke, and 0.653 for 1-year stroke, 0.699 for 90-day stroke or death, and 0.744 for 1-year stroke or death. The PREVENT score classified patients into categories with extreme nadir and zenith outcome rates. The observed 1-year mortality rate among validation patients was 7.1%; the PREVENT score lowest decile of patients had 0% mortality and the highest decile group had 30.4% mortality.ConclusionsThe PREVENT score had strong c-statistics for the mortality outcomes and classified patients into distinct risk categories. Learning healthcare systems could implement TIA risk stratification tools within electronic health records to support ongoing quality improvement.RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02769338.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for Patients With Three Vessel Coronary Artery Disease: A Comparison of Centers in the Same Jurisdiction With Differing Multidisciplinary Heart Team Approaches.

Referral patterns and outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were compared between 2 centers within 1 jurisdiction wherein only 1 center utilizes multidisciplinary review for all patients. Management of advanced coronary artery disease often involves PCI and CABG for improvements in quality of life and survival. Indications exist for PCI and CABG, with CABG demonstrating benefit in three-vessel disease (TVD). A total of 27,961 patients underwent cardiac catheterization in 2 centers within the same single-payer health jurisdiction (Center A and B) from 2017 to 2018. Rates of PCI, CABG, and outcomes of 1-year mortality, rehospitalization, myocardial infarction, and stroke were compared. More patients in Center A received PCI and less received CABG compared with Center B even among patients with TVD ( P <0.001). Multivariable logistic regression identified Center B as protective for mortality for TVD patients ( P <0.001) and those undergoing PCI ( P =0.004), but not CABG ( P =0.06). Center A's 1-year mortality was increased for all patients ( P =0.004) and those with TVD ( P =0.011). Discordant outcomes exist between these 2 centers. While patients in Center A were more likely to undergo PCI than Center B and experienced decreased 1-year survival, the difference was not significant for CABG. In part, the differences are attributable to contrasting referral practices and the discrepant rates of PCI and CABG between centers. Review of all coronary artery disease patients with a multidisciplinary Heart Team including a surgical opinion may lead to a more evidence-based referral practice aligned with current clinical guidelines.

Utility of China-PAR stroke equations for predicting 10-year stroke risk in the rural Inner Mongolian population in China

ABSTRACT Background The aim of this study is to investigate the capability using the China-PAR stroke equations for predicting 10-year risk of stroke among the Inner Mongolian population in China. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted among 2535 rural Inner Mongolian residents from June 2002 to July 2012. Participants were categorized into four subgroups according to their 10-year predicted stroke risks calculated using the China-PAR stroke equations: <5%, 5–9.9%, 10–19.9%, and ≥20%. Results The C-statistic of the China-PAR stroke equations for 10-year stroke was 0.58, and the result from Hosmer–Lemeshow ‘goodness-of-fit’ test showed that the China-PAR stroke equations fitted the Inner Mongolian women well (χ2 = 11.18, P = 0.192). The adjusted hazard ratios of stroke were 3.86 (95% CI: 1.12–13.29) for 5–9.9% category, 10.37 (95% CI: 2.70–39.84) for 10–19.9% category, and 17.00 (95% CI: 3.54–81.63) for ≥20% category among Inner Mongolian women using the <5% category as reference (P for trend <0.001). However, the China-PAR stroke equations underestimated the 10-year stroke risk in Inner Mongolian men, and the calibration was unsatisfactory (χ 2 = 15.82, P = 0.045). Conclusion The China-PAR stroke equations have potential predictive ability for 10-year stroke risk in the rural Inner Mongolian women, while it might not suit the rural Inner Mongolian men well. The performance of China-PAR stroke equations in other ethnic groups in China will need to be further evaluated.

Frequency, predictors and cardiovascular outcomes associated with transthoracic echocardiographic findings during acute ischaemic stroke hospitalisation

ObjectiveTo characterise the clinical utility of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) at the time of acute ischaemic stroke (AIS).BackgroundThe utility of obtaining a TTE during AIS hospitalisation is uncertain.MethodsWe studied AIS hospitalisations...

SYNERGISTIC EFFECT OF HIGH HOMOCYSTEINE AND LOW VITAMIN B12 LEVELS ON CARDIOVASCULAR AND STROKE RISK OF HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Objective: Arterial hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) events, including stroke. High blood homocysteine levels (hyperhomocysteinemia) are also considered to increase CV risk and are associated with vitamin B12 deficiency that possibly increase CV and stroke risk, as well. The present study assessed the possible relation of high homocysteine and low vitamin B12 levels with the underlying CV and stroke risk of hypertensive patients. Design and method: This retrospective study comprised all hypertensives referred to our institutions and had a blood sample measurement of homocysteine and B12 (n = 32800). The 10-year fatal CV risk and stroke risk were calculated with the HeartScore and the FraminghamStrokeScore, respectively. The population was divided in quartiles according to homocysteine levels (groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 for increasing levels) and B12 levels (groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 for decreasing levels). Cardiovascular and stroke risk were calculated for each homocysteine and B12 quartile group as well as for each of the 16 homocysteine/B12 combination quartile subgroups. Results: The mean values for homocysteine were 13.3 ± 7.2 μmol/l and for B12 525 ± 196 pg/ml. For homocysteine quartiles 1, 2, 3, 4, CV risk was 3.4%, 5.5%, 9.0%, 17.9%, respectively (pfor trend 0.05). For B12 quartiles 1, 2, 3, 4, CV risk was 3.0%, 6.2%, 9.5%, 15.1%, respectively (pfor trend 0.01). Correlation coefficient ® between homocysteine and CV risk values was 0.416 (p &lt; 0.0001) while between B12 and CV risk values was -0.369 (p &lt; 0.0001). For homocysteine quartiles 1, 2, 3, 4, stroke risk was 4.2%, 7.3%, 12.9%, 25.0%, respectively (pfor trend 0.04). For B12 quartiles 1, 2, 3, 4, stroke risk was 5.4%, 9.2%, 13.4%, 19.3%, respectively (pfor trend 0.08). Correlation coefficient ® between homocysteine and stroke risk values was 0.474 (p &lt; 0.0001) while between B12 and stroke risk values was -0.348 (p &lt; 0.0001). The synergistic effect of increasing homocysteine and decreasing B12 values on CV and stroke risk increase is presented in Figure. Conclusions: High homocysteine levels and low vitamin B12 levels are individually and synergistically associated with the underlying CV and stroke risk of hypertensive individuals. Possible mechanisms merit further examination.

The Impact of Sex on Outcomes Following Carotid Endarterectomy

Previous studies have demonstrated significant sex differences in vascular surgery outcomes. We assessed the 30-day and 1-year stroke or death rates following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in women vs men.