American Heart Association

Monthly Archives: April 2018

Size of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysm — Is Epidemiology Really Changing?

Tapan Mehta, MBBS, MPH

Korja M, Kivisaari R, Jahromi BR, Lehto H. Size of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms Is Decreasing: Twenty-Year Long Consecutive Series of Hospitalized Patients. Stroke. 2018

Since the 1980s, the epidemiology of cerebrovascular diseases has changed significantly. Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention interventions have advanced with technology, and they are sufficient enough to change the epidemiologic outlook of cerebrovascular diseases. In addition to the advances in medical and surgical interventions, awareness for controlling the vascular risk factors has also increased, including a significant decrease in prevalence of smoking. Understanding epidemiology of intracranial aneurysm has become even more important in today’s era given more and more treatment options are becoming available, which are effective and safe.

Korja et. al present an interesting and novel epidemiologic trend in Finnish population suggesting a decrease in size of ruptured intracranial aneurysms over the past two decades.

By |April 27th, 2018|clinical, hemorrhage|Comments Off on Size of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysm — Is Epidemiology Really Changing?
Read More

Utility Weighted Modified Rankin Scale and the Future of Patient-Centered Outcomes in Stroke Research

Kevin S. Attenhofer, MD

Dijkland SA, Voormolen DC, Venema E, Roozenbeek B, Polinder S, Haagsma JA, et al. Utility-Weighted Modified Rankin Scale as Primary Outcome in Stroke Trials: A Simulation Study. Stroke. 2018

As stroke neurologists, we are all intimately familiar with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) as a measure of degree of disability. It is a common outcome measure in stroke research and can be statistically analyzed as a simple dichotomization or ordinal shift (among other options). The dichotomized outcome takes varied and complex neurological outcomes and simplifies them down to nominal variables of “good” or “bad.” This is statistically more straightforward, but does result in some outcome information being discarded. The ordinal shift retains more of this information, but typically requires larger sample size to maintain adequate power. Even when well powered, however, the mRS still has a disproportionate focus on motor function when compared to other neurological domains, such as cognition or patient metrics such as quality of life.

By |April 25th, 2018|clinical, health care, outcomes, policy|Comments Off on Utility Weighted Modified Rankin Scale and the Future of Patient-Centered Outcomes in Stroke Research
Read More

Author Interview: Mike Sharma, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Mike Sharma

Mike Sharma

A conversation with Mike Sharma, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Michael G. DeGroote Chair in Stroke Prevention and Associate Professor of Medicine (Neurology) at McMaster University/Population Health Research Institute and one of the co-authors of the COMPASS clinical trial, which studied the utility of combined low dose rivaroxaban and aspirin for cardiovascular disease prevention in patients with peripheral artery disease. Dr. Sharma presented a platform presentation on the findings of stroke prevention at the International Stroke Conference in February 2018 in Los Angeles, California.

Interviewed by Alexis N. Simpkins, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Florida School of Medicine.

They will be discussing the paper “Rivaroxaban with or without Aspirin in Stable Cardiovascular Disease,” published in October 2017 in The New England Journal of Medicine (Eikelboom JW, et al. N Engl J Med 2017; 377:1319-30).

By |April 23rd, 2018|author interview, clinical, Conference|Comments Off on Author Interview: Mike Sharma, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Read More

The Importance of Recognizing New Anxiety in Post-Stroke Care

Mark R. Etherton, MD, PhD

Chun H-Y Y, Whiteley WN, Dennis MS, Mead GE, Carson AJ. Anxiety After Stroke: The Importance of Subtyping. Stroke. 2018

In this entry, I discuss a recent publication by Ho-Yan Yvonne Chun and colleagues exploring the prevalence and types of anxiety after stroke and how it relates to functional status.

Anxiety following stroke or TIA is common, occurring in up to 1/3 of patients, and can negatively impact stroke recovery and quality of life. The authors set out to characterize the proportions of specific anxiety subtypes and impact on functional outcomes and quality of life.

By |April 20th, 2018|clinical|Comments Off on The Importance of Recognizing New Anxiety in Post-Stroke Care
Read More

Does tPA Really Save Lives?

Kevin S. Attenhofer, MD

Muruet W, Rudd A, Wolfe C, and Douiri A. Long-Term Survival After Intravenous Thrombolysis for Ischemic Stoke: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort with up to 10-Year Follow-Up. Stroke. 2018

Although tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) has been approved in the United States for treatment of acute ischemic stroke since the mid-90s, there persists a sharp divide between neurologists and the emergency medicine community regarding the safety and efficacy of tPA. Imbalances between the treatment and control groups in the NINDS tPA study, criticisms of the subjective nature of functional outcome scores, and allegations of conflicts of interest have all contributed to the lingering controversy surrounding tPA. I have personally encountered significant resistance and hostility to IV tPA from other providers over 20 years after its approval. In this article, Muruet et al. add to a growing volume of literature that should help the community neurologist assuage the concerns of fellow providers.

By |April 18th, 2018|clinical, prognosis|Comments Off on Does tPA Really Save Lives?
Read More

Large Core at Presentation Does Not Essentially Translate Into Poor Outcomes, May Be Amenable to Treatment in Select Patients

Kaustubh Limaye, MD
@kaustubhslimaye

Gautheron V, Xie Y, Tisserand M, Raoult H, Soize S, Naggara O, et al. Outcome After Reperfusion Therapies in Patients With Large Baseline Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Stroke Lesions: A THRACE Trial (Mechanical Thrombectomy After Intravenous Alteplase Versus Alteplase Alone After Stroke) Subgroup Analysis. Stroke. 2018

The treatment landscape of acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion changed significantly in 2015 with the publication of 5 clinical trials that compared intravenous alteplase (IV t-pA) with IV t-pA and intra-arterial therapy (IAT). These clinical trials showed unequivocal benefit in reducing morbidity with the ESCAPE trial even showing mortality benefit. A similar trial conducted at 26 centers in France, THRACE (mechanical thrombectomy after intravenous alteplase versus alteplase alone after stroke) randomized 414 acute stroke patients with large vessel occlusion in either arm (IV t-PA vs IV tPA + IAT). 42 % of patients (IV tPA alone) vs. 53% (IV tPA +IAT) achieved functional independence [OR-1.55,95%CI 1.05-2.30; p-0.028], supporting data from the previous clinical trials. As this study was designed before the results of the IMS-III were published, it included patients treated within 4 hours of symptom onset. Other inclusion criteria were age 18-80 years, NIHSS 10-25, both anterior and posterior circulation and initiation of IAT within 5 hours.

By |April 16th, 2018|clinical, diagnosis and imaging|Comments Off on Large Core at Presentation Does Not Essentially Translate Into Poor Outcomes, May Be Amenable to Treatment in Select Patients
Read More

Seeing Your Dentist Regularly Might Save You From Having a Stroke: The Association Between Poor Dental Hygiene and Incident Ischemic Stroke

Abbas Kharal, MD, MPH, and Richa Sharma, MD, MPH

Sen S, Giamberardino LD, Moss K, Morelli T, Rosamond WD, Gottesman RF, et al. Periodontal Disease, Regular Dental Care Use, and Incident Ischemic Stroke. Stroke. 2018

This is a well-designed study exploring the relationship of dental disease, a prevalent and modifiable condition, and the incidence of ischemic stroke. The authors sought to investigate whether an association was present between the two conditions given significant prior retrospective studies suggesting a correlation.

The study population is the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) cohort who also had a dental examination during the fourth visit, resulting in a total of 6,736 patients. Utilization of regular dental visits was assessed by self-report. The degree of periodontal disease was determined by classifying each patient by aggregating data on the tooth level involving 7 dental parameters. The diagnosis of ischemic stroke and stroke subtype from visit 4 onwards was documented as the outcome of interest. Covariates that were accounted for included demographic data and history of vascular risk factors. Education level was used as a proxy for economic status of the participants as data about income level and insuredness were not included. Hazard ratios were obtained to assess the risk of incident stroke based on degree of dental disease and usage of dental care. Compared to those with dental health, participants with any dental disease, as categorized by periodontal profile class, had a higher risk of incident ischemic stroke, both in unadjusted and adjusted regressions (see Figure below). There was a trend towards increase in stroke risk with each periodontal profile class severity increment, suggesting a possible dose response. Furthermore, the increased hazard of ischemic stroke was noted only in patients with cardioembolic and thrombotic strokes, not lacunar strokes. The authors have also implicated that this association may be biologically plausible since periodontal disease induces systemic inflammation, which may lead to atherosclerosis and atrial fibrillation. Another possibility is that these patients may be transiently bacteremic and the burden of endocarditis was not assessed.

Risk for incident ischemic stroke in the dental ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) cohort depicted as crude (A) and adjusted (B) hazard ratios (HRs) for the various classes of periodontal disease periodontal profile classes (PPC)-A or reference healthy group without periodontal disease, PPC-B or mild periodontal disease, PPC-C or high gingival index (GI) score, PPC-D or tooth loss, PPC-E or posterior disease, PPC-F or severe tooth loss, and PPC-G or severe periodontal disease.

Figure. Risk for incident ischemic stroke in the dental ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) cohort depicted as crude (A) and adjusted (B) hazard ratios (HRs) for the various classes of periodontal disease periodontal profile classes (PPC)-A or reference healthy group without periodontal disease, PPC-B or mild periodontal disease, PPC-C or high gingival index (GI) score, PPC-D or tooth loss, PPC-E or posterior disease, PPC-F or severe tooth loss, and PPC-G or severe periodontal disease.

By |April 11th, 2018|clinical|Comments Off on Seeing Your Dentist Regularly Might Save You From Having a Stroke: The Association Between Poor Dental Hygiene and Incident Ischemic Stroke
Read More

Literature Synopses: Dementia and Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Terry Quinn, MD

Keeping up to date with stroke research is tough. In Stroke, we offer a monthly Literature Synopses section where we summarize recent, important stroke research. Sharing stroke research should not be limited to stroke-ologists. For the last Clinical Synopses, I created a plain language version for Blogging Stroke that (hopefully) was accessible to a non-specialist audience. Feedback was positive, and so I am offering another Clinical Synopses summary. 

You can read the original Synopses article here: Quinn TJ. Stroke Literature Synopses: Clinical Science. Stroke. 2018

I am keen to hear feedback, good and bad, via Twitter @DrTerryQuinn

For this month’s Clinical Synopses, I selected three papers concerned with psychological problems and stroke. People who have experienced stroke often rate memory and thinking problems as their most distressing symptom. However, it has taken a while for the clinical stroke community to appreciate the importance of these symptoms. Psychological problems in stroke remain under-researched compared to ‘physical’ issues. Thankfully, things are changing. Various high-profile, international initiatives are working to tackle stroke-related psychological issues, and I hope that in future blog posts, I can tell you about new treatments for these problems. In the meantime, my chosen papers all have a diagnosis theme.

By |April 9th, 2018|clinical|Comments Off on Literature Synopses: Dementia and Vascular Cognitive Impairment
Read More

Atrial Thromboembolism: Looking Beyond Atrial Fibrillation

Andrea Morotti, MD

Kamel H, Bartz TM, Elkind MSV, Okin PM, Thacker EL, Patton KK, et al. Atrial Cardiopathy and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke in the CHS (Cardiovascular Health Study). Stroke. 2018

Many patients experiencing cryptogenic stroke with an embolic pattern lack a documented source of thromboembolism, even after an extensive diagnostic workup and prolonged follow-up. In particular, atrial fibrillation (AF) is detected in less than half of these patients. Increasing evidence suggested that atrial dysfunction may lead to thromboembolism independently of AF. In this large, multicenter prospective study, Dr. Kamel and colleagues explored the association between markers of atrial cardiopathy and the risk of incident ischemic stroke.

By |April 6th, 2018|clinical, pathogenesis|Comments Off on Atrial Thromboembolism: Looking Beyond Atrial Fibrillation
Read More

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis Across the Ages

Hatim Attar, MD

Zuurbier SM, Hiltunen S, Lindgren E, Silvis SM, Jood K, Devasagayam S, et al. Cerebral Venous Thrombosis in Older Patients. Stroke. 2018

Although uncommon, cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is an established cause of stroke and is often skipped on initial diagnostics. Understanding the patient profile and high-risk clinical features would definitely allow physicians to maintain a higher index of suspicion. Authors Zuurbier et al have sought to do that: define patient population characteristics and contrast them in old and young patients. This becomes increasingly relevant with the ever expanding geriatric population and the differences across the age groups identified by this study.

Patients were pooled into a registry supported by 5 major academic centers of consecutive CVTs, totaling 843 patients. Comparisons were drawn for demographics, clinical manifestations and outcomes. The uppermost quartile for age distribution was the older patients group, age > 55 (n= 222), while the lower three quartiles were clubbed together for the younger patients, age < 55 (n= 621). While most patients aged < 55 were women (71%), the gender disparity did not exist in the older patients.

By |April 4th, 2018|clinical|Comments Off on Cerebral Venous Thrombosis Across the Ages
Read More