Assessment of smoking care by stroke specialists in patients with recent TIA and minor stroke: an international prospective registry-based cohort study.

Objectives: The objectives are to assess smoking abstinence and its effects on vascular risk and to report tobacco-cessation counselling and pharmacotherapy use in patients who had a recent minor stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).

Design And Setting: The TIA registry.org project is a prospective, observational registry of patients with TIA and minor stroke that occurred in the previous 7 days with a 5-year follow-up, involving 61 sites with stroke specialists in 21 countries (Europe, Asia, Latin America and Middle East).

Underlying Causes of TIA and Minor Ischemic Stroke and Risk of Major Vascular Events.

Importance: The coexistence of underlying causes in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor ischemic stroke as well as their associated 5-year risks are not well known.

Objective: To apply the ASCOD (atherosclerosis, small vessel disease, cardiac pathology, other cause, or dissection) grading system to assess coexistence of underlying causes of TIA and minor ischemic stroke and the 5-year risk for major vascular events.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This international registry cohort (TIAregistry.

The correlation between intracranial arterial calcification and the outcome of reperfusion therapy.

Objective: Intracranial arterial calcification (IAC) is a risk factor of ischemic stroke. However, the relationship between IAC patterns and clinical outcome of ischemic stroke remains controversial. We aimed to investigate the correlation between IAC patterns and the effects of reperfusion therapy among acute stroke patients.

Effect of atherosclerosis on 5-year risk of major vascular events in patients with transient ischaemic attack or minor ischaemic stroke: an international prospective cohort study.

Background: The prevalence of atherosclerosis and the long-term risk of major vascular events in people who have had a transient ischaemic attack or minor ischaemic stroke, regardless of the causal relationship between the index event and atherosclerosis, are not well known. In this analysis, we applied the ASCOD (atherosclerosis, small vessel disease, cardiac pathology, other causes, and dissection) grading system to estimate the 5-year risk of major vascular events according to whether there was a causal relationship between atherosclerosis and the index event (ASCOD grade A1 and A2), no causal relationship (A3), and with or without a causal relationship (A1, A2, and A3). We also aimed to estimate the prevalence of different grades of atherosclerosis and identify associated risk factors.

Cerebral Augmentation Effect Induced by External Counterpulsation Is Not Related to Impaired Dynamic Cerebral Autoregulation in Ischemic Stroke.

Background And Purpose: Dynamic cerebral autoregulation is impaired after ischemic stroke. External counterpulsation (ECP) augments the cerebral blood flow of patients with ischemic stroke by elevation of blood pressure (BP). We aimed to investigate if cerebral augmentation effects during ECP were associated with impaired dynamic cerebral autoregulation in patients after acute ischemic stroke.

Intracranial Arterial Calcification and Intracranial Atherosclerosis: Close but Different.

Background And Purpose: Intracranial arterial calcification (IAC) may be present in the intimal or medial arterial layer. This study aimed to elucidate the link between the calcification and atherosclerotic disease in the intracranial vasculature.

Methods: Consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke were included.

Dabigatran or Aspirin in East Asian Patients With Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source: RE-SPECT ESUS Subgroup Analysis.

Background And Purpose: We assessed the outcomes of dabigatran versus aspirin in a prespecified subgroup analysis of East Asian patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source in the RE-SPECT ESUS trial (Randomized, Double-Blind, Evaluation in Secondary Stroke Prevention Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of the Oral Thrombin Inhibitor Dabigatran Etexilate Versus Acetylsalicylic Acid in Patients With Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source).

Methods: Patients with a recent embolic stroke of undetermined source were randomized to dabigatran (150 or 110 mg BID) or aspirin (100 mg QD). The primary efficacy outcome was recurrent stroke; the primary safety outcome was major bleeding.

Intracranial Arterial Calcification Relates to Long-Term Risk of Recurrent Stroke and Post-stroke Mortality.

Intracranial arterial calcification (IAC) is highly prevalent in ischemic stroke patients. However, data on the association of IAC with stroke recurrence and mortality remains limited. We examined the effect of IAC on the long-term recurrence of stroke and the risk of post-stroke mortality.

Five-Year Prognosis After TIA or Minor Ischemic Stroke in Asian and Non-Asian Populations.

Objective: To determine long-term vascular outcomes of Asian patients who experienced TIA or minor ischemic stroke and to compare the outcomes of Asian patients with those of non-Asian patients, in the context of modern guideline-based prevention strategies.

Methods: This is a subanalysis of the TIAregistry.org project, in which 3,847 patients (882 from Asian and 2,965 from non-Asian countries) with a recent TIA or minor ischemic stroke were assessed and treated by specialists at 42 dedicated units from 14 countries and followed for 5 years.

Cilostazol Versus Aspirin in Ischemic Stroke Patients With High-Risk Cerebral Hemorrhage: Subgroup Analysis of the PICASSO Trial.

Background and Purpose- Although cilostazol has shown less hemorrhagic events than aspirin, only marginal difference was observed in hemorrhagic stroke events among patients at high risk for cerebral hemorrhage. To identify patients who would most benefit from cilostazol, this study analyzed interactions between treatment and subgroups of the PICASSO trial (Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Asian Ischemic Stroke Patients With High Risk of Cerebral Hemorrhage). Methods- Ischemic stroke patients with a previous intracerebral hemorrhage or multiple microbleeds were randomized to treatment with cilostazol or aspirin and followed up for a mean 1.

Prevention of cardiovascular events in Asian patients with ischaemic stroke at high risk of cerebral haemorrhage (PICASSO): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

Background: The optimal treatment for patients with ischaemic stroke with a high risk of cerebral haemorrhage is unclear. We assessed the efficacy and safety of cilostazol versus aspirin, with and without probucol, in these patients.

Methods: In this randomised, controlled, 2 × 2 factorial trial, we enrolled patients with ischaemic stroke with a history of or imaging findings of intracerebral haemorrhage or two or more microbleeds from 67 centres in three Asian countries.

Five-Year Risk of Stroke after TIA or Minor Ischemic Stroke.

Background: After a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke, the long-term risk of stroke and other vascular events is not well known. In this follow-up to a report on 1-year outcomes from a registry of TIA clinics in 21 countries that enrolled 4789 patients with a TIA or minor ischemic stroke from 2009 through 2011, we examined the 5-year risk of stroke and vascular events.

Methods: We evaluated patients who had had a TIA or minor stroke within 7 days before enrollment in the registry.

White Matter Hyperintensity Predicts the Risk of Incident Cognitive Decline in Community Dwelling Elderly.

Background: Unlike western countries, data on white matter hyperintensity (WMH) in community dwelling elderly in Asian population is very limited.

Objective: To examine the relation between baseline WMH burden and the risk of incident cognitive decline in a community-based cohort with Chinese-dwelling elderly.

Methods: We prospectively evaluated the incident cognitive decline for 226 participants in the Shanghai Aging Study.

Converting MMSE to MoCA and MoCA 5-minute protocol in an educationally heterogeneous sample with stroke or transient ischemic attack.

Background: The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is psychometrically superior over the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognitive screening in stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). It is free for clinical and research use. The objective of this study is to convert scores from the MMSE to MoCA and MoCA-5-minute protocol (MoCA-5 min) and to examine the ability of the converted scores in detecting cognitive impairment after stroke or TIA.

Discrepant relationships between admission blood pressure and mortality in different stroke subtypes.

The relationship between blood pressure(BP) and clinical outcome in patients with acute stroke is still controversial. The present study aimed to elucidate the impact of admission blood pressure on mortality in patients with acute stroke of different subtypes. Data were from ChinaQUEST (QUality Evaluation of Stroke Care and Treatment), a multicenter, prospective hospital registry study in 37 cities across China.

Brain microbleeds, anticoagulation, and hemorrhage risk: Meta-analysis in stroke patients with AF.

Objectives: To assess the association between cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and future spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) risk in ischemic stroke patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) taking oral anticoagulants.

Methods: This was a meta-analysis of cohort studies with >50 patients with recent ischemic stroke and documented AF, brain MRI at baseline, long-term oral anticoagulation treatment, and ≥6 months of follow-up. Authors provided summary-level data on stroke outcomes stratified by CMB status.

Long-Term Evolutionary Change in the Lumen of Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis Following Angioplasty and Stenting.

Background: Angioplasty and stenting is a recognized treatment option for patients with intracranial atherosclerosis.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term evolutionary luminal changes of intracranial atherosclerosis after angioplasty and stenting.

Methods: This was a retrospective study with patient consent.

Differences in Characteristics and Outcomes Between Asian and Non-Asian Patients in the TIAregistry.org.

Background And Purpose: This study provides the contemporary causes and prognosis of transient ischemic attack (TIA) and minor stroke in Asians and the direct comparisons with non-Asians.

Methods: The TIAregistry.org enrolled 4789 patients (1149 Asians and 3640 non-Asians) with a TIA or minor ischemic stroke within 7 days of onset.

Cortical Microinfarcts in Patients with Middle Cerebral Artery Stenosis.

Background: Cortical microinfarcts (CMIs) have been correlated to cognitive decline and dementia. It was previously considered only visible on microscope, but was recently reported to be visible on 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and linked to presence of intracranial stenosis.

Sex Differences Do Not Exist in Outcomes among Stroke Patients with Intracranial Atherosclerosis in China: Subgroup Analysis from the Chinese Intracranial Atherosclerosis Study.

Background: To date, sex difference in outcomes among patients with intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) has rarely been discussed in China as well as in the world. This study aimed to estimate the sex difference in outcomes among patients with ICAS in Chinese cerebral ischemia patients.

Methods: We analyzed 1,335 men and women with ICAS who were enrolled in the Chinese Intracranial Atherosclerosis study.

Symptomatic Patients Remain at Substantial Risk of Arterial Disease Complications Before and After Endarterectomy or Stenting.

Background And Purpose: After carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid artery stenting (CAS) in patients with transient ischemic attack or minor ischemic stroke, recurrent stroke risk falls to a low rate on modern medical treatment.

Methods: We used data from 4583 patients with recent transient ischemic attack or minor stroke enrolled in the TIAregistry.org to perform a nested case-control analysis to evaluate pre- and post-CEA/CAS risk.

Early-onset and delayed-onset poststroke dementia - revisiting the mechanisms.

Incident stroke has long been recognized to cause dementia shortly after the event. Patients who survive stroke without early-onset poststroke dementia (PSD) are at a high risk of developing dementia months to years after the initial stroke incident, which has generated enthusiasm for exploring treatments to prevent delayed-onset PSD in survivors of stroke. However, results from clinical trials completed in the past 10-15 years have been disappointing.

Obesity is associated with better survival and functional outcome after acute intracerebral hemorrhage.

Objective: To evaluate the association of obesity measured by body mass index (BMI) with mortality and functional outcome in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods: Data were from 1571 patients with ICH enrolled in a national, multi-centre, prospective, hospital-based register: the ChinaQUEST (Quality Evaluation of Stroke Care and Treatment) study. The outcomes included all-cause mortality at 12months, and death or high dependency at 3 and 12months.