Jacques Joubert

Stroke in rural areas and small communities

The management of stroke in rural and regional areas is variable in both the developed and developing world. Informed by best-practice guidelines and recommendations for systems of stroke care, adaptable models of care that are appropriate for local needs should be devised for rural and regional settings. This review addresses the issue of the provision of appropriate services in rural and regional settings, with particular attention to the barriers involved, according to the classification of Low Human Development Country (LHDC), Medium Human Development Country (MHDC) and High Human Development Country (HHDC). We discuss the need and feasibility of developing implementing stroke care in rural settings according to best-practice recommendations, within models of care adapted to local conditions.

Integrated care improves risk-factor modification after stroke: initial results of the Integrated Care for the Reduction of Secondary Stroke model

Objective: Despite evidence demonstrating that risk-factor management is effective in reducing recurrent cerebrovascular disease, there are very few structured care programmes for stroke survivors. The aim was to implement and evaluate an integrated care programme in stroke. Methods: 186 patients with stroke were randomised to either the treatment (integrated care) or control (usual care) group and were followed up over 12 months. The Integrated Care for the Reduction of Secondary Stroke (ICARUSS) model of integrated care involved collaboration between a specialist stroke service, a hospital coordinator and a patient’s general practitioner. The primary aim was to promote the management of vascular risk factors through ongoing patient contact and education. Results: In the 12 months poststroke, systolic blood pressure (sBP) decreased in the treatment group but increased in controls. The group difference was significant, and remained so when age, sex, disability and sBP at discharge were accounted for (p = 0.04). Treatment patients also exhibited better modification of body mass index (p = 0.007) and number of walks taken (p<0.001) than controls. Rankin scores indicated significantly reduced disability in treatment patients relative to controls in the year poststroke (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Through an integrated system of education, advice and support to both patient and GP, the ICARUSS model was effective in modifying a variety of vascular risk factors and therefore should decrease the likelihood or recurrent stroke or vascular event.

Regenerate: assessing the feasibility of a strength-training program to enhance the physical and mental health of chronic post stroke patients with depression

The Regenerate pilot study explored whether a 10‐week, community‐based progressive resistance training (PRT) program could reduce depressive symptoms in depressed chronic stroke survivors.

The positive effect of integrated care on depressive symptoms in stroke survivors

Background: Depressive symptoms occur in approximately one-third of stroke patients. We sought to evaluate whether an integrated model of stroke care and secondary prevention reduced depressive symptomatology in stroke survivors. Methods: The integrated care (IC) model is a multifaceted program that provides ongoing collaboration between a specialist stroke service and primary care physicians, using telephone tracking, a bi-directional information feedback loop, management of vascular risk factors, and regular screening for depressive symptoms. Results: Patients exposed to the IC model exhibited significantly fewer depressive symptoms than controls at 12 months post stroke (as measured by the PHQ-9 screening tool; p = 0.006). At 12 months, 30/91 (33%) of the treatment group had depressive symptoms, compared to 52/95 (55%) of the control group (p = 0.003). With other variables adjusted for, the major associates of being depressed at 12 months were group allocation and physical disability. Conclusion: The integrated care approach provides a framework for detecting and monitoring depressive symptoms, and appears to be protective against post-stroke depression.

Ischemic Heart Disease in Black South African Stroke Patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Stroke patients in western countries frequently have coronary artery disease (CAD). In black Africans, CAD has been reported as being rare in both stroke patients and the general population. In this study, an attempt has been made to determine the prevalence of CAD in a black South African stroke population. METHODS The prevalence of CAD was determined by indicators identified through a series of 5 observational studies in black patients diagnosed with stroke. CAD indicators included (1) bedside diagnosis in 741 patients; (2) resting ECG in 555 consecutively admitted patients; (3) a combination of clinical examination, cardiac ultrasound, radionuclide scintigraphy, and multigated blood pool studies in 102 consecutively admitted patients; (4) thallium scintigraphy in 60 patients; and (5) necropsy in 23 patients. RESULTS On bedside questioning, only 0.7% complained of previous angina. There was no history given of myocardial infarction (MI), but documentation of this was found in the clinical notes of 0.7% of the patients. In the resting ECG study, evidence of myocardial ischemia was present in 14.6% and MI in 2.1%. In the combined study, cardiac ischemia was documented on ECG in 12.7% of patients and evidence of previous MI in 5.8%. Cardiac scintigraphic studies revealed changes of myocardial ischemia in 31.7% and MI in 13.3% of the 60 patients studied. Four (17.4%) of 23 patients in the necropsy study had histological evidence of previous MI, and 50% of all patients had evidence of >50% atherosclerotic stenosis in 1, 2, or 3 coronary arteries. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of CAD in black African stroke patients is significantly higher than has been documented in the general nonstroke black population as well as in stroke patients. Black stroke patients may have a risk for CAD similar to that of their white counterparts.

Telestroke in Stroke Survivors

Stroke is a high-frequency disorder placing a significant burden on the health care systems, being the foremost cause of complex chronic disability in adults. Devising systems that can enhance the prevention of stroke recurrence is an important priority and challenge in both the developed and the developing world. The potential for recurrent stroke can be substantially reduced by effective management of vascular risk factors. Telestroke is a tool with potential application to improve risk management of stroke survivors. Lack of acknowledgment of existing practices as well as lack of awareness of potential financial barriers to diffusion of telestroke can lead to limited implementation. Telestroke offers service providers the opportunity to access large numbers of stroke survivors targeting secondary prevention. The ideal ‘telestroke model’ provides service support, education for the patient and caregiver, as well as integration of specialist and primary care services. Effective use of technological advances, with adequate recognition of the importance of human interaction in the long-term management of a largely elderly population of stroke survivors is challenging but possible. Telestroke should be systems- and not technology-driven. Barriers in the implementation of telestroke have been identified as insufficient planning of IT infrastructure, lack of long-term vision for sustainability, a lack of contextual perspective as well as poor communication across domains. Future telestroke models should provide effective action in an integrated model of care recognizing and involving all existing players and practices.

Diversity of risk factors for stroke: The putative roles and mechanisms of depression and air pollution

Several conventional risk factors for stroke and cerebrovascular disease, such as hypertension, smoking, and atrial fibrillation, are widely recognized. Correct management of these modifiable factors significantly reduces stroke risk. We review the research evidence that depressive symptoms and increased atmospheric pollution are associated with an increased risk of stroke, and outline putative mechanisms that may account for these associations. The data on depression and stroke risk strongly indicate the need for treatment intervention studies. The design and implementation of intervention studies related to air pollution requires better understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms linking exposures to the onset of stroke.

Prise en charge des accidents vasculaires cérébraux en Afrique subsaharienne

In sub-Saharan Africa, stroke is likely to present an increasingly important public health problem with a larger relative share of overall morbidity and mortality. Overall, sub-Saharan Health Care is characterized by a lack of human resources, lack of facilities for special investigations, and especially an absence of specific programs addressing the prevention of cardiovascular conditions. Current data on the epidemiology of stroke in sub-Saharan Africa, although sparse and fragmentary, indicate a comparatively high incidence of cerebral hemorrhage associated with high blood pressure, while ischemic stroke in black Africans still appears to be related primarily to small artery disease, HIV infection, and sickle cell disease. With urbanization, the role of large-vessel atherosclerosis is increasing. It is thus essential to coordinate government funding, health care professionals and development agencies to address this rising health problem. Access to health care needs to be better structured, and screening programs should be developed in order to identify and treat vascular risk factors. Improved training of health care professionals is also required in the areas of prevention, diagnosis and management of stroke. Implementation of best-practice recommendations for the management of stroke adapted to the specificities and resources of African countries would help rationalize the scarce resources currently available.

[Management of stroke in sub-Saharan Africa: current issues] : Prise en charge des accidents vasculaires cérébraux en Afrique subsaharienne

In sub-Saharan Africa, stroke is likely to present an increasingly important public health problem with a larger relative share of overall morbidity and mortality. Overall, sub-Saharan Health Care is characterized by a lack of human resources, lack of facilities for special investigations, and especially an absence of specific programs addressing the prevention of cardiovascular conditions. Current data on the epidemiology of stroke in sub-Saharan Africa, although sparse and fragmentary, indicate a comparatively high incidence of cerebral hemorrhage associated with high blood pressure, while ischemic stroke in black Africans still appears to be related primarily to small artery disease, HIV infection, and sickle cell disease. With urbanization, the role of large-vessel atherosclerosis is increasing. It is thus essential to coordinate government funding, health care professionals and development agencies to address this rising health problem. Access to health care needs to be better structured, and screening programs should be developed in order to identify and treat vascular risk factors. Improved training of health care professionals is also required in the areas of prevention, diagnosis and management of stroke. Implementation of best-practice recommendations for the management of stroke adapted to the specificities and resources of African countries would help rationalize the scarce resources currently available.

Telemedicine in Stroke: Potentials, Limitations and Ongoing Issues

1.1 The burden of the disease Stroke is a high frequency neurological disorder and the most common cause of complex disability in adults (Adamson et al. 2004). It is the second and third most common cause of mortality in the developing and developed worlds respectively (Lyons & Rudd 2007). In the United States, 780,000 people per year experience either a new or a recurrent stroke. In 2004, stroke mortality was estimated to be in excess of 150,000 and the prevalence of stroke in people over the age of 20 was 5.8 million in 2005. About 30% of stroke survivors are permanently disabled and about 20% require institutional placement at three months (Rosamond et al. 2008). Stroke is an example of a largely preventable disease that presents acutely, with a short time window for amelioration. It is associated with a high mortality rate, a significant risk for residual disability, and has a large impact on society, the patients and their families (Demaerschalk et al. 2010). Stroke recurrence can lead to a stepwise decline into dependency, resulting in a financial burden on society. According to Rosamond et al (2008), the indirect and direct costs of stroke in the United States were calculated at