Using measures of sarcopenia to predict recurrent cerebrovascular events in stroke and TIA patients.

Purpose: Sarcopenia is associated with poor outcomes, and evidence suggests an inverse relationship between skeletal muscle mass and cardiovascular risk. Sarcopenia has been studied after stroke, but its value as a risk factor for stroke has not been examined. This prospective cohort study measured sarcopenia in stroke/TIA patients at baseline to explore its role in predicting recurrent events.

Implementation of a medicine management plan (MMP) to reduce medication-related harm (MRH) in older people post-hospital discharge: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Medication-related harm (MRH) is an escalating global challenge especially among older adults. The period following hospital discharge carries high-risk for MRH due to medication discrepancies, limited patient/carer education and support, and poor communication between hospital and community professionals. Discharge Medical Service (DMS), a newly introduced NHS scheme, aims to reduce post-discharge MRH through an electronic communication between hospital and community pharmacists.

FRailty and Arterial stiffness - the role of oXidative stress and Inflammation (FRAXI study).

Objective: There is an association between frailty and arterial stiffness. However, arterial stiffness does not uniformly correlate with the spectrum of frailty states. Both oxidative stress and inflammaging contribute to vascular ageing.

Are you as old as your arteries? Comparing arterial aging in Japanese and European patient groups using cardio-ankle vascular index.

Background: Most comparisons of arterial stiffness between ethnic groups focus on pulse wave velocity. This study used the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) in European compared to Japanese individuals to investigate how cardiovascular risk factors affect arterial aging across geographic regions.

Methods: Four hundred and ninety-four European and 1044 Japanese individuals underwent measurements of CAVI, blood pressure and information on cardiovascular risk factors.

White-coat hypertension/effect is associated with higher arterial stiffness and stroke events.

Objectives: The risk profile of white-coat hypertension/effect (WCH/E) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between WCH/E, markers of cardiovascular risk and cerebrovascular events.

Methods: This is a sub-group analysis of The Arterial Stiffness In lacunar Stroke and Transient ischemic attack (ASIST) study, which recruited 96 patients aged at least 40 years old with a diagnosis of transient ischemic attack or lacunar stroke in the preceding 14 days.

Unraveling the Links Underlying Arterial Stiffness, Bone Demineralization, and Muscle Loss.

The effects of elevated arterial stiffness on cardiovascular outcomes are widely studied, whereas the relation to noncardiovascular outcomes relevant to older persons, such as the effect on bones and muscles, is less well established. Arterial stiffness, bone demineralization, and muscle loss are all age-related processes with common risk factors, however, whether these are just parallel age-related alterations or whether these processes share common pathways is not yet understood. In this review, we outline previous literature using different assessments of arterial stiffness in various populations across the world to produce a comprehensive overview.

C-Reactive Protein Predicts Further Ischemic Events in Patients With Transient Ischemic Attack or Lacunar Stroke.

Patients who have experienced a first cerebral ischemic event are at increased risk of recurrent stroke. There is strong evidence that low-level inflammation as measured by high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a predictor of further ischemic events. Other mechanisms implicated in the pathogenesis of stroke may play a role in determining the risk of secondary events, including oxidative stress and the adaptive response to it and activation of neuroprotective pathways by hypoxia, for instance through induction of erythropoietin (EPO).

Aortic stiffness and central systolic pressure are associated with ambulatory orthostatic BP fall in chronic kidney disease.

Objective: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) has a significant association with cardiovascular disease. OH becomes more common in older age, as does arterial stiffness, shown to be independently associated with impaired baroreflex sensitivity and OH. Measurement of arterial compliance and central blood pressures are increasingly important, with evidence that central BP more closely correlates to end-organ damage and mortality than peripheral measurements.

Independent Association Between Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index and Sarcopenia in Older U.K. Adults.

Objectives: To investigate the correlation between sarcopenia and arterial stiffness in Caucasians, centering on the relationship between skeletal mass index (SMI) and the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) to assess the use of CAVI in predicting sarcopenia.

Design Cross-sectional Setting: United Kingdom.

Participants: UK adults aged 45 years and over (N = 366, n = 177 male, n = 189 female).