Hend Mansoor

Migraine and the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events: a meta-analysis of 16 cohort studies including 1 152 407 subjects

Objectives To perform an updated meta-analysis to evaluate the long-term cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes among migraineurs. Setting A meta-analysis of cohort studies performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Data sources The MEDLINE, Web of Science and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched for relevant articles. Participants A total of 16 cohort studies (18 study records) with 394 942 migraineurs and 757 465 non-migraineurs were analysed. Primary and secondary outcome measures Major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), stroke (ie, ischaemic, haemorrhagic or non-specified), myocardial infarction (MI) and all-cause mortality. The outcomes were reported at the longest available follow-up. Data analysis Summary-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) were calculated by random-effects Der-Simonian and Liard model. The risk of bias was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results Migraine was associated with a higher risk of MACCE (adjusted HR 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26 to 1.60, P<0.001, I2=40%) driven by a higher risk of stroke (adjusted HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.25 to 1.61, P<0.001, I2=72%) and MI (adjusted HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.43, P=0.006, I2=59%). There was no difference in the risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.10, P=0.38, I2=91%), with a considerable degree of statistical heterogeneity between the studies. The presence of aura was an effect modifier for stroke (adjusted HR aura 1.56, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.87 vs adjusted HR no aura 1.11, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.31, P interaction=0.01) and all-cause mortality (adjusted HR aura 1.20, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.30 vs adjusted HR no aura 0.96, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.07, Pinteraction<0.001). Conclusion Migraine headache was associated with an increased long-term risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. This effect was due to an increased risk of stroke (both ischaemic and haemorrhagic) and MI. There was a moderate to severe degree of heterogeneity for the outcomes, which was partly explained by the presence of aura. PROSPERO registration number CRD42016052460.

Evolution of acute ischemic stroke therapy from lysis to thrombectomy: Similar or different to acute myocardial infarction?

Acute ischemic stroke remains a major global cause of death, permanent disability, and dementia. For nearly two decades, intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) has been the only recommended therapy, albeit administered within the recommended time window (i.e., <4.5h). However, intravenous tPA is associated with modest recanalization rates, with a majority of patients having poor functional outcomes despite timely administration. Endovascular therapy has recently been introduced as adjunctive management of acute ischemic stroke. First generation endovascular thrombectomy devices have failed to improve outcomes compared with intravenous tPA. However, recent randomized trials utilizing stent retrievers demonstrated that these devices improve functional outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke secondary to large-artery occlusion. Introduction of stent retrieves has begun a new era for acute ischemic stroke therapy. This comprehensive review discusses the evolution of acute ischemic stroke therapy over the last two decades, with emphasis on recent randomized trials evaluating stent retrievers. Additionally, similarities and differences between the evolution of therapy in ST elevation myocardial infarction and acute ischemic stroke will be highlighted.

Clinical presentations and outcomes of Takotsubo syndrome in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Evidence remains inconsistent regarding the incidence and prognosis of Takotsubo syndrome in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the clinical presentation and in-hospital mortality of these patients. Methods: A systematic review of the electronic databases was conducted for studies involving patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage and concomitant findings of classical Takotsubo syndrome on transthoracic echocardiogram. A meta-analysis was conducted for the primary outcome of in-hospital mortality using the Mantel–Haenszel method for fixed effects and the DerSimonian and Laird method for random effects, with 95% confidence interval and a p-value <0.05 for statistical significance. Results: Ten studies were retrieved with a total of 157 patients presenting with classical Takotsubo syndrome, representing 4.4% of the subarachnoid hemorrhage total population. The overall incidence of in-hospital mortality was 30% in the patients who developed Takotsubo syndrome. Meta-analysis illustrated a significant increase in the odds of in-hospital mortality for the Takotsubo syndrome patients by fixed effects model (odds ratio 2.6, 95% confidence interval 1.16–5.85, p=0.02, I2=39%), with a trend towards increased risk of in-hospital mortality by random effects model (odds ratio 3.00, 95% confidence interval 0.90–9.77, p = 0.07). Conclusions: The incidence of Takotsubo syndrome in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage seems to be high with a trend towards higher risk of in-hospital mortality in those patients. Thus, patients presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage might benefit from a comprehensive cardiac evaluation upon presentation for early detection and proper triage of this high-risk population.

Intravenous β-blockers for patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention: A meta-analysis of randomized trials

BACKGROUND The efficacy and safety of intravenous β-blockers in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are not well known. METHODS Electronic databases were searched for randomized trials that compared intravenous β-blocker use with routine care or placebo in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. Summary estimates risk ratios (RR) were constructed using DerSimonian and Laird model. RESULTS Four randomized trials with 1149 Killip class I or II STEMI patients were included. Intravenous β-blockers were associated with a reduction in the risk of ventricular arrhythmias during hospitalization (RR 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26-0.69, P=0.001). The risk of cardiogenic shock (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.31-1.97, P=0.61), bradycardia (RR 1.54, 95% CI 0.35-6.81, P=0.57), all-cause mortality (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.19-3.17, P=0.72), and cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.35-2.48, P=0.88) during hospitalization was similar in both groups. There was a trend towards a lower risk of future heart failure hospitalizations with intravenous β-blockers (RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.10-1.05, P=0.06). CONCLUSION Intravenous β-blockers, in STEMI patients (Killip class I or II) undergoing primary PCI, appear to be safe. Intravenous β-blockers were associated with a reduced risk of ventricular arrhythmias. Due to the small number of patients, the impact on other outcomes could not be determined. Therefore, future trials are recommended to establish the efficacy of intravenous β-blockers in primary PCI.

Early Invasive Strategy and In‐Hospital Survival Among Diabetics With Non‐ST‐Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes: A Contemporary National Insight

Background There are limited data on the merits of an early invasive strategy in diabetics with non‐ST‐elevation acute coronary syndrome, with unclear influence of this strategy on survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in‐hospital survival of diabetics with non‐ST‐elevation acute coronary syndrome treated with an early invasive strategy compared with an initial conservative strategy. Methods and Results The National Inpatient Sample database, years 2012–2013, was queried for diabetics with a primary diagnosis of non‐ST‐elevation acute coronary syndrome defined as either non‐ST‐elevation myocardial infarction or unstable angina (unstable angina). An early invasive strategy was defined as coronary angiography±revascularization within 48 hours of admission. Propensity scores were used to assemble a cohort managed with either an early invasive or initial conservative strategy balanced on >50 baseline characteristics and hospital presentations. Incidence of in‐hospital mortality was compared in both groups. In a cohort of 363 500 diabetics with non‐ST‐elevation acute coronary syndrome, 164 740 (45.3%) were treated with an early invasive strategy. Propensity scoring matched 21 681 diabetics in both arms. Incidence of in‐hospital mortality was lower with an early invasive strategy in both the unadjusted (2.0% vs 4.8%; odds ratio [OR], 0.41; 95% CI, 0.39–0.42; P<0.0001) and propensity‐matched models (2.2% vs 3.8%; OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.50–0.63; P<0.0001). The benefit was observed across various subgroups, except for patients with unstable angina (P interaction=0.02). Conclusions An early invasive strategy may be associated with a lower incidence of in‐hospital mortality in patients with diabetes. The benefit of this strategy appears to be superior in patients presenting with non‐ST‐elevation myocardial infarction compared with unstable angina.

Cardiovascular Abnormalities Among Patients with Spontaneous Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. A Single Center Experience

Objective: To assess the cardiovascular abnormalities in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Methods: All patients admitted to our institution with a primary diagnosis of spontaneous SAH and had a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) performed from 1 of July 2011 until 30 of May 2014 were enrolled. Results: Out of 2058 patients admitted to our institution with a diagnosis of SAH, over a three year period, only 244 patients (12%) had TTE performed during the index hospitalization. In this selected cohort, the mean age was 59 years and 66% of patients were female. Elevated troponin T was noticed in 37% of patients and QTc prolongation was the commonest ECG abnormality occurring in 49% of the patients. Thirty nine patients (16%) had a resting segmental wall motion abnormality on the TTE, including fi ve patients with apical ballooning. In-hospital mortality was 15.6% (38 patients). Conclusion: Cardiovascular abnormalities in selected patients with SAH who had cardiac ultrasound are relatively common; however the incidence of ventricular ballooning is low. In order to attain the correct incidence of cardiovascular abnormalities in SAH patients, all patients admitted with SAH should undergo TTE and have ECG and cardiac markers checked during their hospitalization.

Correlation of Altmetric Attention Score With Article Citations in Cardiovascular Research

Social media outlets, particularly Twitter, have gained interest among the cardiovascular community as a modality for dissemination of cardiovascular research [(1)][1]. Online attention scores have emerged as a tool to assess the performance of scholarly articles on Web-based media and social

Perception of Risk of Developing Diabetes Among Patients With Undiagnosed Prediabetes: The Impact of Health Care Provider Advice

IN BRIEF Patient awareness of prediabetes and an increased diabetes risk is crucial to diabetes prevention. This article reports on a study investigating perceptions of diabetes risk among U.S. adults with prediabetes and the role of physician communication about risks in influencing patient perceptions. This study demonstrates that few patients with undiagnosed prediabetes are even told that they are at high risk for diabetes. This study provides further evidence that diabetes prevention requires improved patient-centered care, which likely begins with the delivery of adequate information to patients.

A risk score assessment tool for peripheral arterial disease in women: From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) carries a significant morbidity and mortality. Women are more commonly affected with this condition and are mostly asymptomatic, and undertreated. The objective of the study was to develop and validate a simple risk score to identify women with PAD.

Long-term mortality and estimated functional capacity among women with symptoms of ischemic heart disease: From the NHLBI-sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation

&NA; The aim of this study was to determine the long‐term prognostic value of the Duke Activity Status Index–estimated metabolic equivalents (METs) values among women with suspected ischemic heart disease. At a median of 9.6 years, the incidence of death was 23.4% in those with METs <4.8 versus 8.2% in METs >9.9, P < .01. In conclusion, use of the simple, patient‐reported Duke Activity Status Index could help identify higher‐risk women with suspected ischemic heart disease for targeted risk management.