Objectives: The opioid neuropeptide pro-enkephalin A (PENK-A) may be a circulating marker of cardiovascular risk, with prior findings relevant to heart failure, kidney disease, and vascular dementia. Despite these findings, the association of PENK-A with ischemic stroke is unknown, so we examined this association in a prospective cohort study and analyzed differences by race and sex.
Materials And Methods: The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study (REGARDS) is a prospective cohort study of 30,239 Black and White adults. Plasma PENK-A was measured in 473 participants that developed first-time ischemic stroke over 5.9 years and 899 randomly selected participants. Cox models adjusted for demographics and stroke risk factors were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) of stroke by baseline PENK-A.
Results: PENK-A was higher with increasing age, female sex, White race, lower body mass index, and antihypertensive medication use. Each SD higher increment of PENK-A was associated with an adjusted HR of 1.20 (95% CI 1.01-1.42) for stroke, with minimal confounding by stroke risk factors. Spline plots suggested a U-shaped relationship, particularly in White men, with an adjusted HR 3.88 (95% CI 1.94-7.77) for the 95 versus 50 percentile of PENK-A in White men.
Conclusions: Higher baseline plasma PENK-A was independently associated with future stroke risk in REGARDS. This association was most apparent among White men. There was little confounding by established stroke risk factors, suggesting a possible causal role in stroke etiology. Further research is needed to understand the role of endogenous opioids in stroke pathogenesis.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.106237 | DOI Listing |
Crit Care Med
December 2024
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI.
Objectives: Neurocritically ill patients are at high risk for developing delirium, which can worsen the long-term outcomes of this vulnerable population. However, existing delirium assessment tools do not account for neurologic deficits that often interfere with conventional testing and are therefore unreliable in neurocritically ill patients. We aimed to determine the accuracy and predictive validity of the Fluctuating Mental Status Evaluation (FMSE), a novel delirium screening tool developed specifically for neurocritically ill patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRadiologie (Heidelb)
January 2025
Klinik für diagnostische und interventionelle Neuroradiologie, Universitätskliniken des Saarlandes, Kirrberger Str., 66421, Homburg Saar, Deutschland.
Performance: Spontaneous dissections of the cerebral arteries are among the leading causes of stroke in young adults. They result from hemorrhage into the outer layers of the arterial wall, which can lead to stenosis or even complete vessel occlusion. Clinical presentations vary, ranging from localized pain to cerebral ischemic complications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol
January 2025
Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
Increased blood pressure upon standing is considered a cardiovascular risk factor. We investigated the reproducibility of changes in aortic blood pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, and systemic vascular resistance during three passive head-up tilts (HUT) in 223 participants without cardiovascular medications (mean age 46 years, BMI 28 kg/m2, 54% male). Median time gap between the first and the second HUT was 9 weeks and the second and the third HUT 4 weeks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPol Arch Intern Med
January 2025
Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent form of cardiac arrhythmia worldwide. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential, emphasizing the need to develop novel biomarkers. Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] has recently been widely investigated as a potential risk factor for various cardiovascular conditions, including AF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealthcare (Basel)
January 2025
Supportive Care Center/Department of Family Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 06351, Republic of Korea.
Background: Amputation confers disabilities upon patients and is associated with substantial cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity and mortality. We aimed to compare the incidence of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) between individuals with amputation and the general population.
Methods: A population-based retrospective cohort study was performed using the Nationwide Health Insurance Service database for the period between 2010 and 2018.
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