Cancer-Associated Stroke: The Bergen NORSTROKE Study

Background: Underlying malignancy can cause ischemic stroke in some patients. Mechanisms include the affection of the coagulation cascade, tumor mucin secretion, infections and nonbacterial endocarditis. The release of necrotizing factor and interleukins may cause inflammation of the endothelial lining, creating a prothrombotic surface that triggers thromboembolic events, including stroke. The aims of this study were to assess the occurrence of cancer in patients who had recently suffered an ischemic stroke and to detect possible associations between stroke and cancer subtypes. Methods: All ischemic stroke patients registered in the Norwegian Stroke Research Registry (NORSTROKE) as part of the ongoing Bergen NORSTROKE study were included. Blood samples were obtained on admission. Stroke etiology was determined by the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) criteria, and the severity of stroke was defined according to the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score. Information about cancer disease after stroke was obtained from patient medical records and The Cancer Registry of Norway. Results: From a total of 1,282 ischemic stroke patients with no history of cancer, 55 (4.3%) patients were diagnosed with cancer after stroke. The median time from stroke onset to cancer diagnosis was 14.0 months (interquartile range 6.2-24.5). Twenty-three (41.8%) patients were diagnosed with cancer within 1 year and 13 (23.6%) within 6 months. The most common cancer type was lung cancer (19.0%). By Cox regression analysis, cancer after stroke was associated with elevated D-dimer levels on admittance (p < 0.001), age (p = 0.01) and smoking (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Cancer-associated stroke is rare, and routine investigation for cancer seems unwarranted in acute ischemic stroke. However, in stroke patients with elevated levels of blood coagulation factors, C-reactive protein, higher age and a history of smoking, underlying malignancy should be considered. Our study suggests that an unknown stroke etiology does not predict malignancy.

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Comparison of conventional and modern methods in determining ischemic stroke etiology by general and stroke neurologists

TURKISH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES ◽

10.3906/sag-1806-29 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

REFİK KUNT ◽

MUSTAFA KÜRŞAD KUTLUK ◽

BEDİLE İREM TİFTİKÇİOĞLU ◽

NAZİRE EFSER YEŞİM AFŞAR FAK ◽

ALİ KEMAL ERDEMOĞLU ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Q Value ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Stroke Treatment ◽

Subtype Assignment ◽

Stroke Etiology ◽

Medical Centers ◽

Modern Methods

Background/aim: To investigate the consistency between stroke and general neurologists in subtype assignment using Trial of ORG-10172 using Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) and Causative Classification of Stroke (CCS) systems. Materials and methods: Fifty consecutive, acute ischemic stroke patients admitted to Stroke Unit were recruited. Patients were classified two stroke and two general neurologists, each from different medical centers, according to TOAST followed by CCS. Each neurologist was assessed for consistency and compliance in pairs. Concordance among all four neurologists was investigated and evaluated using Kappa(ĸ)-value. Results: Kappa(ĸ)-value of diagnostic compliance between stroke neurologists was 0.61 (95%CI 0.45-0.77) for TOAST and 0.78 (95%CI 0.62-0.94) for CSS-5. Kappa(ĸ)-value was 0.64 (95%CI 0.48–0.80) for TOAST and 0.75 (95%CI 0.60–0.91) for CCS-5 for general neurologists. Compliance was moderate [ĸ:0.59 (95%CI 0.52–0.65)] in TOAST and was strong [ĸ:0.75 (95%CI 0.68–0.81)] in CCS-5 for all 4 neurologists. ‘Cardioembolism’(91.04%) has reached the highest compliance in both systems. The frequency of group with ‘undetermined etiologies’ was less in CCS (26%) compared to TOAST. Conclusions: The CCS system improved the compliance in both stroke and general neurologists compared with TOAST. These suggest that automatic, evidence-based, easily reproducible CCS system was superior to TOAST system. Keywords: TOAST, CCS, Ischemic stroke, Etiology

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Analisis Survival Kecepatan Kekambuhan Stroke

Jurnal Biometrika dan Kependudukan ◽

10.20473/jbk.v6i1.2017.62-69 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 62

Author(s):

Karina Pramudita ◽

Hari Basuki Notobroto

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Recurrence Rate ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Recurrent Stroke ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Stroke Recurrence ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Cox Regression Analysis ◽

History Of ◽

Heart Abnormalities

The objective of this study was to apply cox regression to factor analysis of stroke recurrence rate. This type of research was applied research on secondary data. The samples were 178 first stroke patients who are enrolled in inpatient period January to December 2011 and then made observations on the incidence of recurrent strokes up in February 2017 in medical record. Analysis techniques using Cox regression analysis on risk factors of stroke recurrence rate in RSAU dr. Esnawan Antariksa Halim Perdana Kusumah Jakarta. The analysis exhibited that the rate of recurrence of stroke has the same risk between categories of obesity. Stroke patients with a history of hypertension had a risk of a stroke recurrence rate of 5.594 times more likely than stroke patients with no history of hypertension, stroke patients with a history of diabetes mellitus had a risk of stroke recurrence rate of 1.912 times more likely than stroke patients with no history of diabetes mellitus, stroke patients with a history of dyslipidemia The risk of a recurrence rate of stroke was 2.153 times more likely than stroke patients without a history of dyslipidemia, and stroke patients with a history of heart abnormalities had a risk of recurrent stroke rates of 2.321 times more likely than stroke patients without a history of heart abnormalities. For stroke patients with a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and a history of cardiac abnormalities, need to do regular check-ups and controls every month to avoid recurrence of stroke.

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Risk and Predictors of Depression Following Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Elderly

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000011828 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011828

Author(s):

Naomi Mayman ◽

Laura Katherine Stein ◽

John Erdman ◽

Alana Kornspun ◽

Stanley Tuhrim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Cumulative Risk ◽

The Elderly ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Post Stroke ◽

Medicare Data ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Post Stroke Depression ◽

History Of

Objective:We sought to comprehensively evaluate predictors of PSD in the US and compare PSD to post-myocardial infarction (MI) depression, in order to determine whether ischemic stroke (IS) uniquely elevates risk of depression.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study of 100% de-identified inpatient, outpatient, and subacute nursing Medicare data from 2016-2017 for US patients aged ≥65 years from July 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017. We calculated Kaplan-Meier unadjusted cumulative risk of depression up to 1.5 years following index admission. We performed Cox regression to report the hazard ratio for diagnosis of depression up to 1.5 years post-stroke vs. MI, and independent predictors of PSD, and controlled for patient demographics, comorbidities, length of stay and acute stroke interventions.Results:In fully adjusted models, stroke patients (n=174,901) were ∼50% more likely than MI patients (n=193,418) to develop depression during the 1.5-year follow-up period (Kaplan-Meier cumulative risk 0.1596±0.001 in stroke patients versus 0.0973±0.000778 in MI patients, log-rank p<0.0001). History of anxiety was the strongest predictor of PSD, while discharge home was most protective. Female patients, White patients, and patients younger than 75 years were more likely to be diagnosed with depression post-stroke.Conclusions:Despite the similarities between MI and stroke, patients who suffer from stroke were significantly more likely to develop depression. There were several predictors of post-stroke depression, most significantly history of anxiety. Our findings lend credibility to a stroke-specific process causing depression and highlight the need for consistent depression screening in all stroke patients.

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Short-Term Outcome of Ischemic Stroke Patients With Systemic Malignancy

Stroke ◽

10.1161/strokeaha.118.023044 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 507-511 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Joonsang Yoo ◽

Hyo Suk Nam ◽

Young Dae Kim ◽

Hye Sun Lee ◽

Ji Hoe Heo

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Life Expectancy ◽

Metastatic Cancer ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Cancer Type ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Cox Regression Analysis ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Cancer Group ◽

Systemic Malignancy

Background and Purpose— Recent guidelines have suggested the potential benefit of intravenous thrombolysis in stroke patients with systemic malignancy who have a reasonable life expectancy of >6 months. However, it is difficult to determine which patients with cancer will have a life expectancy of >6 months. Therefore, we identified the factors associated with 6-month mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke and systemic malignancy. Methods— Consecutive stroke patients with systemic malignancy were retrospectively analyzed. We classified the patients into 3 groups: the nonactive cancer, active nonmetastatic cancer, and metastatic cancer groups. We compared the baseline characteristics and 6-month survival rates. Results— Of the 468 ischemic stroke patients with systemic malignancy during an 8-year period, 223 patients had nonactive cancer, 105 patients had active nonmetastatic cancer, and 140 patients had metastasis. During the 6-month follow-up, 122 patients (26.1%) died (nonactive cancer group [7.2%, 16/223], active nonmetastatic cancer group [11.4%, 12/105], and metastatic cancer group [67.1%, 94/140]). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the presence of metastasis (hazard ratio, 4.527; 95% CI, 2.175–9.422) was independently associated with 6-month mortality. However, the active nonmetastatic cancer group exhibited similar 6-month mortality to the nonactive cancer group (hazard ratio, 0.711; 95% CI, 0.282–1.795). Gastric/esophageal cancer and pancreatic cancer were also independently associated with 6-month mortality (hazard ratio, 2.068 and 2.389, respectively). Conclusions— In stroke patients with active cancer, the presence of metastasis and the cancer type were crucial factors associated with 6-month mortality.

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Predictors and Prognosis of Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Without Thrombolysis: Analysis of Data From the Chinese Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment Outcome Registry

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.727304 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Zhiyuan Shen ◽

Haiqiang Jin ◽

Yuxuan Lu ◽

Wei Sun ◽

Ran Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Stroke Treatment ◽

Nihss Score ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

History Of ◽

Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Outcome Registry

Background and Purpose: There is limited information on symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) in stroke patients without thrombolysis. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors of sICH and the association between sICH and the prognosis at 3 and 12 months in acute ischemic stroke patients without thrombolysis.Methods: Data originated from the Chinese Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment Outcome Registry. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to screen the risk factors of sICH. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association of sICH with poor outcome and all-cause mortality.Results: Totally, 9,484 patients were included, of which 69 (0.73%) had sICH. Atrial fibrillation (odds ratio [OR], 3.682; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.945–6.971; p < 0.001), history of tumors (OR, 2.956; 95% CI, 1.115–7.593; p = 0.024), and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on admission ([6–15: OR, 2.344; 95% CI, 1.365–4.024; p = 0.002] [>15: OR, 4.731; 95% CI, 1.648–13.583; p = 0.004]) were independently associated with sICH. After adjustment of the confounders, patients with sICH had a higher risk of poor outcome (OR, 1.983; 95% CI, 1.117–3.521; p = 0.018) at 3 months and that of all-cause mortality at 3 (OR, 6.135; 95% CI, 2.328–16.169; p < 0.001) and 12 months (OR, 3.720; 95% CI, 1.513–9.148; p = 0.004).Conclusion: sICH occurred in 0.73% of acute ischemic stroke patients without thrombolysis and was associated with a worse prognosis at 3 and 12 months. Atrial fibrillation, history of tumors, and NIHSS score at admission were independent risk factors of sICH.

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Red Blood Cell Indices in Relation to Post-stroke Psychiatric Disorders: A Longitudinal Study in a Follow-up Stroke Clinic

Current Neurovascular Research ◽

10.2174/1567202617666200423090958 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 218-223

Author(s):

Haichao Wang ◽

Li Gong ◽

Xiaomei Xia ◽

Qiong Dong ◽

Aiping Jin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Blood Cell ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Cox Regression Analysis ◽

Post Stroke ◽

Rbc Indices ◽

Post Stroke Depression

Background: Depression and anxiety after stroke are common conditions that are likely to be neglected. Abnormal red blood cell (RBC) indices may be associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the association of RBC indices with post-stroke depression (PSD) and poststroke anxiety (PSA) has not been sufficiently investigated. Methods: We aimed to investigate the trajectory of post-stroke depression and anxiety in our follow- up stroke clinic at 1, 3, and 6 months, and the association of RBC indices with these. One hundred and sixty-two patients with a new diagnosis of ischemic stroke were followed up at 1, 3, and 6 months, and underwent Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the general anxiety disorder 7-item (GAD-7) questionnaire for evaluation of depression and anxiety, respectively. First, we used Kaplan-Meier analysis to investigate the accumulated incidences of post-stroke depression and post-stroke anxiety. Next, to explore the association of RBC indices with psychiatric disorders after an ischemic stroke attack, we adjusted for demographic and vascular risk factors using multivariate Cox regression analysis. Results: Of the 162 patients with new-onset of ischemic stroke, we found the accumulated incidence rates of PSD (1.2%, 17.9%, and 35.8%) and PSA (1.2%, 13.6%, and 15.4%) at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. The incident PSD and PSA increased 3 months after a stroke attack. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated independent positive associations between PSD risk and higher mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (OR=1.42, 95% CI=1.16-1.76), older age (OR=2.63, 95% CI=1.16-5.93), and a negative relationship between male sex (OR=0.95, 95% CI=0.91-0.99) and PSA. Conclusion: The risks of PSD and PSA increased substantially 3 months beyond stroke onset. Of the RBC indices, higher MCV, showed an independent positive association with PSD.

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Characteristics of ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage in patients with nephrotic syndrome

BMC Nephrology ◽

10.1186/s12882-021-02415-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Wen-Yi Huang ◽

Chun-Wei Chang ◽

Chiung-Mei Chen ◽

Kuan-Hsing Chen ◽

Chien-Hung Chang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nephrotic Syndrome ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Chang Gung Memorial Hospital ◽

Cerebral Stroke ◽

Research Database ◽

Anterior Circulation ◽

Cox Regression Analysis

Abstract Background The incidence of cerebral stroke, including ischemic infarction and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), increases in patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS). However, the clinical characteristics of patients with NS and stroke remain elusive. We aimed to investigate the clinical presentation and prognosis among patients with NS and ischemic stroke (IS) or ICH. Methods We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of patients with NS and acute stroke using the Chang Gung Research Database of Taiwan from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2017. The participants were recruited from the 7 branches of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Results A total of 233 patients with IS and 57 patients with ICH were enrolled. The median age was 60 (52–70) years. The prevalence rates of hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, and smoking were higher in IS than in ICH. IS demonstrated lower white blood cell count (7.80 vs. 8.92 × 109/L) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level (33.42 vs. 144.10 nmol/L) and higher cholesterol (5.74 vs. 4.84 mmol/L), triglyceride (1.60 vs. 1.28 mmol/L), and albumin (24 vs. 18 g/L) levels compared with ICH. The dependent functional status and 30-day mortality were higher in ICH than in IS. The risk factors for 30-day mortality for patients with NS and stroke were coronary artery disease (CAD), ICH, and total anterior circulation syndrome. The multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that CAD was positively associated with 30-day mortality in patients with IS (hazard ratio 24.58, 95 % CI 1.48 to 408.90). In patients with ICH, CAD and subarachnoid hemorrhage were positively associated with 30-day mortality (hazard ratio 5.49, 95 % CI 1.54 to 19.56; hazard ratio 6.32, 95 % CI 1.57 to 25.53, respectively). Conclusions ICH demonstrated a higher risk of dependence and 30-day mortality compared with IS in patients with NS. Intensive monitoring and treatment should be applied particularly in patients with NS and ICH.

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Impacts of treatments on recurrence and 28-year survival of ischemic stroke patients

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-94757-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ting-Ann Wang ◽

Tzy-Haw Wu ◽

Shin-Liang Pan ◽

Hsiu-Hsi Chen ◽

Sherry Yueh-Hsia Chiu

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Cerebrovascular Disease ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Stroke Recurrence ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Double Blind ◽

Term Survival

AbstractAspirin and nicametate are well-established therapies for preventing recurrence and mortality from stroke in patients diagnosed as ischemic stroke. However, their respective effects on the recurrence, making allowance for the duration of recurrence and death without the occurrence of recurrence, and long-term survival have not been well elucidated. We aimed to evaluate long-term effect of two kinds of treatment on cerebrovascular death among ischemic stroke patients with or without the recurrence of stroke. Data used in this study were derived from the cohort based on a multicenter randomized double-blind controlled trial during 1992 to 1995 with the enrollment of a total of 466 patients with first-time non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke who were randomly allocated to receive aspirin (n = 222) or nicametate (n = 244). The trial cohort was followed up over time to ascertain the date of recurrence within trial period and death until Sep of 2019. The time-dependent Cox regression model was used to estimate the long-term effects of two treatments on death from cerebrovascular disease with and without recurrence. A total of 49 patients experienced stroke recurrence and 89 cerebrovascular deaths was confirmed. Patients treated with nicametate were more likely, but non statistically significantly, to have recurrence (aHR: 1.73, 95% CI 0.96–3.13) as compared with those treated by aspirin. Nicametate reduced the risk of cerebrovascular death about 37% (aHR: 0.63, 95% CI 0.41–0.97) compared with aspirin. The aspirin group had a lower recurrence rate than the nicametate group even with recurrence after 1–2 years of follow-up of first stroke but the latter had significantly reduced death from cerebrovascular disease for nicametate group, which requires more research to verify.

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Abstract 14: The Influence of Provider Specialty on Anticoagulation Prescription Fills and Stroke Risk in Atrial Fibrillation Patients With History of Cancer

Circulation Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes ◽

10.1161/circoutcomes.11.suppl_1.14 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Wesley T O’Neal ◽

J’Neka Claxton ◽

Richard MacLehose ◽

Lin Chen ◽

Lindsay G Bengtson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Oral Anticoagulant ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Prior History ◽

Cancer Type ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Increased Risk ◽

History Of ◽

Reduced Risk ◽

History Of Cancer

Background: Early cardiology involvement within 90 days of atrial fibrillation (AF) diagnosis is associated with greater likelihood of oral anticoagulant use and a reduced risk of stroke. Due to variation in cardiovascular care for patients with cancer, it is possible that a similar association does not exist for AF patients with cancer. Methods: We examined the association of early cardiology involvement with oral anticoagulation use among non-valvular AF patients with history of cancer (past or active), using data from 388,045 patients (mean age=68±15 years; 59% male) from the MarketScan database (2009-2014). ICD-9 codes in any position were used to identify cancer diagnosis prior to AF diagnosis. Provider specialty and filled anticoagulant prescriptions 3 months prior to and 6 months after AF diagnosis were obtained. Poisson regression models were used to compute the probability of an oral anticoagulant prescription fill and Cox regression was used to estimate the risk of stroke and major bleeding. Results: A total of 64,016 (17%) AF patients had a prior history of cancer. Cardiology involvement was less likely to occur among patients with history of cancer than those without (relative risk=0.92, 95% confidence interval (0.91, 0.93)). Similar differences were observed for cancers of the colon (0.90 (0.88, 0.92)), lung (0.76 (0.74, 0.78)), pancreas (0.74 (0.69, 0.80)), and hematologic system (0.88 (0.87, 0.90)), while no differences were observed for breast or prostate cancers. Patients with cancer were less likely to fill prescriptions for anticoagulants (0.89 (0.88, 0.90)) than those without cancer, and similar results were observed for cancers of the colon, lung, prostate, pancreas, and hematologic system. However, patients with cancer were more likely to fill prescriptions for anticoagulants (1.48 (1.45, 1.52)) if seen by a cardiology provider, regardless of cancer type. A reduced risk of stroke (hazard ratio=0.89 (0.81, 0.99)) was observed among all cancer patients who were seen by a cardiology provider than among those who were not, without an increased risk of bleeding (1.04 (0.95, 1.13)). Conclusion: AF patients with cancer were less likely to see a cardiologist, and less likely to fill an anticoagulant prescription than AF patients without cancer. However, cardiology involvement was associated with increased anticoagulant prescription fills and reduced risk of stroke, suggesting a beneficial role for cardiology providers to improve outcomes in AF patients with history of cancer.

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Abstract WP226: Short Lasting Runs (<30 sec) of Atrial Fibrillation are More Commonly Observed in Ischemic Stroke Patients in Comparison to Controls

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.47.suppl_1.wp226 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Ethem Murat Arsava ◽

Ezgi Yetim ◽

Ugur Canpolat ◽

Necla Ozer ◽

Kudret Aytemir ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Multivariate Analyses ◽

Holter Monitoring ◽

Female Gender ◽

Prior History ◽

Consecutive Series ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

History Of

Background: The role of short-lasting (<30 sec) runs of atrial fibrillation (AF) in ischemic stroke pathophysiology is currently unknown. Although these non-sustained attacks are considered as a risk factor for future development of longer lasting, classical AF episodes, prior research has highlighted that associated clinical stroke features are not entirely similar between these two types of arrhythmias. In this study we determined the prevalence of short-lasting AF in stroke-free controls and compared it to a consecutive series of ischemic stroke patients. Methods: A total 235 controls, without any prior history stroke or AF, were evaluated with ECG and 24-hour Holter monitoring for the presence of <30-sec or ≥30-sec lasting AF episodes. The results were compared to a consecutive series of ischemic stroke patients without prior history of AF (n=456). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine demographic and cardiovascular factors related to <30-sec lasting AF and its association with ischemic stroke. Results: Expectedly, the frequency of newly diagnosed ≥30-sec lasting AF, detected either on ECG or Holter monitoring, was significantly higher in patients with ischemic stroke (18% vs. 2%; p<0.01). Non-sustained AF was positively related to old age (p<0.01), female gender (p=0.01) and hypertension (p<0.01) in univariate analyses. In multivariate analyses, after adjustment for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors, presence of non-sustained AF was significantly higher among both cryptogenic (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.02-3.10) and non-cryptogenic (OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.15-2.94) stroke patients with respect to controls. Conclusion: Our study shows a higher prevalence of non-sustained AF episodes in ischemic stroke patients in comparison to controls. Whether this cross-sectional association translates into causality in terms of stroke pathophysiology will be the subject of future studies.

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