PREvention of VENous Thromboembolism in Hemorrhagic Stroke Patients - PREVENTIHS Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial and a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: In this randomized trial, currently utilized standard treatments were compared with enoxaparin for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods: Enoxaparin (0.4 mg daily for 10 days) was started after 72 h from the onset of ICH.

Hemorrhagic Transformation in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation: Time to Initiation of Oral Anticoagulant Therapy and Outcomes.

Background In patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation, early anticoagulation prevents ischemic recurrence but with the risk of hemorrhagic transformation ( HT ). The aims of this study were to evaluate in consecutive patients with acute stroke and atrial fibrillation (1) the incidence of early HT, (2) the time to initiation of anticoagulation in patients with HT , (3) the association of HT with ischemic recurrences, and (4) the association of HT with clinical outcome at 90 days. Methods and Results HT was diagnosed by a second brain computed tomographic scan performed 24 to 72 hours after stroke onset.

Impact on Prehospital Delay of a Stroke Preparedness Campaign: A SW-RCT (Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial).

Background And Purpose: Public campaigns to increase stroke preparedness have been tested in different contexts, showing contradictory results. We evaluated the effectiveness of a stroke campaign, designed specifically for the Italian population in reducing prehospital delay.

Methods: According to an SW-RCT (Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial) design, the campaign was launched in 4 provinces in the northern part of the region Emilia Romagna at 3-month intervals in randomized sequence.

Development of an education campaign to reduce delays in pre-hospital response to stroke.

Background: Systematic reviews call for well-designed trials with clearly described intervention components to support the effectiveness of educational campaigns to reduce patient delay in stroke presentation. We herein describe the systematic development process of a campaign aimed to increase stroke awareness and preparedness.

Methods: Campaign development followed Intervention Mapping (IM), a theory- and evidence-based tool, and was articulated in two phases: needs assessment and intervention development.

Prediction of Early Recurrent Thromboembolic Event and Major Bleeding in Patients With Acute Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation by a Risk Stratification Schema: The ALESSA Score Study.

Background And Purposes: This study was designed to derive and validate a score to predict early ischemic events and major bleedings after an acute ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Methods: The derivation cohort consisted of 854 patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation included in prospective series between January 2012 and March 2014. Older age (hazard ratio 1.

Pre-hospital Delay as Determinant of Ischemic Stroke Outcome in an Italian Cohort of Patients Not Receiving Thrombolysis.

Background: Pre-hospital delay in acute stroke is critical to the administration of thrombolysis and affects patients' clinical outcome. In this study, the impact of pre-hospital delay on the outcome of ischemic stroke was investigated in an Italian cohort of patients who did not receive thrombolysis.

Methods: Data from a cohort of 1847 patients, suffering from first-ever ischemic stroke and referred to an in-hospital clinical pathway were analyzed retrospectively.

Prognostic value of trans-thoracic echocardiography in patients with acute stroke and atrial fibrillation: findings from the RAF study.

Anticoagulant therapy is recommended for the secondary prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). T he identification of patients at high risk for early recurrence, which are potential candidates to prompt anticoagulation, is crucial to justify the risk of bleeding associated with early anticoagulant treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate in patients with acute ischemic stroke and AF the association between findings at trans-thoracic echocardiography (TTE) and 90 days recurrence.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the stroke action test for Italian--speaking people.

Background: Assessing the level of public stroke awareness is a prerequisite for development of community educational campaigns aimed at reducing prehospital delay of stroke patients. The Stroke Action Test (STAT) is a validated instrument specifically developed in the United States with the objective to assess the public's readiness to respond to stroke. Our purpose was to perform the cross-cultural adaptation of the original version of STAT to be applied to the Italian population.

Validity of the modified Charlson Comorbidity Index as predictor of short-term outcome in older stroke patients.

The modified Charlson Comorbidity Index (MCCI) has been proposed as a tool for adjusting the outcomes of stroke for comorbidity, but its validity in such a context has been evaluated in only a few studies and needs to be further explored, especially in elderly patients. We aimed to retrospectively assess the validity of the MCCI as a predictor of the short-term outcomes in a cohort of 297 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke, older than 60 years, and managed according to a clinical pathway. The poor outcome (PO) at 1 month, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 3-6, was the primary end point.

Impact of gender-age interaction on the outcome of ischemic stroke in an Italian cohort of patients treated according to a standardized clinical pathway.

Background: Stroke outcome has been reported as worse in women, especially in terms of disability. As for mortality, the data are conflicting, with some reports suggesting a female advantage. Our objective was to explore such issues in an Italian cohort of patients managed by a standardized clinical pathway (CPW) and, as such, homogeneous in terms of clinical management.

The hormone replacement therapy (HRT) of menopause: focus on cardiovascular implications.

The hormone-replacement therapy for menopause has recently become matter of debate, especially after the first large randomized controlled trials failed to confirm the potential benefits on cardiovascular risk suggested by previous observational studies. On the contrary, the treatment has tuned out as to be potentially harmful, increasing the risk of stroke and of venous thromboembolism, without any benefit on coronary heart disease. Some factors, such as cardiovascular comorbidity, age and the time of treatment initiation since menopause, influence the clinical response to HRT, so that it can be considered relatively safe only in younger women, asymptomatic for cardiovascular disease and within 10 years from menopause.

Update on new therapeutic options for the somatopause.

During the last decade, a significant body of evidence has accumulated, indicating that the declining activity of the GH-IGF-I axis with aging might play a role in the development of frailty and in several pathological conditions commonly seen during aging, such as atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline. GH therapy has become widely popular as antiaging therapy in order to counteract the age-related decline in muscle mass and strength and the increase in fat mass. However there are only few proven beneficial effects of GH therapy in healthy elderly subjects and its use remains highly controversial in the scientific community.

The poor outcome of ischemic stroke in very old people: a cohort study of its determinants.

Objectives: To assess how much of the excess risk of poor outcome from stroke in people aged 80 and older aging per se explains, independent of other prognostic determinants.

Design: Cohort, observational.

Setting: University hospital.