Left atrial reservoir strain is a superior discriminator of cardioembolism in ischaemic stroke.

Aims: Echocardiographic measures of left heart size and function have long been associated with cardioembolic mechanisms of stroke development, however, the diagnostic performance and comparison of measures of atrial function in this context has not been well studied. We sought to evaluate the diagnostic performance of left atrial reservoir strain (LASr) in identification of cardioembolism in the ischaemic stroke population relative to traditional measures of left heart size and function.

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients admitted to our institution with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack were recruited and underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Left Atrial Function in Identification of Cardioembolism and Prediction of Outcomes in Patients with Cryptogenic Stroke.

Background: Stroke of undetermined source, commonly termed cryptogenic stroke (CS), accounts for a significant proportion of ischemic stroke etiology and have high rates of stroke recurrence. The heterogeneous etiology of CS makes decisions regarding treatment for such patients challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of left atrial (LA) function in the identification of cardioembolism and prediction of outcomes in patients with CS.

Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source: Approaches in Risk Stratification for Cardioembolism.

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Embolic stroke of undetermined source has been recently proposed to categorize nonlacunar ischemic strokes without confirmed etiology after adequate investigation with a likely embolic stroke mechanism. A strategy of empirical anticoagulation for embolic stroke of undetermined source patients is attractive but may only be beneficial in a select subset of patients.

Implicit bias in stroke care: A recurring old problem in the rising incidence of young stroke.

Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although the majority of strokes affect the elderly, the incidence of stroke in young patients is on the rise. Prompt recognition of stroke symptoms and time critical therapies play a key role in management and prognosis of this condition.