Ruijun Ji

Ischemic Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack in Young Adults: Risk Factors, Diagnostic Yield, Neuroimaging, and Thrombolysis

BACKGROUND Approximately 10% to 14% of ischemic strokes occur in young adults. OBJECTIVE To investigate the yield of diagnostic tests, neuroimaging findings, and treatment of ischemic strokes in young adults. DESIGN We retrospectively reviewed data from our Get with the Guidelines-Stroke database from 2005 through 2010. SETTING University hospital tertiary stroke center. PATIENTS A total of 215 consecutive inpatients aged 18 to 45 years with ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack. The mean (SD) age was 37.5 (7) years; 51% were male. RESULTS There were high incidence rates of hypertension (20%), diabetes mellitus (11%), dyslipidemia (38%), and smoking (34%). Relevant abnormalities were shown on cerebral angiography in 136 of 203 patients, on cardiac ultrasonography in 100 of 195, on Holter monitoring in 2 of 192; and on hypercoagulable panel in 30 of 189 patients. Multiple infarcts were observed in 31% and were more prevalent in individuals younger than age 35 years. Relevant arterial lesions were frequently detected in the middle cerebral artery (23%), internal carotid artery (13%), and vertebrobasilar arteries (13%). Cardioembolic stroke occurred in 47% (including 17% with isolated patent foramen ovale), and 11% had undetermined stroke etiology. The median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 3 (interquartile range, 0-9) and 81% had good outcome at hospital discharge. Of the 29 patients receiving thrombolysis (median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, 14; interquartile range, 9-17), 55% had good outcome at hospital discharge and none developed symptomatic brain hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS This study shows the contemporary profile of ischemic stroke in young adults admitted to a tertiary stroke center. Stroke etiology can be determined in nearly 90% of patients with modern diagnostic tests. The causes are heterogeneous; however, young adults have a high rate of traditional vascular risk factors. Thrombolysis appears safe and short-term outcomes are favorable.

Novel Risk Score to Predict Pneumonia After Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose— To develop and validate a risk score (acute ischemic stroke-associated pneumonia score [AIS-APS]) for predicting in-hospital stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) after AIS. Methods— The AIS-APS was developed based on the China National Stroke Registry, in which eligible patients were randomly classified into derivation (60%) and internal validation cohort (40%). External validation was performed using the prospective Chinese Intracranial Atherosclerosis Study. Independent predictors of in-hospital SAP after AIS were obtained using multivariable logistic regression, and &bgr;-coefficients were used to generate point scoring system of the AIS-APS. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test were used to assess model discrimination and calibration, respectively. Results— The overall in-hospital SAP after AIS was 11.4%, 11.3%, and 7.3% in the derivation (n=8820), internal (n=5882) and external (n=3037) validation cohort, respectively. A 34-point AIS-APS was developed from the set of independent predictors including age, history of atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and current smoking, prestroke dependence, dysphagia, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, Glasgow Coma Scale score, stroke subtype (Oxfordshire), and blood glucose. The AIS-APS showed good discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) in the internal (0.785; 95% confidence interval, 0.766–0.803) and external (0.792; 95% confidence interval, 0.761–0.823) validation cohort. The AIS-APS was well calibrated (Hosmer–Lemeshow test) in the internal (P=0.22) and external (P=0.30) validation cohort. When compared with 3 prior scores, the AIS-APS showed significantly better discrimination with regard to in-hospital SAP after AIS (all P<0.0001). Conclusions— The AIS-APS is a valid risk score for predicting in-hospital SAP after AIS.

Interrelationship Among Common Medical Complications After Acute Stroke Pneumonia Plays an Important Role

Background and Purpose— Medical complications are common among patients with stroke. However, little is known about the potential interrelationship among them. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between common in-hospital medical complications after acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods— We analyzed patients enrolled in the China National Stroke Registry from 2007 to 2008. The occurrence of 11 common stroke-associated medical complications during acute hospitalization was prospectively registered. Multivariable analysis using generalized estimation equation was performed to assess association between medical complications in AIS and ICH cohort, respectively. Results— A total of 14 702 patients with AIS and 5221 patients with ICH were enrolled. The median age was 65 years (interquartile range, 55–74 years), and 38.1% were female. The median length of hospital stay was 14 days (interquartile range, 10–20 days) for AIS and 18 days (interquartile range, 11–26 days) for ICH. Pneumonia was the most common medical complication after AIS (11.4%) and ICH (16.8%). In the AIS cohort, after adjusting for potential confounders, pneumonia was significantly associated with development of gastrointestinal bleeding (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 8.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.27–11.1; P<0.001), decubitus ulcer (adjusted OR, 5.31; 95% CI, 3.39–8.31; P<0.001), deep vein thrombosis (adjusted OR, 4.27; 95% CI, 2.41–7.59; P<0.001), epileptic seizure (adjusted OR, 3.96; 95% CI, 2.67–5.88; P<0.001), urinary tract infection (adjusted OR, 3.34; 95% CI, 2.73–4.10; P<0.001), atrial fibrillation/flutter (adjusted OR, 3.17; 95% CI, 2.58–3.90; P<0.001), and recurrent stroke (adjusted OR, 2.65; 95% CI, 2.07–3.40; P<0.001). Similar significant association between pneumonia and development of several nonpneumonia medical complications was verified in ICH cohort as well. Conclusions— Pneumonia is closely associated with the development of several nonpneumonia medical complications after AIS and ICH.

Persistence of secondary prevention medications after acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack in Chinese population: data from China National Stroke Registry

Abstract Objective: Although proven stroke secondary prevention medications are available, persistent use is required to be effective. The present study aimed to investigate the degree of secondary prevention medications persistence after acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA), factors influencing persistence and its association with stroke outcomes. Methods: We examined patients with AIS or TIA enrolled in China National Stroke Registry (CNSR) between 2007 and 2008. Three-month persistence was defined as medication continuation between hospital discharge and 3-month postdischarge. Recurrent stroke and modified Rankin scale (mRS)≤2 at 3-month postdischarge were used as stroke outcomes. Logistic regression was used to adjust for confounders. Results: Totally, 9998 patients were analyzed. At 3 months, 63·6% of patients continued taking all secondary prevention medications prescribed at hospital discharge. Younger age (P = 0·05), male gender (P = 0·03), present history of hypertension (P<0·001), absent history of atrial fibrillation (P<0·001), pre-stroke independence (P = 0·05), index cerebrovascular event of AIS (P = 0·005), being treated in an academic hospital (P = 0·003), longer hospital stay (P<0·001), and fewer number of class of baseline secondary prevention medications (P<0·001) were identified as determinants for 3-month persistence. 3-month persistence of secondary prevention medications were significantly associated with less recurrent stroke (adjusted OR = 0·78, 95% CI = 0·67–0·91, P = 0·002) and better functional outcome (mRS⩽2) (adjusted OR = 1·17, 95% CI = 1·04–1·32, P = 0·009) at 3-month postdischarge. Discussion: Almost one-third of patients of AIS/TIA had stopped one or more secondary prevention medications by 3-month postdischarge. Further studies on identifying potential barriers and means to improve persistent use of secondary prevention interventions are needed.

Lower Hemoglobin Correlates with Larger Stroke Volumes in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Hemoglobin tetramers are the major oxygen-carrying molecules within the blood. We hypothesized that a lower hemoglobin level and its reduced oxygen-carrying capacity would associate with larger infarction in acute ischemic stroke patients. Methods: We studied 135 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke and perfusion brain MRI. We explored the association of admission hemoglobin with initial infarct volumes on acute images and the volume of infarct expansion on follow-up images. Multivariable linear regression was performed to analyze the independent effect of hemoglobin on imaging outcomes. Results: Bivariate analyses showed a significant inverse correlation between hemoglobin and initial volume in diffusion-weighted imaging (r = –0.20, p = 0.02) and absolute infarct growth (r = –0.20, p = 0.02). Multivariable linear regression modeling revealed that hemoglobin remained independently predictive of larger infarct volumes acutely (p < 0.005) and with greater infarct expansion (p < 0.01) after adjusting for known covariates. Conclusions: Hemoglobin level at the time of acute ischemic stroke associates with larger infarcts and increased infarct growth. Clarification of the mechanism of this effect may yield novel insights for therapy.

Association between Seizures and Outcomes among Intracerebral Hemorrhage Patients: The China National Stroke Registry

BACKGROUND To determine whether the presence of seizures in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) was associated with in-hospital complications and measured outcomes. METHODS This prospective cohort study from the China National Stroke Registry included consecutive patients with ICH between August 2007 and September 2008. In-hospital complications, functional outcomes, and mortality at 3, 6, and 12 months were compared between patients with seizures and those without seizures occurring at ICH onset and during hospitalization. Poor functional outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score between 3 and 6. Poor functional outcome and mortality were stratified by stroke severity using Glasgow Coma Scale scores on admission. RESULTS The study included 3216 patients with ICH and 139 of them (4.3%) experienced seizures. The presence of seizures was associated with high in-hospital complications including atrial fibrillation (P = .004), pneumonia (P = .001), as well as lower rehabilitation assessment rates (P = .033) compared with patients without seizures. ICH patients with seizures had poorer functional outcome at 3-month (P = .012), 6-month (P = .007), and 12-month (P = .001) follow-up. They also had higher mortality at 3 months (P = .045), 6 months (P = .005), and 12 months (P = .002). Patients with mild strokes had poorer functional outcome and higher mortality (P < .005) if seizures occurred. CONCLUSIONS The presence of seizures in patients with ICH was associated with high in-hospital complications and indicates poor outcomes at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Quality improvement strategies targeting ICH patients with seizures especially mild stroke may help improve prognoses.

Risk score to predict gastrointestinal bleeding after acute ischemic stroke

BackgroundGastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a common and often serious complication after stroke. Although several risk factors for post-stroke GIB have been identified, no reliable or validated scoring system is currently available to predict GIB after acute stroke in routine clinical practice or clinical trials. In the present study, we aimed to develop and validate a risk model (acute ischemic stroke associated gastrointestinal bleeding score, the AIS-GIB score) to predict in-hospital GIB after acute ischemic stroke.MethodsThe AIS-GIB score was developed from data in the China National Stroke Registry (CNSR). Eligible patients in the CNSR were randomly divided into derivation (60%) and internal validation (40%) cohorts. External validation was performed using data from the prospective Chinese Intracranial Atherosclerosis Study (CICAS). Independent predictors of in-hospital GIB were obtained using multivariable logistic regression in the derivation cohort, and β-coefficients were used to generate point scoring system for the AIS-GIB. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test were used to assess model discrimination and calibration, respectively.ResultsA total of 8,820, 5,882, and 2,938 patients were enrolled in the derivation, internal validation and external validation cohorts. The overall in-hospital GIB after AIS was 2.6%, 2.3%, and 1.5% in the derivation, internal, and external validation cohort, respectively. An 18-point AIS-GIB score was developed from the set of independent predictors of GIB including age, gender, history of hypertension, hepatic cirrhosis, peptic ulcer or previous GIB, pre-stroke dependence, admission National Institutes of Health stroke scale score, Glasgow Coma Scale score and stroke subtype (Oxfordshire). The AIS-GIB score showed good discrimination in the derivation (0.79; 95% CI, 0.764-0.825), internal (0.78; 95% CI, 0.74-0.82) and external (0.76; 95% CI, 0.71-0.82) validation cohorts. The AIS-GIB score was well calibrated in the derivation (P = 0.42), internal (P = 0.45) and external (P = 0.86) validation cohorts.ConclusionThe AIS-GIB score is a valid clinical grading scale to predict in-hospital GIB after AIS. Further studies on the effect of the AIS-GIB score on reducing GIB and improving outcome after AIS are warranted.

Persistence of secondary prevention medication and related factors for acute ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack in China

Abstract Objective: We recently measured the longitudinal use of secondary prevention medication following hospital discharge and the factors influencing persistence in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and transient ischemic attack (TIA) in China. Methods: Patients with AIS and TIA who were enrolled in the China National Stroke Registry II from June 2012 to January 2013 were surveyed to determine persistence. The medications included antiplatelet therapies, warfarin, antihypertensive therapies, statins, and diabetes medications. We determined persistence for a three-month period following discharge. Persistence was defined as the continuation of all secondary preventive medications prescribed upon hospital discharge. The factors associated with medication persistence 3 months after discharge were examined using a multivariable logistic regression. Results: Of the 21,592 patients with AIS and TIA, 18,344 (91.2%) were eligible for analysis. After 3 months post-discharge, 46.2% of the subjects continued to take all secondary prevention medications prescribed at discharge. Independent predictors of three-month medication persistence included younger age, absence of a history of diabetes or atrial fibrillation, higher family income, less severe stroke, index cerebrovascular event of ischemic stroke, and being treated in a hospital with a stroke unit and more beds in the neurology department. Conclusions: More than half of patients with AIS and TIA reported discontinuing one or more secondary prevention medications within 3 months of hospital discharge. Several factors associated with medication persistence were identified. Here, we propose strategies that could be implemented to improve the quality of secondary prevention.

Web-based tool for dynamic functional outcome after acute ischemic stroke and comparison with existing models

BackgroundAcute ischemic stroke (AIS) is one of the leading causes of death and adult disability worldwide. In the present study, we aimed to develop a web-based risk model for predicting dynamic functional status at discharge, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year after acute ischemic stroke (Dynamic Functional Status after Acute Ischemic Stroke, DFS-AIS).MethodsThe DFS-AIS was developed based on the China National Stroke Registry (CNSR), in which eligible patients were randomly divided into derivation (60%) and validation (40%) cohorts. Good functional outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤ 2 at discharge, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year after AIS, respectively. Independent predictors of each outcome measure were obtained using multivariable logistic regression. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and plot of observed and predicted risk were used to assess model discrimination and calibration.ResultsA total of 12,026 patients were included and the median age was 67 (interquartile range: 57–75). The proportion of patients with good functional outcome at discharge, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year after AIS was 67.9%, 66.5%, 66.9% and 66.9%, respectively. Age, gender, medical history of diabetes mellitus, stroke or transient ischemic attack, current smoking and atrial fibrillation, pre-stroke dependence, pre-stroke statins using, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, admission blood glucose were identified as independent predictors of functional outcome at different time points after AIS. The DFS-AIS was developed from sets of predictors of mRS ≤ 2 at different time points following AIS. The DFS-AIS demonstrated good discrimination in the derivation and validation cohorts (AUROC range: 0.837-0.845). Plots of observed versus predicted likelihood showed excellent calibration in the derivation and validation cohorts (all r = 0.99, P < 0.001). When compared to 8 existing models, the DFS-AIS showed significantly better discrimination for good functional outcome and mortality at discharge, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year after AIS (all P < 0.0001).ConclusionThe DFS-AIS is a valid risk model to predict functional outcome at discharge, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year after AIS.

In-hospital medical complications associated with stroke recurrence after initial ischemic stroke: A prospective cohort study from the China National Stroke Registry.

Abstract In-hospital medical complications are common and strongly associated with the risk of death and dependency in stroke patients. Whether similar associations extend to stroke recurrence is unclear. We prospectively and systematically investigated whether in-hospital medical complications are associated with recurrent stroke of patients in the China National Stroke Registry (CNSR). We examined patients with initial ischemic stroke enrolled in CNSR between 2007 and 2008. Recurrent stroke at 3, 6, and 12 months post-stroke was used as stroke outcome. Medical complications were associated with stroke outcomes using multivariable logistic regression. Of the 7593 study patients, recurrent stroke occurred in 1115 (14.7%) within 12 months after stroke onset. In-hospital medical complications were independent risk factors for stroke recurrence in patients with initial ischemic stroke at 3 months (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.85 to 2.60), 6 months (adjusted OR = 2.04, 95% CI 1.74 to 2.38), and 12 months (adjusted OR = 1.88; 95% CI 1.62 to 2.19) after onset. The persistence of secondary prevention medications in patients with complications was lower than that in patients without complications. Stroke recurrence post-acute ischemic stroke is significantly associated with in-hospital medical complications.