History Of Stroke Research Articles

Machine learning-based model to predict composite thromboembolic events among Chinese elderly patients with atrial fibrillation

ObjectiveAccurate prediction of survival prognosis is helpful to guide clinical decision-making. The aim of this study was to develop a model using machine learning techniques to predict the occurrence of composite thromboembolic events (CTEs) in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation(AF). These events encompass newly diagnosed cerebral ischemia events, cardiovascular events, pulmonary embolism, and lower extremity arterial embolism.MethodsThis retrospective study included 6,079 elderly hospitalized patients (≥ 75 years old) with AF admitted to the People’s Liberation Army General Hospital in China from January 2010 to June 2022. Random forest imputation was used for handling missing data. In the descriptive statistics section, patients were divided into two groups based on the occurrence of CTEs, and differences between the two groups were analyzed using chi-square tests for categorical variables and rank-sum tests for continuous variables. In the machine learning section, the patients were randomly divided into a training dataset (n = 4,225) and a validation dataset (n = 1,824) in a 7:3 ratio. Four machine learning models (logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, XGBoost) were trained on the training dataset and validated on the validation dataset.ResultsThe incidence of composite thromboembolic events was 19.53%. The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) method, using 5-fold cross-validation, was applied to the training dataset and identified a total of 18 features that exhibited a significant association with the occurrence of CTEs. The random forest model outperformed other models in terms of area under the curve (ACC: 0.9144, SEN: 0.7725, SPE: 0.9489, AUC: 0.927, 95% CI: 0.9105–0.9443). The random forest model also showed good clinical validity based on the clinical decision curve. The Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) showed that the top five features associated with the model were history of ischemic stroke, high triglyceride (TG), high total cholesterol (TC), high plasma D-dimer, age.ConclusionsThis study proposes an accurate model to stratify patients with a high risk of CTEs. The random forest model has good performance. History of ischemic stroke, age, high TG, high TC and high plasma D-Dimer may be correlated with CTEs.

Impact of cerebral protection on observed versus predicted in-hospital stroke in a high stroke risk TAVR cohort

BackgroundDespite impressive improvements in the safety profile of Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), the risk for peri-procedural stroke after TAVR has not declined substantially. In an effort to reduce periprocedural stroke, cerebral embolic protection (CEP) devices have been utilized but have yet to demonstrate benefit in all-comers. There is a paucity of data supporting the utilization of CEP in TAVR patients with an anticipated high risk for peri-procedural stroke.MethodsThe Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement In-Hospital Stroke (TASK) score is a clinical risk tool for predicting the in-hospital stroke risk of patients undergoing transfemoral TAVR. This score was used to identify high-risk patients and calculate the expected in-hospital stroke risk. This was a single-centre cohort study in all consecutive TAVR patients who had placement of CEP. The observed versus expected ratio for peri-procedural stroke was calculated. To obtain 95% credible intervals, we used 1000 bootstrapped samples of the original cohort sample size without replacement and recalculated the TASK predicted scores.ResultsThe study included 103 patients. The median age was 83 (IQR 78,89). 63 were male (61.1%) and 45 (43.69%) had a history of previous Stroke or TIA. Two patients had an in-hospital stroke after TAVR (1.94%). The expected risk of in-hospital stroke based on the TASK score was 3.39% (95% CI 3.07–3.73). The observed versus expected ratio was 0.57 (95% CI 0.52–0.64).ConclusionIn this single-center study, we found that in patients undergoing TAVR with high stroke risk, CEP reduced the in-hospital stroke risk by 43% when compared with the risk-score predicted rate.Clinical trial numberN/A.

Apixaban vs Aspirin in Patients With Cancer and Cryptogenic Stroke

Approximately 10% to 15% of ischemic strokes are associated with cancer; cancer-associated stroke, particularly when cryptogenic, is associated with high rates of recurrent stroke and major bleeding. Limited data exist on the safety and efficacy of different antithrombotic strategies in patients with cancer and cryptogenic stroke. To compare apixaban vs aspirin for the prevention of adverse clinical outcomes in patients with history of cancer and cryptogenic stroke. Post hoc analysis of data from 1015 patients with a recent cryptogenic stroke and biomarker evidence of atrial cardiopathy in the Atrial Cardiopathy and Antithrombotic Drugs in Prevention After Cryptogenic Stroke (ARCADIA) trial, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind clinical trial conducted from 2018 to 2023 at 185 stroke centers in North America. Data analysis was performed from October 15, 2023, to May 23, 2024. Oral apixaban, 5 mg (or 2.5 mg if criteria met), twice daily vs oral aspirin, 81 mg, once daily. Subgroups of patients with and without cancer at baseline were examined. The primary outcome for this post hoc analysis was a composite of major ischemic or major hemorrhagic events. Major ischemic events were recurrent ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, systemic embolism, and symptomatic deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Major hemorrhagic events included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and any major extracranial hemorrhage. Among 1015 participants (median [IQR] age, 68 [60-76] years; 551 [54.3%] female), 137 (13.5%) had a history of cancer. The median (IQR) follow-up was 1.5 (0.6-2.5) years for patients with history of cancer and 1.5 (0.6-3.0) years for those without history of cancer. Participants with history of cancer, compared with those without history of cancer, had a higher risk of major ischemic or major hemorrhagic events (hazard ratio [HR], 1.73; 95% CI, 1.10-2.71). Among those with history of cancer, 8 of 61 participants (13.1%) randomized to apixaban and 16 of 76 participants (21.1%) randomized to aspirin had a major ischemic or major hemorrhagic event; however, the risk was not significantly different between groups (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.26-1.43). Comparing participants randomized to apixaban vs aspirin among those with cancer, events included recurrent stroke (5 [8.2%] vs 9 [11.8%]), major ischemic events (7 [11.5%] vs 14 [18.4%]), and major hemorrhagic events (1 [1.6%] vs 2 [2.6%]). Among participants in the ARCADIA trial with history of cancer, the risk of major ischemic and hemorrhagic events did not differ significantly with apixaban compared with aspirin. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03192215.

Use of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio to Predict In-Hospital Mortality in Patients Admitted with Acute Decompensation of Atrial Fibrillation.

Background/Objectives: The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been on the rise over the last 20 years. It is considered to be the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The need for in-hospital management of patients having AF is increasing. Acute decompensation of cardiac rhythm is an indication for hospital admission. In the existing literature, several studies on different pathologies have observed that the risk of death was greater for patients with an increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and suggested that the NLR can be a useful biomarker to predict in-hospital mortality. This study aims to evaluate the link between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio at admission and death among the patients admitted to the medical ward for the acute manifestation of AF, and to gain a better understanding of how we can predict in-hospital all-cause death based on the NLR for these patients. Methods: A single-center retrospective study in an academic medical clinic was conducted. We analyzed if the NLR at in-hospital admission can be related to in-hospital mortality among the patients admitted for AF at the Medical Ward of Municipal Emergency University Hospital Timisoara between 2015 and 2016. After identifying a total of 1111 patients, we divided them into two groups: in-hospital death patients and surviving patients. We analyzed the NLR in both groups to determine if it is related to in-hospital mortality or not. One patient was excluded because of missing data. Results: Our analysis showed that patients who died during in-hospital admission had a significantly higher NLR compared to those who survived (p < 0.0001, 95% CI (1.54 to 3.48)). The NLR was found to be an independent predictor of in-hospital death among patients with AF, even for the patients with no raised level of blood leukocytes (p < 0.0001, 95% CI (0.6174 to 3.0440)). Additionally, there was a significant correlation between the NLR and the risk of in-hospital death for patients admitted with decompensated AF (p < 0.0001), with an area under the ROC curve of 0.745. Other factors can increase the risk of death for these patients (such as the personal history of stroke, HAS-BLED score, and age). Conclusions: The NLR is a useful biomarker to predict in-hospital mortality in patients with AF and can predict the risk of death with a sensitivity of 72.8% and a specificity of 70.4%. Further studies are needed to determine the clinical utility of the NLR in risk stratification and management of patients with AF.

The Etiology of Non-traumatic Loss of Consciousness in Patients Admitted to the Emergency Department

Background: Loss of consciousness (LOC) is one of the most common complaints in the emergency department (ED). This disorder can result from a wide range of clinical conditions, such as structural brain damage, infection, shock, respiratory failure, or psychiatric disorders. Objectives: This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the cause and prognosis of patients with non-traumatic LOC referred to two referral hospitals of Mashhad University. Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted on 1000 patients presenting with complaints of LOC at Ghaem and Imam Reza hospitals in Mashhad in 2020. All patients with a decreased level of consciousness and a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of less than 14 were included in the investigation. Results: A total of 1037 patients participated in this study, while 37 patients were excluded. Of the participants, 524 (52.4%) were men and 476 (47.6%) were women. The average age was 59.85 ± 16.06 years, ranging from 18 to 95 years. The relatively common causes of LOC included sepsis (38.3%), stroke (9.2%), heart failure (8%), myocardial infarction (7.3%), meningitis (7.2%), hepatic encephalopathy (6.5%), and toxic alcohol ingestion (5.8%). Deceased patients were older, had higher respiratory rates and temperatures, and had lower blood sugar and blood pressure upon admission. A previous history of stroke, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes were associated with death. The relationships between different study outcomes were assessed using multivariate binary logistic regression; a two-sided P &lt; 0.05 was considered significant. Conclusions: Patients presenting to the ED with LOC are more likely to die, making LOC a potential prognostic factor for in-hospital death.

Contraindications to tissue plasminogen activator thrombolysis for acute lower extremity ischemia.

Previous randomized prospective trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of transcatheter tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) thrombolysis in treating acute limb ischemia (ALI) compared to conventional surgery. These pivotal trials have also highlighted contraindications for these procedures. Given recent advancements in techniques and technology, our aim is to reassess the relevance of these contraindications in contemporary practice. A retrospective chart analysis was performed utilizing the inpatient medical records of consecutive individuals who underwent tPA treatment for acute limb ischemia (ALI) from September 2016 to April 2022. Inclusion criteria encompassed patients aged 18 and above displaying clinical symptoms and imaging evidence of ALI within 14 days. All patients received tPA with suction thrombectomy following the fast-track thrombolysis protocol. In cases where a persistent thrombus or stenosis was detected, catheter-directed thrombolysis was considered overnight, and patients underwent angiography and reassessment in the operating room subsequently. Patients were classified into two groups based on the STILE trial's established contraindications for endovascular treatment in acute limb ischemia (ALI). If a patient had any of these contraindications, they were placed in the contraindicated group. This resulted in 24 patients (32%) in the contraindicated group and 52 patients (68%) in the non-contraindicated group. No statistically significant demographic variations were observed between these groups. Contraindications in our study included uncontrolled hypertension (12/24, 50%), recent invasive procedures (7/27, 29%), history of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) within 6 months (3/24, 12%), and intracranial malformation/neoplasms (2/24, 8%). Three patients within the non-contraindicated group experienced bleeding complications: two with puncture site bleeds and one with nasal bleeding. In contrast, one patient in the contraindicated group had transient postoperative hematuria. There were no significant differences in bleeding complications observed between the two groups (p = .771). Additionally, no amputations were observed within our population. In light of our study results and advancements in endovascular therapies, we can now safely and efficiently treat patients who were previously considered contraindicated for such treatments. It is essential to individualize treatments and carefully balance the risks and benefits of endovascular versus open surgical revascularization for these patients. Additionally, we believe that the nearly 30-year-old guidelines for endovascular therapies need to be revisited and updated to align with modern technology.

Faktor Faktor Resiko Kejadian Stroke Berbasis Stroke Risk ScoreCard

Stroke is a fuctional disorder tahat manifest as nerve paralysis, resulting from either an obstruction of blood flow to the brain due to a lock of oxygen or a cessation of blood supply due to blockage or bleeding. The risk factors are blood pressure, cholesterol, history of diabetes mellitus, history of smooking, atrial fibrillation, body mass index, physical activity, and family history of stroke. This study aims to determine the factors associated with stroke incidence. This typeof researchis descriptive and has a retrospective study design. The sampling technique used was accidental sampling wit a sample size of 60 respondents, where the population was 4355stroke patients. The research results used the stroke risk scorecard (SRSC)measuring tool. The statistical is Chi-square. The research results showed that the majority of respondents were erderly, aged 46-65 tahun years (80,0%), male (50,0%), female (50,0%) and had comorbid hypertension (56,7%). N The Chi-square test revealed several risk factors, including blood pressuare, a history ofdiabetes mellitus,smoking history, atrial fibrilation, BMI, and family history of risk. Menwhile, the results of the multiple linear regression test show that the most dominant variable is physical activity, with a standardized cooefficient betta valueof 0,366. It is hoped that the results of this research can be used as a basis for input for health servise providers to provide comprehensive nursing care for stroke patients.

Impact of Social Support and Self-Efficacy on Activity of Daily Living among Post-Stroke Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study employed a cross-sectional design to explore the impact of social support and self-efficacy on activity of daily living (ADL) among post-stroke patients in Saudi Arabia and investigate the mediating role of self-efficacy. Data were collected from 158 post-stroke patients across six healthcare facilities in three regions of Saudi Arabia using convenience sampling, between February 2023 and July 2023. The analysis included descriptive statistics, variance analysis, and linear regression using bootstrap methods. PROCESS Macro was used for the mediation model. This study revealed that most participants had high ADL, social support, and self-efficacy levels. Significant negative associations were found between ADL and age (p < 0.001), time since stroke (p = 0.009), and stroke history (p < 0.001), while significant positive associations were observed with educational background (p = 0.049), employment status (p < 0.001), and self-efficacy (p < 0.001). ADL in post-stroke patients was significantly influenced negatively by age (p = 0.025), time since stroke (p = 0.027), and stroke history (p < 0.001), while self-efficacy (p < 0.001) had a positive impact and moderated the relationship between social support and ADL. This study highlights the physical and psychosocial aspects affecting post-stroke patients, identifies key areas for enhancing their experiences, and informs the development of targeted interventions to address their comprehensive needs.

Reliability, validity and normative data of the timed water swallow test accompanied by sEMG.

Swallowing disorders are highly interrelated with increased morbidity and mortality rates; therefore, early detection is crucial. Most screening tools rely on subjective observation, thus making objective assessment tools more vital. Timed Water Swallowing Test (TWST) is a screening tool used in the field providing quantitative data. This study aimed to investigate the swallowing parameters in a wide age range by using TWST and to expand the already existing normative data pool accordingly. It is also aimed to examine the reliability of the TWST and assess its validity in stroke survivors. This study had a cross-sectional design. TWST carried out simultaneously along with surface EMG and laryngeal sensor on 196 healthy subjects aged 10 to 80 for normative data. Also, TWST carried out 30 patients having a history of recent stroke. Test-retest and inter-rater scoring analysis were used for reliability purposes, while Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) test was used for validity purposes. Additionally, the correlations between the participants' TWST scores and GUSS scores were examined using the Spearman correlation coefficient. The normative TWST data of healthy participants are tabulated and presented and their average swallowing capacity was found 13.73ml/s. Furthermore, the mean swallowing capacity of stroke survivors was found 4.61ml/s. As a result of validity analyses, a statistically strong and significant relationship was found between GUSS and TWST parameters (r = 0.775, p < 0.001). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and correlation values were found between moderate to good agreement between test-retest measurement (ICC = 0.563 to 0.891, p < 0.05). Also, the agreement between the raters was found to be significant (ICC = 0.949 to 0.995, p < 0.05). TWST is a valid and reliable screening tool to evaluate dysphagia on given population. Although the test's performance on healthy individuals is adequate, more research is still needed to confirm that it can be used as a screening tool for stroke.

Time above range and no coefficient of variation is associated with diabetic retinopathy in individuals with type 1 diabetes and glycated hemoglobin within target.

This study aimed to investigate the association between glucose metrics and diabetic retinopathy in type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients using flash continuous glucose monitoring (FGM) systems, including those maintaining glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) within the target range. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 1070 T1D patients utilizing FGM systems. Data on clinical, anthropometric, and socioeconomic characteristics were collected and retinopathy was classified based on international standards. Patients' mean age was 47.6 ± 15.0 years, with 49.4% of them being females. Within the cohort, 24.8% of patients presented some form of retinopathy. In the analysis involving the entire sample of subjects, male gender (OR = 1.51, p = 0.027), Time Above Range (TAR) > 250mg/dL (OR = 1.07, p = 0.025), duration of diabetes (OR = 1.09, p < 0.001), smoking (OR = 2.30, p < 0.001), and history of ischemic stroke (OR = 5.59, p = 0.025) were associated with diabetic retinopathy. No association was observed between the coefficient of variation and diabetic retinopathy (p = 0.934). In patients with HbA1c < 7%, the highest quartile of TAR > 250 was independently linked to diabetic retinopathy (OR = 8.32, p = 0.040), in addition to smoking (OR = 2.90, p = 0.031), duration of diabetes (OR = 1.09, p < 0.001), and hypertension (OR = 2.35, p = 0.040). TAR > 250mg/dL significantly emerges as a modifiable factor associated with diabetic retinopathy, even among those patients maintaining recommended HbA1c levels. Understanding glucose metrics is crucial for tailoring treatment strategies for T1D patients.

A case report about anorexia nervosa and ischemic stroke: what can we learn?

IntroductionAnorexia Nervosa (AN) is a complex psychiatric illness, characterized by a high risk of developing cardiovascular complications. Given the high risk of vascular diseases in patients with AN, we can assume that patients with severe AN have a high risk of developing ischemic stroke. However, to the best of our knowledge, no reports of patients with AN presenting with ischemic stroke have been published, other than a report of the development of IS during refeeding therapy in patients with severe AN.Case presentationThe present case report is aimed at describing the characteristics of an ischemic stroke occurring in a 19-year-old university student who had a 6-month history of AN. She was a non-smoker, had no relevant medical history and no family history of stroke. Upon hospital admission due to symptoms of stroke (aphasia and facial droop), she exhibited severe malnutrition with a BMI of 12.8 kg/m2. Computerized tomography imaging revealed occlusion of the left M2 branch and a congruous extensive area of hypoperfusion. Further investigations ruled out all common causes of stroke: she had no vascular stenosis, no heart diseases or arrhythmias, and no shunts, and gave negative results in autoimmune, toxicological and thrombophilia screenings.ConclusionClinicians should suspect development of severe complications, including ischemic stroke, in patients with severe AN. Further extensive group studies or group-based studies are needed to elucidate the etiology of ischemic stroke in patients with severe AN. This will enable us to develop more precise and effective interventions.Graphical

An Investigative Study of Prothrombin Time, Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time and Antithrombin Levels in Patients with Ischaemic Stroke

Background: The haemostatic system maintains a balance between prothrombotic and antithrombotic components in the body. The role of this system in ischaemic stroke is not certain. Objective: Prothrombin time (PT) and Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time(APTT) are widely used screening tests to assess the haemostatic cascade. We sought to evaluate the relevance of these test and antithrombin (AT) levels in patients with ischaemic stroke. Methods: AT, platelet count, PT and APTT tests were carried out for 65 patients with ischaemic stroke and 65 controls with no history of stroke. Results: The mean age of stroke subjects was 60.4 ± 12.3yrs. PT and APTT in the test and control groups were similar and Antithrombin levels did not show significant difference. But there was a significant association between functional AT deficiency and diabetes mellitus in the ischaemic stroke group. A significant negative correlation existed between functional AT activity and prothrombin and between AT Ag levels and APTT Conclusion: There was no difference in the Antithrombin levels, PT and APTT values in patients with ischaemic stroke and those without a history of stroke and carrying out these tests routinely to assess hypercoagulable states in ischaemic stroke patients may not have any diagnostic value in our population.

Identifying Factors Associated With Fast Visual Field Progression in Patients With Ocular Hypertension Based on Unsupervised Machine Learning.

We developed unsupervised machine learning models to identify different subtypes of patients with ocular hypertension in terms of visual field (VF) progression and discovered 4 subtypes with different trends of VF worsening. We then identified factors associated with fast VF progression. To identify ocular hypertension (OHT) subtypes with different trends of visual field (VF) progression based on unsupervised machine learning and to discover factors associated with fast VF progression. Cross-sectional and longitudinal study. A total of 3133 eyes of 1568 ocular hypertension treatment study (OHTS) participants with at least 5 follow-up VF tests were included in the study. We used a latent class mixed model (LCMM) to identify OHT subtypes using standard automated perimetry (SAP) mean deviation (MD) trajectories. We characterized the subtypes based on demographic, clinical, ocular, and VF factors at the baseline. We then identified factors driving fast VF progression using generalized estimating equation (GEE) and justified findings qualitatively and quantitatively. Rates of SAP mean deviation (MD) change. The LCMM model discovered four clusters (subtypes) of eyes with different trajectories of MD worsening. The number of eyes in clusters were 794 (25%), 1675 (54%), 531 (17%), and 133 (4%). We labeled the clusters as improvers (cluster 1), stables (cluster 2), slow progressors (cluster 3), and fast progressors (cluster 4) based on their mean of MD decline rate, which were 0.08, -0.06, -0.21, and -0.45dB/year, respectively. Eyes with fast VF progression had higher baseline age, intraocular pressure (IOP), pattern standard deviation (PSD) and refractive error (RE), but lower central corneal thickness (CCT). Fast progression was associated with being male, heart disease history, diabetes history, African American race, and stroke history. Unsupervised clustering can objectively identify OHT subtypes including those with fast VF worsening without human expert intervention. Fast VF progression was associated with higher history of stroke, heart disease and diabetes. Fast progressors were more from African American race, males, and had higher incidence of glaucoma conversion. Subtyping can provide guidance for adjusting treatment plans to slow vision loss and improve quality of life of patients with a faster progression course.

Beat-to-beat blood pressure variability, hippocampal atrophy, and memory impairment in older adults.

Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) predicts age-related hippocampal atrophy, neurodegeneration, and memory decline in older adults. Beat-to-beat BPV may represent a more reliable and efficient tool for prospective risk assessment, but it is unknown whether beat-to-beat BPV is similarly associated with hippocampal neurodegeneration, or with plasma markers of neuroaxonal/neuroglial injury. Independently living older adults without a history of dementia, stroke, or other major neurological disorders were recruited from the community (N = 104; age = 69.5 ± 6.7 (range 55-89); 63% female). Participants underwent continuous blood pressure monitoring, brain MRI, venipuncture, and cognitive testing over two visits. Hippocampal volumes, plasma neurofilament light, and glial fibrillary acidic protein levels were assessed. Beat-to-beat BPV was quantified as systolic blood pressure average real variability during 7-min of supine continuous blood pressure monitoring. The cross-sectional relationship between beat-to-beat BPV and hippocampal volumes, cognitive domain measures, and plasma biomarkers was assessed using multiple linear regression with adjustment for demographic covariates, vascular risk factors, and average systolic blood pressure. Elevated beat-to-beat BPV was associated with decreased left hippocampal volume (P = .008), increased plasma concentration of glial fibrillary acidic protein (P = .006), and decreased memory composite score (P = .02), independent of age, sex, average systolic blood pressure, total intracranial volume, and vascular risk factor burden. In summary,beat-to-beat BPV is independently associated with decreased left hippocampal volume, increased neuroglial injury, and worse memory ability. Findings are consistent with prior studies examining visit-to-visit BPV and suggest beat-to-beat BPV may be a useful marker of hemodynamic brain injury in older adults.

Interacting and joint effects of triglyceride-glucose index and blood pressure on cardiovascular diseases risk: a prospective cohort study

AimsThe triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and hypertension (HTN) are established risk factors of CVD. However, there is a dearth of studies investigating the synergistic influence of the elevated TyG index and HTN on CVD risk, as well as any potential interaction between these factors.MethodFor this investigation, we enlisted 88,384 individuals from the Kailuan Study who did not have a history of stroke, myocardial infarction, or cancer at baseline. Incidences of CVD between 2006 and 2021 were confirmed through a thorough review of medical records. Participants were categorized into 6 groups according to BP status(normal/elevated BP, stage 1 and stage 2) or the TyG index(low and elevated group), respectively. The Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess the association of BP status and TyG index with incident CVD. The multiplicative and additive interactions were also determined.ResultsFollowing a mean follow-up period of 13.66 ± 3.24 years, incidents of CVD, MI, and stroke were observed in 8,205, 1,728, and 6,705 individuals, respectively. The BP category and TyG index additively increased the risk of CVD, MI and stroke. There were significant interacting and joint effects of TyG index and BP status on CVD risk. Additionally, stratification analysis further confirmed that the relative contribution of hypertension to the CVD development decreased with deteriorating TyG index and that of TyG index was attenuated with increasing BP status.ConclusionOur study demonstrated that a significant interaction between TyG index and BP status on the risk of CVD.

Cardiac stasis imaging, stroke, and silent brain infarcts in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Cardioembolic stroke is one of the most devastating complications of nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). However, in clinical trials of primary prevention, the benefits of anticoagulation are hampered by the risk of bleeding. Indices of cardiac blood stasis may account for the risk of stroke and be useful to individualize primary prevention treatments. We performed a cross-sectional study in patients with NIDCM and no history of atrial fibrillation (AF) from two sources: 1) a prospective enrollment of unselected patients with left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction <45% and 2) a retrospective identification of patients with a history of previous cardioembolic neurological event. The primary end point integrated a history of ischemic stroke or the presence intraventricular thrombus, or a silent brain infarction (SBI) by imaging. From echocardiography, we calculated blood flow inside the LV, its residence time (TR) maps, and its derived stasis indices. Of the 89 recruited patients, 18 showed a positive end point, 9 had a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and 9 were diagnosed with SBIs in the brain imaging. Averaged TR, [Formula: see text] performed well to identify the primary end point [AUC (95% CI) = 0.75 (0.61-0.89), P = 0.001]. When accounting only for identifying a history of stroke or TIA, AUC for [Formula: see text] was 0.92 (0.85-1.00) with odds ratio = 7.2 (2.3-22.3) per cycle, P < 0.001. These results suggest that in patients with NIDCM in sinus rhythm, stasis imaging derived from echocardiography may account for the burden of stroke.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) are at higher risk of stroke than their age-matched population. However, the risk of bleeding neutralizes the benefit of preventive oral anticoagulation. In this work, we show that in patients in sinus rhythm, the burden of stroke is related to intraventricular stasis metrics derived from echocardiography. Therefore, stasis metrics may be useful to personalize primary prevention anticoagulation in these patients.

Trends in Black-White Differences of Antihypertensive Treatment in Individuals With and Without History of Stroke.

Recent hypertension guidelines for the general population have included race-specific recommendations for antihypertensives, whereas current stroke-specific recommendations for antihypertensives do not vary by race. The impact of these guidelines on antihypertensive regimen changes over time, and if this has varied by prevalent stroke status, is unclear. The use of antihypertensive medications was studied cross-sectionally among self-identified Black and White participants, aged ≥45 years, with and without history of stroke, from the REGARDS study (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke). Participants completed an in-home examination in 2003-2007 (visit 1) with/without an examination in 2013-2016 (visit 2). Stratified by prevalent stroke status, logistic regression mixed models examined associations between antihypertensive class use for visit 2 versus visit 1 and Black versus White individuals with an interaction adjusted for demographics, socioeconomic status, and vascular risk factors/vital signs. Of 17 244 stroke-free participants at visit 1, Black participants had greater adjusted odds of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor usage than White participants (odds ratio [OR], 1.51 [95% CI, 1.30-1.77]). This difference was smaller in the 7476 stroke-free participants at visit 2 (OR, 1.16 [95% CI, 1.08-1.25]). In stroke-free participants at visit 1, Black participants had lower odds of calcium channel blocker (CCB) usage than White participants (OR, 0.47 [95% CI, 0.41-0.55]), but CCB usage did not differ significantly between Black and White stroke-free participants at visit 2 (OR, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.95-1.09]). Among 1437 stroke survivor participants at visit 1, Black participants had lower odds of CCB use than White participants (OR, 0.34 [95% CI, 0.26-0.45]). In 689 stroke survivor participants at visit 2, CCB use did not differ between Black and White participants (OR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.61-1.06]). Racial differences in the use of guideline-recommended antihypertensives decreased between 2003-2007 and 2013-2016 in stroke-free individuals. In stroke survivors, racial differences in CCB usage narrowed over the time periods. These findings suggest there is still a mismatch between race-specific hypertension guidelines and recent clinical practice.

Association Between Xanthelasma Palpebrarum with Cardiovascular Risk and Dyslipidemia: A Case Control Study

ObjectiveTo determine whether Xanthelasma palpebrarum (XP) is associated with dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other systemic conditions in a large population. DesignCase-control study conducted at a single tertiary care center. ParticipantsIndividuals who were examined at a medical screening institute from 2001 to 2020. MethodsMedical records were reviewed to extract data on ophthalmic evaluations, blood tests, and systemic diagnoses. Patients identified with XP in at least one eye comprised the study group. A control group without XP was established matched by age and sex at a 10:1 ratio to allow robust statistical analysis. Main Outcome MeasuresAssociations between XP and dyslipidemia and CVD. Lipid profiles, diagnosis of dyslipidemia and CVD were compared between the case and control groups. ResultsThe database included 35,452 individuals, 24,287 males (69%), mean age 52.2±12.2 years. The study population included 203 XP patients (0.6%) and 2030 matched controls. The prevalence of dyslipidemia diagnosis and the usage rates of statins, fibrates, or other cholesterol-lowering medications was similar between the two groups. Lipid profiles were similar between the groups, including median total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and triglyceride levels (187 controls vs. 192 XP, 48 controls vs. 47 XP, 120 controls vs. 125 XP, 111 controls vs. 105 XP, respectively, P>0.05 for all). The rate of CVD was similar as well (10% controls vs. 8.9%, XP P=0.56). The prevalences of related conditions, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and history of cerebrovascular accident, were similar between groups (24% controls vs. 23% XP, 14% controls vs. 10% XP, 1.3% controls vs. 1% XP, respectively P>0.05). ConclusionsXP was not associated with increased rates of dyslipidemia or CVD. This questions the extent to which XP serves as an indicative marker for heightened systemic risk.Introduction

Risk factors and treatment window in arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy: a case study

A 76-year-old NZ European man presented with sudden onset visual loss in his left eye after experiencing intermittent temporal aches and blurry vision for over a month. He had a history of stroke and hyper- tension but no past ophthalmological history. A pale optic disc, raised inflammatory markers, and temporal artery biopsy confirmed a diag- nosis of acute arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy secondary to giant cell arteritis. High-dose intravenous methylprednisolone was administered within 24 hours of presentation, but the likelihood of vision loss reversal was unlikely.

Predictive ability of Achilles tendon elastography for frailty in older adults.

The Achilles tendon (AT) is the largest and strongest tendon in the human body, and its elasticity is known to be affected by the aging process. However, the relation between AT stiffness and frailty in older individuals remains uncertain. This study aims to explore the potential of Achilles tendon shear wave elastography (AT-SWE) as a tool for assessing physical frailty in older adults. A total of 148 patients aged 65years and over were included in this cross-sectional study. Patients with heart failure, AT injury, stroke history, active malignancy, and claudication were excluded. All patients underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Physical frailty assessment was performed with the fried frailty phenotype. Achilles tendon elastography was measured by ultrasound. The mean age of the participants was 73.8years and 62.2% were female. 30.4% of the participants were defined as frail. Achilles tendon shear wave elastography measurements were statistically lower in the frail group (p < 0.05). In the multivariate regression analysis, AT-SWE demonstrated a statistically significant association with frailty independent of confounding factors (OR 0.982, 95% CI 0.965-0.999, p value = 0.038). In the ROC curve analysis, the area under the curve for AT-SWE was 0.647 (95% CI, 0.564-0.724, p < 0.01) and the optimum cut-off point was 124.1kilopascals. These findings highlight the value of AT-SWE as a non-invasive and objective tool for predicting frailty in older adults.