Priorities and expectations of researchers, funders, patients and the public regarding the funding of medical research: results from the PERSPECT qualitative study.

Background: Ideally, medical research provides crucial data about disease processes, diagnoses, prognoses, treatment targets and outcomes, and systems of care. However, medical research is costly, and funding is difficult to receive because the processes are highly competitive. There is a paucity of data on the perspectives of researchers, funders, patients and the public about current funding paradigms.

Quality of Life After Intravenous Thrombolysis for Acute Ischemic Stroke: Results From the AcT Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Recent evidence from thrombolysis trials indicates the noninferiority of intravenous tenecteplase to intravenous alteplase with respect to good functional outcomes in patients with acute stroke. We examined whether the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with acute stroke differs by the type of thrombolysis treatment received. In addition, we examined the association between the modified Rankin Scale score 0 to 1 and HRQOL and patient-reported return to prebaseline stroke functioning at 90 days.

Effect of incomplete reperfusion patterns on clinical outcome: insights from the ESCAPE-NA1 trial.

Background: Incomplete reperfusion (IR) after mechanical thrombectomy (MT) can be a consequence of residual occlusion, no-reflow phenomenon, or collateral counterpressure. Data on the impact of these phenomena on clinical outcome are limited.

Methods: Patients from the ESCAPE-NA1 trial with IR (expanded Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (eTICI) 2b) were compared with those with complete or near-complete reperfusion (eTICI 2c-3) on the final angiography run.

Acute regulation of erythropoietin via lower body negative pressure: Influence of sex and age.

The regulation of erythropoiesis via hemodynamic stimuli such as reduced central blood volume (CBV) remains uncertain in women and elderly individuals. This study assessed the acute effects of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) on key endocrine biomarkers regulating erythropoiesis, that is, erythropoietin (EPO) and copeptin, in young and older women and men (n = 87). Transthoracic echocardiography and hemodynamics were assessed throughout incremental LBNP levels for 1 hour, or until presyncope, with established methods.

Lean body mass and the cardiovascular system constitute a female-specific relationship.

Recent evidence points toward a link between lean body mass (LBM) and cardiovascular capacity in women. This study aimed at determining the sex-specific relationship of LBM with central and peripheral circulatory variables in healthy women and men (=70) matched by age (60±12 years versus 58±15 years), physical activity, and cardiovascular risk factors. Regional (legs, arms, and trunk) and whole-body (total) body composition were assessed via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.

Intravenous tenecteplase compared with alteplase for acute ischaemic stroke in Canada (AcT): a pragmatic, multicentre, open-label, registry-linked, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial.

Background: Intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase bolus followed by infusion is a global standard of care for patients with acute ischaemic stroke. We aimed to determine whether tenecteplase given as a single bolus might increase reperfusion compared with this standard of care.

Methods: In this multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, registry-linked, randomised, controlled trial (AcT), patients were enrolled from 22 primary and comprehensive stroke centres across Canada.

Ethical Justification for Deferral of Consent in the AcT Trial for Acute Ischemic Stroke.

The AcT trial (Alteplase Compared to Tenecteplase) compares alteplase or tenecteplase for patients with acute ischemic stroke. All eligible patients are enrolled by deferral of consent. Although the use of deferral of consent in the AcT trial meets the requirements of Canadian policy, we sought to provide a more explicit and rigorous approach to the justification of deferral of consent organized around 3 questions.

Differences in Cardiac Output and Aerobic Capacity Between Sexes Are Explained by Blood Volume and Oxygen Carrying Capacity.

Whether average sex differences in cardiorespiratory fitness can be mainly explained by blood inequalities in the healthy circulatory system remains unresolved. This study evaluated the contribution of blood volume (BV) and oxygen (O) carrying capacity to the sex gap in cardiac and aerobic capacities in healthy young individuals. Healthy young women and men ( = 28, age range = 20-43 years) were matched by age and physical activity.

Challenges and opportunities in research funding for neurovascular diseases from a clinical researcher's perspective.

Background & Purpose: Neurovascular research is underfunded, imposing substantial challenges on clinical researchers in the field of neurovascular diseases. We explored what physicians perceive to be the greatest challenges with regard to neurovascular research funding, and how they think the funding crisis in neurovascular research could be overcome.

Methods: We performed an international, multi-disciplinary survey among physicians involved in the medical care of patients with neurovascular diseases.

Sex Differences in Orthostatic Tolerance Are Mainly Explained by Blood Volume and Oxygen Carrying Capacity.

Objectives: The reduced orthostatic tolerance (OT) that is characteristic of the female sex may be explained by multiple phenotypic differences between sexes. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanistic role of blood volume (BV) and oxygen carrying capacity on sex differences in OT.

Design: Experimental intervention.

Blood withdrawal acutely impairs cardiac filling, output and aerobic capacity in proportion to induced hypovolemia in middle-aged and older women.

Blood donation entails acute reductions of cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy men. Whether these effects can be extrapolated to blood donor populations comprising women remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively assess the acute impact of blood withdrawal on cardiac function, central hemodynamics and aerobic capacity in women throughout the mature adult lifespan.

Effects of blood withdrawal on cardiac, hemodynamic, and pulmonary responses to a moderate acute workload in healthy middle-aged and older females.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of blood withdrawal on cardiac, hemodynamic, and pulmonary responses to submaximal exercise in females.

Design And Methods: 30 healthy females (63.8 ± 8.

Sex dimorphism in cardiac and aerobic capacities: The influence of body composition.

Objective: The contribution of body composition to sex differences in strong prognostic cardiorespiratory variables remains unresolved. This study aimed to elucidate whether body composition determines sex differences in cardiac and oxygen (O ) uptake responses to incremental exercise.

Methods: Healthy, moderately active women and men (n = 60, age = 60.

Worldwide anaesthesia use during endovascular treatment for medium vessel occlusion stroke.

Introduction: The optimal anaesthesia approach for endovascular treatment (EVT) in acute ischaemic stroke is currently unknown. In stroke due to medium vessel occlusions (MeVO), the occluded vessels are particularly small and more difficult to access, especially in restless or uncooperative patients. In these patients, general anaesthesia (GA) may be preferred by physicians to prevent complications due to patient movement.

Sex differences in cardiorespiratory fitness are explained by blood volume and oxygen carrying capacity.

Aims: Intrinsic sex differences in fundamental blood attributes have long been hypothesized to contribute to the gap in cardiorespiratory fitness between men and women. This study experimentally assessed the role of blood volume and oxygen (O2) carrying capacity on sex differences in cardiac function and aerobic power.

Methods And Results: Healthy women and men (n = 60) throughout the mature adult lifespan (42-88 yr) were matched by age and physical activity levels.