Factors associated with early outcome in patients with large-vessel carotid strokes.

Objective: To describe the severity and early neurological deterioration (END) in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis and to analyse the influence of related factors.

Methods: Observational cohort study of patients with ischaemic stroke, ipsilateral carotid stenosis and without evidence of cardiac sources of embolism prospectively recorded since January 2003 to January 2012. Initial severity was categorised as mild (NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) ≤7), moderate (NIHSS 8-14) or high (NIHSS >14).

Previous infection and stroke: a prospective study.

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that infections might precipitate ischemic strokes (IS). We sought to describe, in a large prospective series, the frequency of previous infection (PI) in IS and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and to assess whether any relationship with stroke subtype or outcome could be identified.

Methods: Between January 2005 and December 2010, we studied 1,981 patients with acute stroke.

Biomarkers to predict clinical progression in small vessel disease strokes: prognostic role of albuminuria and oxidized LDL cholesterol.

Objective: Clinical progression in lacunar strokes (LS) is an unpredictable and fearful complication. Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is believed to be the first step in the pathophysiology of LS therefore we aimed to analyze the association of three markers of ED: albuminuria, von Willebrand factor (vWF), and oxidized LDL cholesterol (ox-LDL) with LS progression.

Methods: From December 2007 to December 2010, 127 LS patients admitted within 6 h of symptom onset were prospectively assessed.