Monthly Archives: May 2021

Alejandro Rodríguez-Vázquez, MD

Kaesmacher J, Kaesmacher M, Berndt M, Maegerlein C, Mönch S, Wunderlich S, Meinel TR, Fischer U, Zimmer C, Boeckh-Behrens T, Kleine JF. Early Thrombectomy Protects the Internal Capsule in Patients With Proximal Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion. Stroke. 2021;52:1570–1579.

As we know, the lenticuloestriate territory is irrigated by terminal, noncollateralized vascularization and thus is often damaged in acute ischemic strokes secondary to proximal middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusions, even when a complete recanalization via mechanical thrombectomy is achieved. This territory, however, includes both grey and white matter with different susceptibility to ischemia. In this study, the authors tried to determine if early thrombectomy allows to spare the more resistant white-matter fibers in the internal capsule despite the harm on neighboring grey matter deep tissue.

This was a prospective, observational, single-center study which included 92 consecutive patients with isolated MCA occlusion, less than 6 hours from symptoms onset, mechanical thrombectomy, and follow-up diffusion-weighted image magnetic resonance (median time three days). Eighty patients (87%) achieved successful recanalization, and 89 patients (97.7%) had reperfusion of the proximal M1 segment with restoration of complete MCA lenticuloestriate artery flow. All patients showed estriatal ischemia, but only 45 of 92 patients (48.9%) had ischemic damage on the internal capsule, including three patients without M1 reperfusion. Patients with partial perfusion of the MCA perforators before thrombectomy (defined as the visibility of any of the medial or lenticuloestriate artery groups in the pre-thrombectomy arteriography) were less likely to have internal capsule ischemia (56.4% vs. 37.8%). In addition, time from symptom onset to groin puncture and to reperfusion was lower in the patients without internal capsule ischemia (medians 210 vs. 221 min, P=0.033; and 209 vs. 247 min, P<0.001, respectively). Collateral grade did not differ between groups.

Kevin O’Connor, MD

Sprügel MI, Kuramatsu JB, Volbers B, Saam JI, Sembill JA, Gerner ST, Balk S, Hamer HM, Lücking H, Hölter P, et al. Impact of Statins on Hematoma, Edema, Seizures, Vascular Events, and Functional Recovery After Intracerebral Hemorrhage. Stroke. 2021;52:975-984.

Statin use following recent intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has been controversial. Sprügel et al. assessed the effects of statins in patients with ICH based on data from a single center in Germany (n=1275).

The statin group was slightly older (median age 76-years, IQR 69–80) than the non-statin group (72 IQR, 61–80). After excluding those receiving oral anticoagulation (228/1275 [17.9%]) and propensity score matching (n=410), among those with ICH, statin use on hospital admission was associated with higher rates of lobar vs. non-lobar hemorrhages (statin, 71/125 [56.8%] versus 130/285 [45.6%]; p=0.037, OR 1.57 [95% CI 1.03–2.40]; p=0.03). There was no difference between groups with regard to ICH volume, incidence of hematoma enlargement, or intraventricular hemorrhage. There was no difference in peak peri-hemorrhagic edema (PHE) related to statin use at admission (statin n=73 versus 293; p=0.853) or statin continuation after admission (continuation n=123 versus 243; p=0.070). Statin initiation, however, was associated with increased peak PHE (initiated n=50 versus 243; p=0.008).

Raffaele Ornello, MD

The scientific community has largely investigated the association between COVID-19 and thrombosis, pointing out that COVID-19 may cause large blood clots all over the body. However, this information from science contrasts with clinical practice. Indeed, several reports worldwide have shown that stroke-related hospitalizations declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Why did the pandemic lead to a decline in stroke-related hospital admissions? It is unlikely that COVID-19 has led to a real decline in stroke incidence, as the infection is associated with a high thrombotic risk. It is more likely that patients’ fear of being admitted to the hospital, coupled with the disruption in emergency care services due to the pandemic emergency, has had a major role in reducing stroke-related admissions.

The ongoing medical emergency has taught us some lessons. The first lesson is to remember that stroke is a medical emergency that needs immediate attention regardless of infectious disease. People from the general population should be educated to seek urgent attention despite the outbreak of other diseases. A second lesson is for the organization of stroke professionals. In territories where stroke patients could be urgently screened for COVID-19 and treated in “clean” wards, the activity and quality of stroke care could be preserved. Establishing and following clear rules led to an effective management of stroke even where the pandemic had large outbreaks. The reorganization of stroke care led to changes in care models; more patients were centralized to centers dedicated to acute stroke care, as demonstrated by the stable number or even increase in endovascular treatments during the pandemic, paralleled by a decline in the use of intravenous thrombolysis, as compared with past years.

Setareh Salehi Omran, MD

Bardugo A, Fishman B, Libruder C, Tanne D, Ram A, Hershkovitz Y, Zucker I, Furer A, Gilon R, Chodick G, et al. Body Mass Index in 1.9 Million Adolescents and Stroke in Young Adulthood. Stroke. 2021.

Despite a decline in stroke hospitalizations among older adults within the United States, there is an increasing incidence of stroke in young adults. Multiple factors are thought to play a role, including a possible increase in atherosclerotic risk factors such as obesity among young adults. Adolescent obesity is an ongoing epidemic that can lead to several complications, including diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Several studies have shown an association between adolescent obesity and subsequent risk of stroke in older age. It is unclear whether adolescent obesity is associated with the development of stroke in young adults.

Using data from the Israeli National Stroke Registry, Bardugo et al. examined the incidence and association between adolescent obesity and stroke in the young in Israel. Their study included all adolescents who underwent a medical evaluation prior to their mandatory military service between 1985 and 2013. The medical evaluation included information on demographics, vascular risk factors, and body mass index (BMI). BMI values were grouped according to percentiles for age and sex established by the U.S. CDC: underweight (less than 5th percentile), low-normal BMI (5th to 49th percentile), high-normal BMI (50th to 84th percentile), overweight (85th to 94th percentile), or obese (>95th percentile). The primary outcome was a first stroke event as recorded in the national registry between 2014 and 2018. Importantly, data was unavailable for patients who developed a stroke before 2014. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for incidence stroke using the low-normal BMI as the reference group. In addition to a crude HR, the authors also performed three additional analyses adjusted for: 1) sex and age; 2) sex, age, and socio-demographic values; 3) sex, age, socio-demographic values, and diabetes status at beginning of follow-up. The authors also performed several sensitivity and subgroup analyses, including analyses restricted by diabetes status and optimal blood pressure at adolescence.

Yasmin Aziz, MD

Woodruff RC, Casper M, Loustalot, Vaughan AS. Unequal Local Progress Towards Healthy People 2020 Objectives for Stroke and Coronary Heart Disease Mortality. Stroke. 2021.

Healthy People is a national initiative that sets prevention-based goals for the United States in ten-year increments. Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) had a goal to decrease the mortality of stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD) by at least 20% or more, bringing death rates down to 34.8 per 100,000 in stroke and to 103.4 per 100,000 in CHD. The goal of this study was to see which geographic areas were able to meet the HP2020 death rate goal or decrease their own regional mortality from stroke or CHD by at least 20%. In order to accomplish this, investigators queried the National Vital Statistics System and the National Center for Health Statistics for all counties in the United States in which people died from stroke or CHD, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases codes. Death rates for 2017 were then compared to rates from 2007 and were mapped via a Bayesian spatiotemporal model to assess progress.