Leonard S.W. Li

Serum adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein associated with ischemic stroke and early death.

Objective: Adipocyte fatty acid–binding protein (A-FABP) is an adipokine shown to have adverse metabolic and proinflammatory effects, and contributes to atherosclerosis in mice. However, its role in cardiovascular diseases in humans remains to be established. In this case-control study, we investigated the association of serum A-FABP with ischemic stroke, and examined its association with early mortality. Methods: Serum A-FABP was measured, using ELISA, in 306 subjects with acute ischemic stroke and 306 age-, sex-, and body mass index–matched controls. All controls were free of cardiovascular diseases. Serum A-FABP was also measured in another 60 ischemic stroke subjects who died within 3 months of acute stroke. Results: Serum A-FABP was higher in subjects with ischemic stroke as compared to controls (19.6 ng/mL [14.3–28.4 ng/mL] vs 15.2 ng/mL [10.6–23.6 ng/mL] in men and 32.4 ng/mL [24.5–45.7 ng/mL] vs 22.0 ng/mL [14.3–34.0 ng/mL] in women, stroke vs control, p < 0.001). On logistic regression analyses with the model including hypertension, diabetes, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, lipid-lowering treatment, smoking, and A-FABP, serum A-FABP was independently associated with stroke (odds ratio 2.10, 95% confidence interval 1.50–2.94, p < 0.001), and the associations of A-FABP with ischemic stroke were additive to conventional risk factors, as demonstrated on likelihood ratio tests (p < 0.001). Furthermore, high serum A-FABP was associated with increased 3-month mortality in ischemic stroke subjects (odds ratio 2.65, 95% confidence interval 1.18–5.96, p = 0.018), independent of age and NIH Stroke Scale score. Conclusions: Serum A-FABP was significantly associated with ischemic stroke in our case-control study, and may serve as a useful prognostic indicator for early mortality.

Does Age Predict Outcome in Stroke Rehabilitation? A Study of 878 Chinese Subjects

Background: The predicting value of age on stroke rehabilitation has been controversial. There is a lack of large-scale studies in the Chinese population to examine the effect of age on stroke rehabilitation outcomes. This study examines the predictors of a good outcome after rehabilitation in Chinese stroke patients with special attention to age as a factor. Patients andMethods: This retrospective cohort study includes stroke patients receiving a standard inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation program in a neuro-rehabilitation ward of a convalescence hospital in Hong Kong from January 2000 to December 2003. Functional independence measure (FIM) ≧90 was used to define a good outcome. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess the independent predictors of a good outcome. Results: There were important differences in clinical characteristics and complications of stroke among patients of three age groups: <65, ≧65 and <80, and ≧80 years. The total FIM scores both upon admission and at discharge were lower in the older age groups. No significant difference was observed in the changes in FIM scores across these age groups. Age was not an independent predictor for a good outcome. FIM upon admission was an independent predictor for a good outcome (discharge FIM ≧90) in all patients and in individual age groups. Having employment before stroke was a predictor for good outcome in all patients. Living at home prior to stroke was a predictor for the total population and the ≧65 and <80 years group. The length of stay predicted a good outcome in the group ≧80 years. Conclusions: Admission functional status, employment and living at home before stroke but not age per se are predictors of a good outcome following stroke rehabilitation. As older patients show comparable improvement during rehabilitation, intensive rehabilitation should not be withheld in stroke patients simply because of advanced age.

Oral carriage of yeasts and coliforms in stroke sufferers: a prospective longitudinal study.

AIM To investigate prospectively the qualitative and quantitative changes in oral carriage of yeasts and coliforms in southern Chinese people suffering from stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS In 56 elderly people suffering from stroke in a rehabilitation unit of a general medical hospital in Hong Kong, oral microbiological sampling using a combined imprint culture, oral rinse approach and clinical assessment was made during the acute stroke phase, on hospital discharge and 6 months later. RESULTS The oral carriage of yeasts increased significantly during acute stroke (P<0.05), whereas coliform carriage did not. A reduction in oral carriage of yeasts was found on hospital discharge and 6 months later and in coliforms at the 6-month assessment (P<0.05). Candida albicans and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the predominant yeast and coliform respectively. Stroke-related difficulty in tooth brushing and denture wearing were associated with higher oral yeast carriage (P<0.05). We also report here for the first time that the use of aspirin was associated with lower oral yeast carriage in people suffering from stroke. CONCLUSION Oral yeast carriage was closely linked to the level of stroke-related functional disability that improved over time but had not totally resolved 6 months after hospital discharge. The oral reservoir of yeasts and coliforms in people suffering from stroke is noteworthy by care providers as K. pneumoniae may cause aspiration pneumonia.

A systematic review of the effectiveness of oral health promotion activities among patients with cardiovascular disease

AIMS This study aimed to review the effectiveness of oral health promotion activities conducted among patients with cardiovascular disease. METHODS AND RESULTS Three electronic databases were searched for effective papers using standardized search methods, and key findings of effective studies were summarized. The initial search yielded 3101 papers but only 8 studies met the criteria for this review: 3 were randomized controlled studies, 3 were pre-/post group interventions, 1 was a randomized split-mouth study, and 1 was a quasi-experimental study. Studies retrieved concerned oral health promotion activities in patients with coronary heart disease, hypertension, heart transplantation, and stroke. Interventions comprised periodontal treatment performed by dental personnel, and oral hygiene interventions provided by nursing home care assistants. Outcomes included improvements in periodontal health, and modifications of systemic inflammatory markers. No studies, however, evaluated the effects of oral health promotion interventions on oral microflora. CONCLUSION There are limited studies on the efficacy of oral health promotion activities in patients with cardiovascular disease, particularly stroke patients. Oral health promotion activities appear to produce improvements in periodontal health, and also result in changes to systemic markers of inflammation and endothelial function (at least) in the short term. Whether these effects can ultimately lower the risk of secondary cardiovascular events has not yet been determined.

Oral stereognosis in stroke and Parkinson's disease: a comparison of partially dentate and edentulous individuals

Abstract. Oral stereognosis was measured in partially dentate and edentulous patients with stroke, Parkinsons disease, and an age and gender-matched control group. Stereognostic tests involving conventional free intra-oral manipulation of test objects were undertaken in the partially dentate and edentulous with and without complete dentures. Comparisons were made using the unpaired t-test and ANOVA. Edentulous stroke patients without dentures had significantly greater error scores and fewer correct identifications compared with partially dentate stroke patients. Stereognostic measures were similar in the partially dentate and edentulous with dentures, within experimental groups. In the partially dentate, there were no differences in stereognostic measures between the three groups. Stereognostic measures were poorer in edentulous stroke patients with and without dentures compared with the edentulous control group. Partially dentate stroke patients are less likely to have impaired oral stereognosis than edentulous stroke patients.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical, microbiological, and behavioural aspects of oral health among patients with stroke.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to review clinical, microbiological, and immunological aspects of oral health, as well as oral health related behaviours among patients following stroke. DATA SOURCES A structured search strategy was applied to three electronic databases to identify relevant papers. STUDY SELECTION The initial search yielded 19,927 papers, 60 potentially relevant studies (Kappa: 0.974) and 23 relevant papers (Kappa: 0.965) in accordance with the inclusion criteria. Outcomes regarding tooth condition, periodontal condition, oral hygiene status, and dental attendance were pooled for seven meta-analyses. Narrative summaries were provided for those outcomes which could not be pooled for meta-analysis. RESULTS The standardized differences in mean values of the parameters (fixed effect, random effect model) for patients with stroke compared to control groups were: number of teeth (-0.325, -0.271), DMFT (0.246, 0.246), oral hygiene status - plaque index (0.305, 0.356) and gingival index (0.716, 0.653), periodontal health status - clinical attachment loss (0.437, 0.490) and probing depth (0.470, 0.579). In addition, a lower chance of dental attendance was observed among patients with stroke (odds ratio: 0.493, 0.480). For those outcomes which could not be pooled for meta-analysis, it was not possible to draw any qualitative conclusion due to the equivocal results of these studies. CONCLUSIONS There is an increasing interest in oral health of patients with stroke. Patients with stroke had a poorer clinical oral health status across a range of parameters (tooth loss, dental caries experience, and periodontal status). Coupled with this, their dental attendance was less frequent. Further studies employing standardized assessments of oral health/oral health behaviour can confirm these oral health disparities. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE With comprehensive literature search, this systematic review and meta-analysis indicated a poorer oral health status and less frequent dental attendance behaviour among patients with stroke.

Effect of oral hygiene interventions on opportunistic pathogens in patients after stroke

BACKGROUND Despite the role of the oral cavity as a reservoir of opportunistic pathogens for infection in patients following stroke, the evaluation of the effects of oral hygiene interventions has been largely neglected. METHODS This randomized clinical trial included 102 patients undergoing hospital-based rehabilitation for stroke. Patients were randomized to one of 3 groups: oral hygiene instruction (OHI) only; OHI and 0.2% chlorhexidine mouth rinse twice daily; or OHI, 0.2% chlorhexidine mouth rinse twice daily, and assisted brushing twice weekly. Oral samples were obtained at baseline and after 3 weeks for detection of Staphylococcus aureus, aerobic and facultatively anaerobic gram-negative bacilli, and yeasts. RESULTS Almost three-quarters (72.8%) of the patients harbored oral anaerobic gram-negative bacilli at baseline, and more than half had detectable S aureus (56.8%) and yeasts (59.3%). Percentage frequencies and viable counts of pathogens remained relatively stable during the course of the clinical trial, and no significant differences were observed among the 3 patient groups. CONCLUSIONS In our study cohort, there was no significant difference in the effectiveness of the 3 different oral hygiene interventions on the prevalence or viable counts of oral opportunistic pathogens.

Effectiveness of oral hygiene interventions against oral and oropharyngeal reservoirs of aerobic and facultatively anaerobic gram-negative bacilli.

BACKGROUND Aerobic and facultatively anaerobic gram-negative bacilli (AGNB) are opportunistic pathogens and continue to cause a large number of hospital-acquired infections. AGNB residing in the oral cavity and oropharynx have been linked to nosocomial pneumonia and septicemia. Although AGNB are not considered members of the normal oral and oropharyngeal flora, medically compromised patients have been demonstrated to be susceptible to AGNB colonization. METHODS A literature search was conducted to retrieve articles that evaluated the effectiveness of oral hygiene interventions in reducing the oral and oropharyngeal carriage of AGNB in medically compromised patients. RESULTS Few studies have documented the use of mechanical oral hygiene interventions alone against AGNB. Although a number of studies have employed oral hygiene interventions complemented by antiseptic agents such as chlorhexidine and povidone iodine, there appears to be a discrepancy between their in vitro and in vivo effectiveness. CONCLUSION With the recognition of the oral cavity and oropharynx as a reservoir of AGNB and the recent emergence of multidrug and pandrug resistance in hospital settings, there is a pressing need for additional high-quality randomized controlled trials to determine which oral hygiene interventions or combination of interventions are most effective in eliminating or reducing AGNB carriage.

An fMRI Study Showing the Effect of Acupuncture in Chronic Stage Stroke Patients With Aphasia

Acupuncture is used as a treatment in stroke patients with aphasia, yet the underlying neural mechanisms are unknown. This study aims to examine the relationship between changes in language function and brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging in chronic stroke patients with aphasia who underwent an 8-week acupuncture protocol. Seven chronic stroke patients were identified from a stroke database of a regional acute hospital in Hong Kong between January and July 2007. Patients were treated three times a week over a period of 8 weeks. Four acupoints were stimulated on the weak side of the patients body. No other rehabilitation was given during the study period. Changes in language function were measured by aphasia quotient (AQ) of Cantonese Aphasia Battery (CAB). Functional magnetic resonance imaging blood oxygen level dependent signals were used to demonstrate the correlation between changes in AQ and brain activation after treatment. The patients were divided into well-recovered and poorly- recovered groups based on their CAB scores at entry. The well-recovered group showed significant improvement in CAB scores after receiving acupuncture treatment. A significant correlation between changes in AQ and blood oxygen level dependent activation in the lesioned Wernickes speech area was found. These preliminary results suggest that acupuncture may be beneficial to language recovery in chronic stroke patients.

PREdIctoRS of oRAL HEALtH-RELAtEd QuALIty of LIfE In PAtIEntS foLLoWInG StRoKE

Objectives: To explore the influence of socio-demographic and clinical oral health factors on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients after stroke, and to monitor OHRQoL outcomes following the provision of an in-hospital oral health intervention programme. Design: OHRQoL was measured before and after randomization and provision of oral health promotion interventions in a prospective clinical trial. Subjects: Eighty-one patients admitted to a stroke rehabilitation ward. Methods: OHRQoL was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) and Oral Health Transition Scale upon admission and 3 weeks later following provision of an oral health promotion programme. Potential factors were examined for their association with OHRQoL outcomes. Results: Lack of a regular daily brushing habit was significantly associated with 6 of 8 transition scale items (p < 0.01) at baseline, while significant improvements in OHRQoL were observed over the course of the clinical trial for all patients as a whole (p < 0.05). Conclusion: OHRQoL is compromised following stroke and may be influenced by the lack of a regular daily brushing habit during hospitalization. The early re-establishment of an oral hygiene protocol is a priority in stroke rehabilitation wards in order to improve clinical oral health and OHRQoL.