Ischemic Stroke Events Research Articles

Lipoprotein(a) and the Risk for Coronary Heart Disease and Ischemic Stroke Events Among Black and White Adults With Cardiovascular Disease.

BackgroundIt is unclear whether lipoprotein(a) is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic stroke events in White and Black adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).Methods and ResultsWe conducted a case‐cohort analysis, including Black and White REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study participants ≥45 years of age with prevalent ASCVD (ie, CHD or stroke) at baseline between 2003 and 2007. Baseline lipoprotein(a) molar concentration was measured in participants with ASCVD who experienced a CHD event by December 2017 (n=1166) or an ischemic stroke by September 2019 (n=492) and in a random subcohort of participants with prevalent ASCVD (n=1948). The hazard ratio (HR) for CHD events per 1 SD (1.5 units) higher log‐transformed lipoprotein(a) was 1.26 (95% CI, 1.02–1.56) among Black participants and 1.16 (95% CI, 1.02–1.31) among White participants (P value comparing HRs, 0.485). The HR for CHD events per 1 SD higher log‐lipoprotein(a) within subgroups with hs‐CRP (high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein) ≥2 and <2 mg/L was 1.31 (95% CI, 0.99–1.73) and 1.23 (95% CI, 0.85–1.80), respectively (P value comparing HRs, 0.836), among Black participants, and 1.07 (95% CI, 0.91–1.27) and 1.36 (95% CI, 1.10–1.70), respectively (P value comparing HRs, 0.088), among White participants. There was no evidence that the association between lipoprotein(a) and CHD events differed by statin use. There was no evidence of an association between lipoprotein(a) and ischemic stroke events among Black or White participants.ConclusionsHigher lipoprotein(a) levels were associated with an increased risk for CHD events in Black and White adults with ASCVD.

Incident arrhythmias, heart failure and cardiovascular outcomes with SGLT-2 inhibitor use in diabetic patients: Insights from a global federated electronic medical record database

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT-2i) use has been associated with improved outcomes in patients with prevalent heart failure (HF), regardless of whether or not they have diabetes. Purpose We aimed to investigate the impact of SGLT-2i use on the risk of incident HF and adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with diabetes. Methods All diabetic patients between January 2018 and December 2019 were identified from a federated electronic medical record database (TriNetX), and followed up for 2 years. A 1:1 propensity score matched (PSM) analysis was performed to balance SGLT-2i and non-SGLT-2i cohorts. The primary outcome was incident HF and secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, cardiac arrest, ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF), incident atrial fibrillation (AF), ischaemic stroke, a composite of arterial and venous thrombotic events, and a composite of incident VT/VF and cardiac arrest. Results A total of 115,749 diabetic patients who were on SGLT-2i and 2,316,638 who were not on SGLT-2i were identified. After PSM, 115,749 patients remained in each group. In the PSM analysis, the risk of incident HF was significantly lower in patients who were on SGLT-2i, compared to patients who were not on SGLT-2i (hazard ratio [HR] 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65-0.70). SGLT-2i use was also associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.59-0.65), cardiac arrest (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.55-0.69), incident AF (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.75-0.81), ischaemic stroke (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88-0.96), composite arterial and venous thrombotic events (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.90-0.95), and composite of incident VT/VF and cardiac arrest (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.68-0.79), compared to SGLT-2i non-use. There were no significant differences between the two groups for VT/VF (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.88-1.01). Conclusion SGLT-2i use was associated with a significant decrease in the risk of incident HF, all-cause mortality, cardiac arrest, incident AF, ischaemic stroke, thromboembolic events and VT/VF/cardiac arrest, when compared to the non-use of SGLT-2i.

Interactions Between Statins, Exercise, and Health: A Clinical Update

Interactions Between Statins, Exercise, and Health: A Clinical Update

Analysis of Time to the Hospital and Ambulance Use Following a Stroke Community Education Intervention in China

Prehospital delay (time from symptom onset of stroke to the door of a hospital) in patients with stroke is long in China. With the goal of improving public awareness and knowledge of stroke recognition, Stroke 1-2-0 was developed in China as an education program to prompt rapid response to the onset of stroke based on clinical practice in China, and examination of its outcomes is needed. To investigate the association of the Stroke 1-2-0 educational campaign with prehospital delay for patients with ischemic stroke. In a population-based cross-sectional study, all patients with ischemic stroke events were admitted to the Minhang Hospital, which is the only tertiary care hospital with a stroke center that provides acute stroke care in Xinzhuang county, Shanghai, China. The study period was from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2019, and data analysis was performed from January 1 to July 31, 2021. A multifaceted Stroke 1-2-0 educational campaign comprising slides, videos, brochures, and posters distributed in the community. Proportion of patients with hospital arrival within 3 hours and use of an ambulance to seek medical care, as well as the odds of seeking medical attention within 3 hours after the stroke before vs after initiation of the multifaceted educational campaign. A total of 2857 patients (1774 men [62.1%]; mean [SD] age, 69.83 [12.66] years) with stroke were identified, including 503 in the precampaign period and 2354 in the postcampaign period. Following the multifaceted campaign, the median (IQR) prehospital delay time decreased from 18.72 (7.44-27.84) hours to 6.00 (2.00-16.35) hours (P < .001). After the implementation of the Stroke 1-2-0 campaign, the proportion of patients with hospital arrival time within 3 hours increased from 5.8% to 33.4% (P < .001) and use of an ambulance increased from 3.2% to 30.6% (P < .001). In an interrupted time series analysis, the initiation of the Stroke 1-2-0 campaign was associated with significantly increased odds of arriving at the hospital within 3 hours (odds ratio, 8.01; 95% CI, 7.17-8.95; P < .001) and use of an ambulance (odds ratio, 9.41; 95% CI, 8.24-10.74; P < .001). The persistent multifaceted campaign using the Stroke 1-2-0 program was associated with reduced prehospital delay and improved timely arrival rate and ambulance arrival rate for patients with stroke. These findings suggest that Stroke 1-2-0 can be adopted in other regions of China to possibly improve health outcomes and reduce clinical burdens for all patients with stroke.

Comparing novel oral anticoagulants to vitamin k antagonists in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common occurrence in Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), reported in approximately one third of cases. The 2011 ACC guidelines for management of HCM with concomitant AF recommend use of Vitamin K Antagonists (VKA); however, new research and randomized clinical trials present data which favor the use of Novel Oral Anticoagulants (NOAC) over VKA to prevent serious outcomes. Purpose We aim to identify the difference between NOAC and VKA in preventing ischemic stroke and thromboembolism, and calculate the rate of intracranial hemorrhage, major bleeding and all cause mortality in both treatment groups. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis with the aim to answer the following clinical question: What is the efficacy of NOACs vs VKA in preventing thromboembolism and what are the associated risks with each group? We followed PRISMA guidelines. Scientific databases (PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Epistemonikos) were searched using relevant medical subject headings and keywords to retrieve studies published through September 24, 2020. Inclusion criteria were patients over 18 years old, use of NOACs and VKA in atrial fibrillation and HCM. Studies with patients who had catheter ablative therapy were excluded. After an exhaustive review, a total of 6 studies including 2 Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) and 4 retrospective cohort studies were analyzed using RevMan 5.4 to analyze event rate, hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval for ischemic stroke/thromboembolism, all-cause mortality, major bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage. One study was later excluded due to insufficient data. Heterogeneity was assessed by using the I2 statistic. Results A total of 9,168 patients [NOAC 5158 and VKA 4010] were pooled. Meta-analysis showed the NOAC treatment group had a significant improvement in preventing the primary outcome ischemic stroke/thromboembolism [HR 0.41; 95% CI 0.26 -0.63, p = &amp;lt;0.001], as well as secondary outcomes; all cause mortality [HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.19 - 0.73, p = 0.004, p = 0.004], Intracranial hemorrhage [HR 0.43; 95% CI, 0.11 - 1.65, p = 0.22], and Major Bleeding [HR 0.56; CI 95% 0.34 - 0.93, p = 0.02]. Conclusion Anticoagulation of patients with HCM and AF using NOACs was associated with lower risk of ischemic stroke and thromboembolic events in the NOACs group. There was also a statistically significant reduction of all-cause mortality and major bleeding among patients with AF and HCM who had received NOACs as compared to VKA. There was a notable reduction of ICH in the NOACs group as well. Further clinical trials are needed to further assess the long term benefits of using NOACs in these patients.

Impact of treatment adherence on the effectiveness and safety of oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation: a retrospective cohort study.

The impact of adherence to oral anticoagulation has not been reported in terms of absolute risk, which would enhance patients' understanding and treatment adherence. This retrospective cohort study analysed data from the National Health Insurance Database of Korea, from January 2010 to December 2018, on 84 227 patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). The participants were analysed according to their overall adherence to oral anticoagulants (OACs) and further divided into four groups: non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) adherent, vitamin K antagonist (VKA) adherent, NOAC non-adherent, and VKA non-adherent. The incidence of ischaemic stroke, major bleeding, and death was compared between the four groups using risk difference, number needed to treat and number needed to harm. Among the participants, 50 178 were adherent to (OACs), while 34 049 were non-adherent. The incidence of major bleeding was higher in the adherent group (4.49%; 95% confidence interval, 4.11-4.85%) than in the non-adherent group (3.61%; 3.16-4.06%), and the incidence of ischaemic stroke was higher in the non-adherent group (7.68%; 7.08-8.33%) than in the adherent group (5.61%; 5.17-6.07%). In terms of risk difference, adherence to OACs increased the risk of major bleeding by 0.87% and decreased the risk of ischaemic stroke by 2.08%. This finding suggests that one additional major bleeding event occurred for every 115 adherent patients, and one additional ischaemic stroke event was prevented for every 48 adherent patients. The benefits of OAC adherence in NVAF patients for ischaemic stroke prevention exceeding the risk of bleeding are shown more clearly in terms of absolute risk.

Changes in physical activity and risk of ischemic stroke: The ARIC study.

Limited data exist regarding the impact of changes in physical activity (PA) over time on ischemic stroke risk. Exploring this understudied area could help improve stroke prevention strategies and promote PA during the lifespan. We evaluated 11,089 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) participants recruited in 1987-1989 who completed Visit 3 (1993-1995). We classified PA as meeting recommendations, not meeting recommendations, or no PA. Categories of increased, decreased, stable high, and stable low PA and a continuous PA variable were also evaluated. Crude and adjusted Cox regression models were used to characterize the association of 6-year changes in PA and ischemic stroke risk. Participants had a mean age of 60 years. During a median of 21 years, 762 ischemic stroke events occurred. Compared to the participants with recommended PA at both visits, those with no PA had 46% higher hazards of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.46 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.17, 1.82)), and those with recommended PA at Visit 1 and no PA at Visit 3 also had 37% higher hazards (HR = 1.37 (95% CI = 1.02, 1.83)). Participants who increased their PA from Visit 1 to Visit 3 had 23% lower hazard than those with stable low PA at both visits (HR = 0.77 (95% CI = 0.63, 0.94)), while those who decreased their PA had 25% higher hazards compared to those with stable high PA at both visits (HR = 1.25 (95% CI = 1.01, 1.54)). Physical inactivity during midlife increases ischemic stroke risk, while meeting PA recommendations reduces it.

Does Perfusion Computed Tomography Abnormalities in Patients with Transient Ischemic Attack Predict Subsequent Ischemic Stroke and Cardiovascular Event? (P1-1.Virtual)

Does Perfusion Computed Tomography Abnormalities in Patients with Transient Ischemic Attack Predict Subsequent Ischemic Stroke and Cardiovascular Event? (P1-1.Virtual)

Flow diverter retreatment for intracranial aneurysms: A meta-analysis of efficacy and feasibility.

Recurrent intracranial aneurysm carries a risk of rupture and retreatment is often necessary. However, there is no consensus on the best retreatment modality of choice. Flow diverter has emerged as a promising option for this population in recent years. Given its high cost, patient selection to optimize outcomes is very important. To identify patient factors predisposing to failure of flow diverter retreatment. We conducted a systematic search on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Ovid/Medline, and ClinicalTrial.gov from 2000 to 2021. Studies regarding flow diverter retreatment of recurrent aneurysms were analyzed if they meet the inclusion criteria. A total of twenty-six studies were identified. Among 374 patients retreated with flow diverters, about 0.86 [0.81; 0.92] were successfully occluded and only 0.06 [0.02; 0.10] had unfavorable neurological outcomes. Major complications included intracranial hemorrhage (n = 7), ischemic stroke or thromboembolic event (n = 12), and death (n = 2). In-stent stenosis was reported in 10 of the cases. Saccular aneurysms are associated with a higher occlusion rate while aneurysm location, size, status, and prior treatment modality have no significant impact on retreatment efficacy. We demonstrated that flow diverter is an effective retreatment strategy except in patients with non-saccular aneurysms. It should be considered as a first-line option for patients with recurrent intracranial aneurysm.

Relationship of cumulative exposure to the triglyceride-glucose index with ischemic stroke: a 9-year prospective study in the Kailuan cohort

BackgroundA single measurement of the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a simple and reliable surrogate marker of insulin resistance, is associated with ischemic stroke. However, evidence for an effect of a long-term elevation in TyG index on ischemic stroke is limited. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between cumulative TyG index exposure and the risk of ischemic stroke.MethodsA total of 54,098 participants in the Kailuan study who had not experienced ischemic stroke underwent three measurements of fasting blood glucose and triglycerides during 2006–2007, 2008–2009, and 2010–2011. Cumulative exposure to TyG index was calculated as the weighted sum of the mean TyG index value for each time interval (value × time). Participants were placed into four groups according to the quartile of the weighted mean: Q1 group, < 32.01; Q2 group, 32.01–34.45; Q3 group, 34.45–37.47; and Q4 group, ≥ 37.47. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the relationships of the cumulative TyG index with incident ischemic stroke by calculating hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).ResultsThere were 2083 incident ischemic stroke events over the 9 years of follow-up. The risk of ischemic stroke increased with the quartile of cumulative TyG index. After adjustment for multiple potential confounders, participants in groups Q4, Q3, and Q2 had significantly higher risks of ischemic stroke, with HRs (95% CIs) of 1.30 (1.12–1.52), 1.26 (1.09–1.45), and 1.09 (0.94–1.27), respectively (Ptrend < 0.05), compared with the Q1 group. The longer duration of high TyG index exposure was significantly associated with increased ischemic stroke.ConclusionsHigh cumulative TyG index is associated with a higher risk of ischemic stroke. This finding implies that monitoring and the maintenance of an appropriate TyG index may be useful for the prevention of ischemic stroke.

Abstract 551: HDL Particle Concentration And Incident Ischemic Stroke In Type 1 Diabetes

Recently, we showed that HDL particle concentration (HDL-P) and cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) predict coronary artery disease (CAD) better than HDL-C in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Cardiovascular risk factors have been shown to associate with different cardiovascular outcomes differently. We therefore investigated the association of HDL-P and CEC with ischemic stroke (IS) incidence in people with T1D. We quantified HDL-P using calibrated differential ion mobility and total and ABCA1-specific HDL CEC in 549 participants with childhood-onset (&lt;17 years) T1D from the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study using the first available blood sample. The participants were free of cerebrovascular disease at baseline (mean age 27.8 years, T1D duration 19.6 years, 49% women). Stroke incidence/type was determined by self-report of physician diagnosis and confirmed by medical record review. During the follow-up (median 25 years), there were 35 (6.5%) incident IS events. Participants with IS were more likely to be older, have a longer T1D duration, have hypertension, a history of smoking, and a worse lipid, inflammatory and renal markers’ profile at baseline; HDL-C, HDL-P, and CEC did not differ between participants with and without IS. While HDL-C, total HDL-P, and CEC were not associated with IS risk, extra-small HDL-P (xsHDL-P, ~7.8nm) subspecies were strongly associated with incident IS (HR=4.49, 95% CI: 1.72-11.74), even after adjustment for IS risk factors (including smoking, diabetes duration, hypertension as well as HDL-C), in multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. When all stroke events including hemorrhagic stroke were considered the association was weaker (n=47 events, HR=2.5, 95% CI: 0.97-6.47) suggesting specificity in the association of xsHDL-P with ischemic stroke.In contrast to a strong protective association of total HDL-P and CEC against CAD in the same T1D population, these HDL metrics were not associated with IS. However, the xsHDL-P subspecies were specifically associated with increased IS risk. These striking findings require further investigation and suggest a differential association of HDL particle metrics with CAD and IS.

Detailed risks and characteristics of postepilepsy stroke in non-traumatic adult-onset epilepsy

Patients with epilepsy have an increased risk of stroke. However, the detailed risk and characteristics of postepilepsy stroke have not been investigated. This study utilized the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. We classified adult patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy from 2003 to 2016 as the epilepsy cohort. Patients in the nonepilepsy cohort were selected with propensity score matching at a case-control ratio of 1:5. The incidence, hazard ratio (HR), period-specific HR, recurrent HR in the Wei-Lin-Weissfeld model, stroke severity index, complications, and mortality of all stroke, ischemic stroke (IS) and hemorrhagic stroke events in the two cohorts were analyzed. We enrolled 23,810 patients in the epilepsy cohort and 119,050 persons in the nonepilepsy cohort. The period-specific HRs of all stroke, IS and hemorrhagic stroke peaked immediately after epilepsy diagnosis and trended downward [Adjusted HRs of all stroke: 4.88 (3.88-6.14), 4.47 (3.50-5.70), 3.17 (2.62-3.84), 2.81 (2.27-3.48), 2.81 (2.36-3.34) and 2.33 (2.07-2.62) in 0-0.5, 0.5-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-5 and ≥5 years after epilepsy diagnosis, respectively]. The recurrent stroke HRs in the epilepsy cohort were >1 from the first [3.06 (2.71-3.34)] to the fourth events [6.33 (1.08-37.03)]. IS events in the epilepsy cohort were associated with a younger onset age, a higher IS severity index, a higher rate of urinary tract infection, a lower in-hospital mortality, while 90-day stroke mortality was similar between the 2 cohorts. Since the increased risk of stroke in epilepsy cohort peaked immediately after epilepsy diagnosis, early implementation of prevention strategies is considered.

Association of Change in Alcohol Consumption With Risk of Ischemic Stroke.

The effect of serial change in alcohol consumption on stroke risk has been limitedly evaluated. We investigated the association of change in alcohol consumption with risk of stroke. This study is a population-based retrospective cohort study from National Health Insurance Service database of all Koreans. Four lakh five hundred thirteen thousand seven hundred forty-six participants aged ≥40 years who underwent 2 subsequent national health examinations in both 2009 and 2011. Alcohol consumption was assessed by average alcohol intake (g/day) based on self-questionnaires and categorized into non-, mild, moderate, and heavy drinking. Change in alcohol consumption was defined by shift of category from baseline. Cox proportional hazards model was used with adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, regular exercise, socioeconomic information, and comorbidities, Charlson Comorbidity Index, systolic blood pressure, and laboratory results. Subgroup analysis among those with the third examination was conducted to reflect further change in alcohol consumption. During 28 424 497 person-years of follow-up, 74 923 ischemic stroke events were identified. Sustained mild drinking was associated with a decreased risk of ischemic stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.86-0.90]) compared with sustained nondrinking, whereas sustained heavy drinking was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.06 [95% CI, 1.02-1.10]). Increasing alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.11 [95% CI, 1.06-1.17] from mild to moderate; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.19-1.38] from mild to heavy) compared with sustained mild drinkers. Reduction of alcohol consumption from heavy to mild level was associated with 17% decreased risk of ischemic stroke through 3× of examinations. Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a decreased risk of ischemic stroke, although it might be not causal and could be impacted by sick people abstaining from drinking. Reduction of alcohol consumption from heavy drinking is associated with a decreased risk of ischemic stroke.

Oral anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation and end-stage kidney disease

Atrial fibrillation is highly prevalent in patients with end -stage kidney disease. For patients with atrial fibrillation but normal kidney function, the net clinical benefit of oral anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists and non -vitamin K oral anticoagulants in preventing stroke against the hemorrhagic risk is well -known. However, dialysis patients present unique risk factors that increase ischemic stroke and bleeding events that are not included in the traditional risk scores. These points, in addition to the pharmacokinetic issues related to the use of oral anticoagulants in end -stage kidney disease, raise the question of the safety of these drugs, making it difficult to predict whether the benefit outweighs the risk. Data on this topic in chronic kidney disease stages 4, 5, and 5D patients is sparse and the clinical guidelines are also inconsistent in which is the best approach for these patients. This review gives an overview of the state of the art on this topic, specifically the recommendations of the newest guidelines, then discusses the various risk scores and their pitfalls, and finally summarizes the current knowledge on the possible benefits of Non -vitamin K oral anticoagulants versus Vitamin K antagonists in dialysis patients.

High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Ischemic Stroke in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Prospective Study.

Background and Aims Inflammation is involved in the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the association of hs-CRP with incident ischemic stroke in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods A sample of 318 participants without previous strokes was included in this study. Hs-CRP levels and other potential confounding factors were measured at baseline. NAFLD was performed by abdominal ultrasound after excluding secondary causes for fat accumulation. According to baseline hs-CRP concentrations, participants were categorized into 3 groups: level 1 (<1.0 mg/L), level 2 (1.0 to <3.0 mg/L), and level 3 (≥3.0 mg/L). The outcome of interest was the first occurrence of an ischemic stroke. Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of incident ischemic stroke, after adjusting for potential confounders. Results The mean age of 318 participants with NAFLD was 71.1 ± 6.7 years, and 55.3% of them were male. Among 318 individuals with NAFLD, 115 (36.2%) of them had an hs-CRP value <1 mg/L (level 1), 105 (33.0%) had an hs-CRP value between 1 and 3 mg/L (level 2), and 98 (30.8%) belonged to level 3 (hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L). Over a median of 5.60 years of follow-up, 47 incident ischemic stroke events were documented in 318 patients with NAFLD. After full adjustment for confounding factors, compared with participants in the level 1 group (hs-CRP<1.0 mg/L), the HRs of those in the level 2 group (1.0 to <3.0 mg/L) and the level 3 group (≥3.0 mg/L) were 1.77 (95% CI: 0.94–2.98) and 2.45 (95% CI: 1.37–5.77) for developing ischemic stroke, respectively. Conclusions Elevated hs-CRP levels were associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke among patients with NAFLD.

Risk of ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke in Chinese undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention treated with potent P2Y12 inhibitor versus clopidogrel

BackgroundStroke after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) can be devastating. It is uncertain whether the risks of ischaemic stroke or intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) are associated with different choices of P2Y12 inhibitors...

Yearly Incidence of Stroke and Bleeding in Atrial Fibrillation with Concomitant Hyperthyroidism: A National Discharge Database Study.

Background: Hyperthyroidism is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), and the latter is a major risk factor for stroke. Aim: We aimed to investigate the yearly incidence of stroke and bleeding in AF patients with and without concomitant hyperthyroidism from the French National Hospital Discharge Database. Methods: Admissions with AF between January 2010 and December 2019 were retrospectively identified and retrieved from the French national database. Incidence rates of ischaemic stroke and bleeding were compared in AF patients with and without concomitant hyperthyroidism. The associations of risk factors with ischaemic stroke were assessed by Cox regression. Results: Overall 2,421,087 AF patients, among whom 32,400 had concomitant hyperthyroidism were included in the study. During the follow-up (mean: 2.0 years, standard deviation SD: 2.2 years), the yearly incidence of ischaemic stroke was noted to be 2.6 (95% confidence interval CI: 2.5–2.8) in AF patients with concomitant hyperthyroidism, and 2.3 (95%CI: 2.3–2.4) in non-thyroid AF patients. Hyperthyroidism was noted as an independent risk factor for ischaemic stroke (adjusted hazard ratio aHR: 1.133, 95%CI: 1.080–1.189) overall, particularly within the first year of hyperthyroidism diagnosis (aHR 1.203, 95%CI 1.120–1.291), however, the association became non-significant in subsequent years (aHR 1.047, 95%CI 0.980–1.118). Major bleeding incidence was lower in the hyperthyroid AF group in comparison to the non-thyroid AF group (incidence ratio: 5.1 vs. 5.4%/year, p < 0.001). The predictive value of CHA2DS2VASc and HAS-BLED scores for ischaemic stroke and bleeding events, respectively, did not differ significantly between AF patients with or without concomitant hyperthyroidism. Conclusions: Hyperthyroidism seems to be an independent risk factor of ischaemic stroke in AF patients, particularly within the first year of hyperthyroidism diagnosis.

Carotid Intraplaque Neovascularization and Future Vascular Events in Patients With Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis.

Objective: Intraplaque neovascularization is a marker of plaque vulnerability and is used to predict the risk of future vascular events in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis; however, its association with asymptomatic carotid stenosis has not been prospectively evaluated. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association between intraplaque neovascularization assessed using contrast-enhanced ultrasound and the occurrence of future ischemic events in asymptomatic patients diagnosed with carotid stenosis. Methods: We recruited patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis from our center. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed at baseline. The outcomes were ischemic stroke and cardiovascular events. We plotted Kaplan-Meier survival curves and performed a log-rank test to compare endpoint event probability in patients with and without grade 2 intraplaque neovascularization. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess predictors of future vascular events. Results: The data of 50 participants were included in the analysis (median follow-up, 43.7 months). Endpoint events occurred in 12 participants (24%). The Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients with grade 2 intraplaque neovascularization had a higher probability of future vascular events than those with grades 0 and 1 (p < .05). Grade 2 intraplaque neovascularization (hazard ratio: 4.530, 95% confidence interval, 1.337–15.343, p < .05) was an independent predictor of future vascular events in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis. Conclusion: Grade 2 intraplaque neovascularization assessed using contrast-enhanced ultrasound independently predicted future ischemic events in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound may be an effective screening method to identify high-risk subgroups of patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis.

Effectiveness and Safety of Anticoagulation Therapy in Frail Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

Frail patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are less likely to receive anticoagulation than nonfrail patients with AF despite frailty being associated with poorer clinical outcomes including stroke. Using a population-based cohort, we sought to assess the effectiveness and safety of oral anticoagulants (OACs) in frail patients with AF. This retrospective cohort study analyzed 83 635 patients aged at least 65 years with AF and frailty (≥5 Hospital Frailty Risk Score) between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2016 from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. To account for the differences between patients receiving OAC or not and across different OAC regimens, propensity score-weighting was used. Net adverse clinical event, defined as the first event of ischemic stroke, major bleeding, or cardiovascular death, was compared. In addition, each individual outcome was examined separately. In the study population (57.1% women; mean age, 78.5±7.2 years), a total of 14 968 net adverse clinical event, 3718 ischemic stroke, 5536 major bleeding, and 6188 cardiovascular death occurred. In comparison with no OAC use, OAC use was associated with lower risks of net adverse clinical event (hazard ratio, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.75-0.82]), ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.86-0.97]), and cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.49-0.55]), but no difference was observed for major bleeding (hazard ratio, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.95-1.10]). Compared with warfarin, all four individual direct OAC were associated with decreased risks of net adverse clinical event, ischemic stroke, major bleeding, and cardiovascular death. The associations for OAC use (compared to no OAC use) or direct OAC use (compared to warfarin) with favorable outcomes were more prominent in individuals with a higher CHA2DS2-VASc score of at least 3. Among frail patients with AF, OAC treatment was associated with a positive net clinical outcome. Direct OACs provided lower incidences of stroke, bleeding, and mortality, compared with warfarin.

Abstract 124: Effects Of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Using Cilostazol In Patients With Extracranial Or Intracranial Arterial Stenosis: A Subgroup Analysis Of The Csps.com Trial

Background: The CSPS.com trial showed that dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) using cilostazol was superior to single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) with aspirin or clopidogrel for the long-term prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke and vascular events in high-risk Japanese patients with ischemic stroke. We conducted a subgroup analysis of the CSPS.com trial in order to investigate the effects of extracranial or intracranial arterial stenosis on the benefit of cilostazol. Methods: We compared the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke and vascular events including stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular death between DAPT with cilostazol and aspirin or clopidogrel and SAPT with aspirin or clopidogrel in patients with or without at least 50% stenosis of the extracranial or intracranial artery among patients recruited to the CSPS.com trial. Results: The median follow-up period was 1.4 years. The risk of recurrent stroke did not differ between DAPT and SAPT among 246 patients with extracranial arterial stenosis (8.04% vs 7.46%, HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.43-2.58), while it was lower in DAPT than in SAPT among 547 patients with intracranial arterial stenosis (5.8% vs 11.9%, HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.95), and among 944 patients without any arterial stenosis (2.91% vs 7.13%, HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.17-0.74). The risk of vascular events did not differ between DAPT and SAPT among patients with extracranial arterial stenosis (8.93% vs 8.96%, HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.42-2.24), while it was lower in DAPT than in SAPT among patients with intracranial arterial stenosis (7.70% vs 14.5%, HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.26-0.96), and among patients without any arterial stenosis (3.33% vs 7.56%, HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.26-0.85). The risk of major bleeding did not differ between DAPT and SAPT among any category of patients. Conclusions: DAPT using cilostazol might not be beneficial for the long-term prevention of recurrent stroke and vascular events in patients with extracranial arterial stenosis, while it might be beneficial in patients with intracranial arterial stenosis or in those without any arterial stenosis.