Prevalence of visual problems among stroke survivors in Hong Kong Chinese.

Background: Stroke, a common cerebrovascular accident, usually results in various extents of functional disability. Extensive studies have shown that ocular and visual problems are common in patients with stroke. Unfortunately, current stroke rehabilitation programs rarely address stroke-related ocular and visual problems in Hong Kong.

Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability as a prognostic marker in patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases--relationships and comparisons with vascular markers of atherosclerosis.

Background: Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) is a simple surrogate marker for the development of atherosclerotic diseases, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Nevertheless, the relative prognostic value of BPV in comparison with other established vascular assessments remain uncertain.

Methods: We prospectively followed-up 656 high-risk patients with diabetes or established cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases for the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs).

Stroke patients with a past history of cancer are at increased risk of recurrent stroke and cardiovascular mortality.

Background And Purpose: Cancer patients are at increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. It is unclear whether cancer confers any additional risk for recurrent stroke or cardiovascular mortality after stroke.

Methods: This was a single center, observational study of 1,105 consecutive Chinese ischemic stroke patients recruited from a large stroke rehabilitation unit based in Hong Kong.

Prognostic implications of surrogate markers of atherosclerosis in low to intermediate risk patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular events. Unfortunately traditional risk assessment scores, including the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), have only modest accuracy in cardiovascular risk prediction in these patients.

Methods: We sought to determine the prognostic values of different non-invasive markers of atherosclerosis, including brachial artery endothelial function, carotid artery atheroma burden, ankle-brachial index, arterial stiffness and computed tomography coronary artery calcium score (CACS) in 151 T2DM Chinese patients that were identified low-intermediate risk from the FRS recalibrated for Chinese (<20% risk in 10 years).

Effect of periodontal treatment on circulating CD34(+) cells and peripheral vascular endothelial function: a randomized controlled trial.

Aim: periodontal disease is associated with endothelial dysfunction and increased circulating progenitor cell (CPC) count. This study sought to investigate the effect of periodontal treatment on CPC count and vascular endothelial function.

Materials And Methods: a single-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted in 50 otherwise healthy subjects with moderate-to-severe chronic periodontitis.

Increased levels of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in subjects with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis.

Aim: Emerging evidence shows that periodontal disease is associated with endothelial dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between chronic periodontitis (CP) and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC).

Materials And Methods: Eighty-six non-smoking subjects (36 males and 50 females, aged 35-80 years) were recruited, including 23 subjects with no or mild CP and 63 subjects with moderate to severe CP.

Abnormal diffusion tensor in nonsymptomatic familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with a causative superoxide dismutase 1 mutation.

Purpose: To determine whether diffusion abnormalities can be observed in nonsymptomatic family members with a known causative Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase mutation (asymptomatic familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; AFALS(+SOD1)) in a family with autosomal dominant familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Materials And Methods: A total of eight AFALS(+SOD1) subjects (aged 17-43 years) were age-matched with 13 healthy controls (aged 19-45 years) without SOD1 mutations. DTI was carried out on a 1.

Use of antiplatelet drugs in the stroke unit of a Hong Kong hospital.

Objective: Antiplatelet drugs are widely used for secondary prevention of thrombotic cerebrovascular disease. The antiplatelet prescribing patterns has been evaluated in several studies but data about Hong Kong patients are lacking. This study is to investigate the prescribing patterns of antiplatelet agents in a Hong Kong hospital.

A short course of cardiac rehabilitation program is highly cost effective in improving long-term quality of life in patients with recent myocardial infarction or percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effect of a cardiac rehabilitation and prevention program (CRPP) on quality of life (QOL) and its cost effectiveness.

Design: Prospective, randomized controlled trial.

Setting: University-affiliated outpatient cardiac rehabilitation and prevention center.

Effect of a cardiac rehabilitation program on left ventricular diastolic function and its relationship to exercise capacity in patients with coronary heart disease: experience from a randomized, controlled study.

Background: A cardiac rehabilitation and prevention program (CRPP) is a recognized nonpharmacological modality in the management of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the effect of a CRPP on systolic function of the heart is controversial, and no data exists on diastolic function in CHD. A randomized, controlled study was conducted to address these issues.