Testosterone supplementation and stroke in young adults: a review of the literature.

Testosterone supplementation has increased in recent years for both treatment of hypogonadism and recreational use. Strokes in young adults have similarly increased with a larger proportion of patients in this age group having a stroke due to early onset of cardiovascular risk factors or unrelated to conventional risks. Hormonal treatments are associated with increased stroke risk amongst women, with some studies indicating an increase in stroke risk as high as 40% when compared to non-users.

Tenecteplase for Stroke at 4.5 to 24 Hours with Perfusion-Imaging Selection.

Background: Thrombolytic agents, including tenecteplase, are generally used within 4.5 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms. Information on whether tenecteplase confers benefit beyond 4.

Predictors of Recurrent Venous Thrombosis After Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: Analysis of the ACTION-CVT Study.

Background And Objective: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare cause of stroke carrying a nearly 4% risk of recurrence after 1 year. There are limited data on predictors of recurrent venous thrombosis in patients with CVT. In this study, we aim to identify those predictors.

Potential Embolic Sources Differ in Patients With Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source According to Age: A 15-Year Study.

Introduction: Understanding the potential embolic source in young patients with ESUS may improve the diagnosis and treatment of such patients.

Hypothesis: Potential embolic sources (PES) differ in young vs. older patients with ESUS, and, therefore, not all patients with ESUS have the same risk profile for stroke recurrence.

A Phase III, prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of thrombolysis in imaging-eligible, late-window patients to assess the efficacy and safety of tenecteplase (TIMELESS): Rationale and design.

Rationale: While thrombolysis is standard of care for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) within 4.5 h of symptom onset, the benefit of tenecteplase beyond this time window is less certain.

Aim: The TIMELESS trial (NCT03785678) aims to determine if treatment with tenecteplase increases the proportion of good clinical outcomes among patients with stroke due to a large vessel occlusion who present beyond 4.

Direct Oral Anticoagulants Versus Warfarin in the Treatment of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis (ACTION-CVT): A Multicenter International Study.

Background: A small randomized controlled trial suggested that dabigatran may be as effective as warfarin in the treatment of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). We aimed to compare direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) to warfarin in a real-world CVT cohort.

Methods: This multicenter international retrospective study (United States, Europe, New Zealand) included consecutive patients with CVT treated with oral anticoagulation from January 2015 to December 2020.

Identifying Best Practices to Improve Evaluation and Management of In-Hospital Stroke: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

This scientific statement describes a path to optimizing care for patients who experience an in-hospital stroke. Although these patients are in a monitored environment, their evaluation and treatment are often delayed compared with patients presenting to the emergency department, contributing to higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Reducing delays and optimizing treatment for patients with in-hospital stroke could improve outcomes.

Effect of Alteplase Use on Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Analysis of the Initiation of Anticoagulation After Cardioembolic Stroke Study.

Background Intravenous alteplase improves outcome after acute ischemic stroke without a benefit in 90-day mortality. There are limited data on whether alteplase is associated with reduced mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF)-related ischemic stroke whose mortality rate is relatively high. We sought to determine the association of alteplase with hemorrhagic transformation and mortality in patients with AF.

Ischaemic stroke on anticoagulation therapy and early recurrence in acute cardioembolic stroke: the IAC study.

Background And Purpose: A subset of ischaemic stroke patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have ischaemic stroke despite anticoagulation. We sought to determine the association between prestroke anticoagulant therapy and recurrent ischaemic events and symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH).

Methods: We included consecutive patients with acute ischaemic stroke and AF from the Initiation of Anticoagulation after Cardioembolic stroke (IAC) study from eight comprehensive stroke centres in the USA.

Recanalization of cervicocephalic artery dissection.

Background And Purpose: While there exists a substantial literature on the risk factors and clinical manifestations of cervical artery dissection (CeAD) including carotid and vertebral artery, little is known about postdissection recanalization. The goal of our study was to provide a descriptive analysis of CeAD and recanalization after dissection with neuroimaging follow up.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 51 consecutive patients with confirmed diagnoses of CeAD based on neuroimaging.

Clot composition of embolic strokes of undetermined source: a feasibility study.

Background: A number of emerging studies have evaluated clot composition in acute ischemic stroke. Studies of clot composition of embolic strokes of undetermined strokes are lacking.

Objectives: We sought to analyze the RBC to platelet ratios in clots and correlated our findings with stroke etiology.

Novel GDF2 Gene Mutation Associated with Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformation.

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are pathologic low-resistance conduits between a pulmonary artery and vein. Over 80% PAVMs occur in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) and result from mutations in the transforming growth factor-beta signaling pathway. Mutations in the Growth Differentiation Factor 2 (GDF2) gene have recently been described to result in a vascular-anomaly syndrome with phenotypic overlap with HHT.

Anticoagulation Type and Early Recurrence in Cardioembolic Stroke: The IAC Study.

Background And Purpose: In patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation, treatment with low molecular weight heparin increases early hemorrhagic risk without reducing early recurrence, and there is limited data comparing warfarin to direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) therapy. We aim to compare the effects of the treatments above on the risk of 90-day recurrent ischemic events and delayed symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage.

Methods: We included consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation from the IAC (Initiation of Anticoagulation after Cardioembolic) stroke study pooling data from stroke registries of 8 comprehensive stroke centers across the United States.

Anticoagulation Timing in Cardioembolic Stroke and Recurrent Event Risk.

Objective: Guidelines recommend initiating anticoagulation within 4 to 14 days after cardioembolic stroke. Data supporting this did not account for key factors potentially affecting the decision to initiate anticoagulation, such as infarct size, hemorrhagic transformation, or high-risk features on echocardiography.

Methods: We pooled data from stroke registries of 8 comprehensive stroke centers across the United States.

Machine learning provides evidence that stroke risk is not linear: The non-linear Framingham stroke risk score.

Current stroke risk assessment tools presume the impact of risk factors is linear and cumulative. However, both novel risk factors and their interplay influencing stroke incidence are difficult to reveal using traditional additive models. The goal of this study was to improve upon the established Revised Framingham Stroke Risk Score and design an interactive Non-Linear Stroke Risk Score.

Factors associated with therapeutic anticoagulation status in patients with ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation.

Background And Purpose: Understanding factors associated with ischemic stroke despite therapeutic anticoagulation is an important goal to improve stroke prevention strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We aim to determine factors associated with therapeutic or supratherapeutic anticoagulation status at the time of ischemic stroke in patients with AF.

Methods: The Initiation of Anticoagulation after Cardioembolic stroke (IAC) study is a multicenter study pooling data from stroke registries of eight comprehensive stroke centers across the United States.

Early ischaemic and haemorrhagic complications after atrial fibrillation-related ischaemic stroke: analysis of the IAC study.

Introduction: Predictors of long-term ischaemic and haemorrhagic complications in atrial fibrillation (AF) have been studied, but there are limited data on predictors of early ischaemic and haemorrhagic complications after AF-associated ischaemic stroke. We sought to determine these predictors.

Methods: The Initiation of Anticoagulation after Cardioembolic stroke study is a multicentre retrospective study across that pooled data from consecutive patients with ischaemic stroke in the setting of AF from stroke registries across eight comprehensive stroke centres in the USA.

Identifying Gaps and Missed Opportunities for Intravenous Thrombolytic Treatment of Inpatient Stroke.

Inpatient stroke-codes (ISC) have traditionally seen low treatment rates with IV-thrombolytic (IVT). The purpose of this study was to identify the predictors of true stroke, prevalent IVT-treatment gap and study the factors associated with such missed treatment opportunities (MTO). A retrospective chart review identified ISC from March 2017 to March 2018.

Migraine History: A Predictor of Negative Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in IV-tPA-Treated Stroke Mimics.

Background: Migraine, seizures, and psychiatric disorders are frequently reported as "stroke mimics" in patients with negative diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) after IV-tPA. We sought to determine predictors of negative DWI in suspected stroke patients treated with IV-tPA.

Method: A retrospective case-control study encompassing all acute stroke patients treated with IV-tPA (at our hospital or "dripped and shipped") from January 2013 to December 2014 was con- ducted.

Three Territory Sign: An MRI marker of malignancy-related ischemic stroke (Trousseau syndrome).

Background: Multiple acute cerebral territory infarcts of undetermined origin are typically attributed to cardioembolism, most frequently atrial fibrillation. However, the importance of 3-territory involvement in association with malignancy is under-recognized. We sought to highlight the "Three Territory Sign" (TTS) (bilateral anterior and posterior circulation acute ischemic diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI] lesions), as a radiographic marker of stroke due to malignancy.

Predictors of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage in patients with an ischaemic stroke with neurological deterioration after intravenous thrombolysis.

Objectives: Early neurological deterioration prompting urgent brain imaging occurs in nearly 15% of patients with ischaemic stroke receiving intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). We aim to determine risk factors associated with symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH) in patients with ischaemic stroke undergoing emergent brain imaging for early neurological deterioration after receiving tPA.

Methods: We abstracted data from our prospective stroke database and included all patients receiving tPA for ischaemic stroke between 1 March 2015 and 1 March 2017.