Racial Differences in Prevalence and Risk for Intracranial Atherosclerosis in a US Community-Based Population.

Importance: Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is an important cause of stroke; however, little is known about racial differences in ICAD prevalence and its risk factors.

Objective: To determine racial differences in ICAD prevalence and the risk factors (both midlife and concurrent) associated with its development in a large, US community-based cohort.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Analysis of 1752 black and white participants recruited from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort study who underwent 3-dimensional intracranial vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging from October 18, 2011 to December 30, 2013; data analysis was performed from October 18, 2011 to May 13, 2015.

MR Imaging Measures of Intracranial Atherosclerosis in a Population-based Study.

Purpose To implement a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging protocol to measure intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) in a population-based multicenter study and report examination and reader reliability of these MR imaging measurements and descriptive statistics representative of the general population. Materials and Methods This prospective study was approved by the institutional review boards and compliant with HIPAA. Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study participants (n = 1980) underwent brain MR imaging from 2011 to 2013 at four ARIC sites.

Epidemiological and clinical features of moyamoya disease in the USA.

Background: An increasing number of cases of Moyamoya disease have been reported in the Japanese and US literature. We performed this study to quantify the rise in the prevalence of Moyamoya disease and to study the unique epidemiological and clinical features in the USA that may explain a change in incidence.

Methods: We analyzed data derived from patients entered in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 2005 and 2008, using ICD-9 codes for Moyamoya disease.

Prevalence and characteristics of concurrent down syndrome in patients with moyamoya disease.

Background: An association between moyamoya disease and Down syndrome appears to exist on the basis of reported anecdotal cases in the literature.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of Down syndrome associated with moyamoya disease in inpatients and to identify the demographic and clinical features of moyamoya disease that may be unique when associated with Down syndrome.

Methods: In this observational study, we analyzed data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 2002 and 2009 using International Classification of Diseases codes for moyamoya disease and Down syndrome for patient identification.

Intravenous Thrombolysis in Expanded Time Window (3-4.5 hours) in General Practice with Concurrent Availability of Endovascular Treatment.

Introduction: A randomized double-blind trial (ECASS III) demonstrated that intravenous (IV) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) administered between 3 and 4.5 hrs after the onset of symptoms significantly improved clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. In May 2009, the American Stroke Association guidelines recommended the use of IV rt-PA for patients presenting within 3 and 4.

Neurointerventional procedural volume per hospital in United States: implications for comprehensive stroke center designation.

Background And Purpose: Availability of neurointerventional procedures is recommended as a necessary component of a comprehensive stroke center by various regulatory guidelines that also emphasize adequate procedural volumes. We studied the volumes of neurointerventional procedures performed in various hospitals across the United States with subsequent comparisons with rates of minimum procedural volumes recommended by various professional bodies or used in clinical trials to ensure adequate operator experience.

Methods: We reviewed the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database in the United States for the years 2005 to 2008.

Concurrent comparison of outcomes of primary angioplasty and of stent placement in high-risk patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis.

Objective: To compare the long-term outcomes of treatment of symptomatic intracranial stenosis using primary angioplasty or stent placement. Both primary angioplasty and stent placement have been proposed as treatment modalities, but long-term outcome comparisons are not available.

Methods: We determined rates of technical success and rates of major stroke, second procedure, or death in patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis (>or=70% in severity and/or medication failure).

Regular egg consumption does not increase the risk of stroke and cardiovascular diseases.

Background: We performed this study to examine the association between egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular diseases and mortality in a nationally representative cohort of 9734 adults aged 25 to 74 years.

Material/methods: Egg consumption was categorized into no or less than 1 egg, 1 to 6 eggs, or greater than 6 eggs per week. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to identify the relative risk (RR) of incident stroke, ischemic stroke, coronary artery disease and mortality over a 20-year follow-up in all participants and subsequently in diabetic participants.

Free thyroxine index and risk of stroke: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Follow-up Study.

Background: The long-term risks of stroke associated with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism is unknown. We evaluated the long-term risk of stroke with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism compared with euthyroid status.

Material/methods: We used the 20-year follow-up data for adults aged 25 to 74 years who participated in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Follow-up Study.