scholarly journals Anticoagulation and Risk of Stroke Recurrence in Patients with Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source Having No Potential Source of Embolism

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 601-608
Author(s):  
Noriko Sato ◽  
Ryu Matsuo ◽  
Fumi Kiyuna ◽  
Kuniyuki Nakamura ◽  
Jun Hata ◽  
...  

<b><i>Background:</i></b> This study aimed to determine whether use of oral anticoagulants (OACs) was associated with a reduced risk of recurrent stroke compared with use of antiplatelets (APs) in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) having no potential source of embolism. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Of 8,790 patients with acute ischemic stroke registered at 7 centers in the Fukuoka Stroke Registry from June 2007 to May 2017, we included 681 patients (mean age 69.7 [SD 14.1] years, 48.3% men) who experienced ESUS without a potential source of embolism and received OAC alone or AP alone. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidential intervals (CIs) of recurrent ischemic stroke or any stroke after discharge using a Cox proportional hazards model and Fine and Gray model. <b><i>Results:</i></b> During a mean follow-up of 3.4 (SD 1.7) years, event rates of recurrent ischemic stroke were 4.4 per 100 person-years in 489 patients treated with AP and 2.0 per 100 person-years in 192 patients treated with OAC. OAC use was associated with a reduced risk of recurrent ischemic stroke, even after adjusting for potential confounding factors (multivariable-adjusted HR [95% CI], 0.42 [0.23–0.80]) and when additionally considering death as a competing risk (0.45 [0.24–0.85]). The reduced risk of recurrent ischemic stroke was still observed in patients treated with OAC (0.32 [0.15–0.67]) in reference to propensity score-matched patients treated with AP. These associations were maintained for all types of stroke, including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This nonrandomized observational study suggests that anticoagulation therapy might be associated with a reduced risk of recurrent stroke compared with antiplatelet therapy in patients with ESUS in whom no potential source of embolism was identified. Further study should be performed in consideration of a potential source of embolism even in patients with ESUS.

Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. e578-e589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wi-Sun Ryu ◽  
Dawid Schellingerhout ◽  
Keun-Sik Hong ◽  
Sang-Wuk Jeong ◽  
Min Uk Jang ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo define the role and risks associated with white matter hyperintensity (WMH) load in a stroke population with respect to recurrent stroke and mortality after ischemic stroke.MethodsA total of 7,101 patients at a network of university hospitals presenting with ischemic strokes were followed up for 1 year. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards model and competing risk analysis were used to examine the independent association between quartiles of WMH load and stroke recurrence and mortality at 1 year.ResultsOverall recurrent stroke risk at 1 year was 6.7%/y, divided between 5.6%/y for recurrent ischemic and 0.5%/y for recurrent hemorrhagic strokes. There was a stronger association between WMH volume and recurrent hemorrhagic stroke by quartile (hazard ratio [HR] 7.32, 14.12, and 33.52, respectively) than for ischemic recurrence (HR 1.03, 1.37, and 1.61, respectively), but the absolute incidence of ischemic recurrence by quartile was higher (3.8%/y, 4.5%/y, 6.3%/y, and 8.2%/y by quartiles) vs hemorrhagic recurrence (0.1%/y, 0.4%/y, 0.6%/y, and 1.3%/y). All-cause mortality (10.5%) showed a marked association with WMH volume (HR 1.06, 1.46, and 1.60), but this was attributable to nonvascular rather than vascular causes.ConclusionsThere is an association between WMH volume load and stroke recurrence, and this association is stronger for hemorrhagic than for ischemic stroke, although the absolute risk of ischemic recurrence remains higher. These data should be helpful to practitioners seeking to find the optimal preventive/treatment regimen for poststroke patients and to individualize risk-benefit ratios.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 40-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan I. Qureshi ◽  
Mushtaq H. Qureshi ◽  
Li-Ming Lien ◽  
Jiunn-Tay Lee ◽  
Jiann-Shing Jeng ◽  
...  

Background: The natural history of vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) stenosis or occlusion remains understudied. Methods: Patients with diagnosis of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) who were noted to have VBA stenosis based on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging or catheter-based angiogram were selected from Taiwan Stroke Registry. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the hazards ratio (HR) of recurrent stroke and death within 1 year of index event in various groups based on severity of VBA stenosis (none to mild: 0–49%; moderate to severe: 50–99%: occlusion: 100%) after adjusting for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between groups at baseline evaluation. Results: None to mild or moderate to severe VBA stenosis was diagnosed in 6972 (66%) and 3,137 (29.8%) among 10,515 patients, respectively, and occlusion was identified in 406 (3.8%) patients. Comparing with patients who showed none to mild stenosis of VBA, there was a significantly higher risk of recurrent stroke (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.01–1.45) among patients with moderate to severe VBA stenosis. There was a nonsignificantly higher risk of recurrent stroke (HR 1.49, 95% CI 0.99–2.22) and significantly higher risk of death (HR 2.21, 95% CI 1.72–2.83), among patients with VBA occlusion after adjustment of potential confounders. Conclusions: VBA stenosis or occlusion was relatively prevalent among patients with TIA or ischemic stroke and associated with higher risk of recurrent stroke and death in patients with ischemic stroke or TIA who had large artery atherosclerosis.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 1797-1804 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Ntaios ◽  
Lesly A. Pearce ◽  
Roland Veltkamp ◽  
Mukul Sharma ◽  
Scott E. Kasner ◽  
...  

Background and Purpose— Emboli in embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) may originate from various potential embolic sources (PES), some of which may respond better to anticoagulation, whereas others to antiplatelets. We analyzed whether rivaroxaban is associated with reduction of recurrent stroke compared with aspirin in patients with ESUS across different PES and by number of PES. Methods— We assessed the presence/absence of each PES (atrial cardiopathy, atrial fibrillation, arterial atherosclerosis, left ventricular dysfunction, cardiac valvulopathy, patent foramen ovale, cancer) in NAVIGATE-ESUS (New Approach Rivaroxaban Inhibition of Factor Xa in a Global Trial Versus ASA to Prevent Embolism in Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source) participants. Prevalence of each PES, as well as treatment effect and risk of event for each PES were determined. Results by number of PES were also determined. The outcomes were ischemic stroke, all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and myocardial infarction. Results— In 7213 patients (38% women, mean age 67years) followed for a median of 11 months, the 3 most prevalent PES were atrial cardiopathy (37%), left ventricular disease (36%), and arterial atherosclerosis (29%). Forty-one percent of all patients had multiple PES, with 15% having ≥3 PES. None or a single PES was present in 23% and 36%, respectively. Recurrent ischemic stroke risk was similar for rivaroxaban- and aspirin-assigned patients for each PES, except for those with cardiac valvular disease which was marginally higher in rivaroxaban-assigned patients (hazard ratio, 1.8 [95% CI, 1.0–3.0]). All-cause mortality risks were similar across treatment groups for each PES while too few myocardial infarctions and cardiovascular deaths occurred for meaningful assessment. Increasing number of PES was not associated with increased stroke recurrence nor all-cause mortality, and outcomes did not vary between rivaroxaban- and aspirin-assigned patients by number of PES. Conclusions— A large proportion of patients with ESUS had multiple PES which could explain the neutral results of NAVIGATE-ESUS. Recurrence rates between rivaroxaban- and aspirin-assigned patients were similar across the spectrum of PES. Registration— URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT02313909.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 204062232097485
Author(s):  
Sheng-Feng Lin ◽  
Yi-Hsuan Lu ◽  
Chyi-Huey Bai

Aim: The aim of this study was to establish whether non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are superior to warfarin in preventing stroke recurrence for atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke at the baseline. Methods: From 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2017, stroke patients with AF treated with oral anticoagulants in the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan were enrolled. The study was retrospective cohort design. Outcome measures were ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke recurrence. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to obtain the hazard ratio (HR). Results: In total, 39,840 stroke patients with AF treated with NOAC and 42,583 treated with warfarin were identified. NOACs were superior to warfarin in preventing all recurrent stroke [adjusted HR: 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.63–0.71, p < 0.001]. Results for the ischemic stroke population were the same as that for all types for stroke (adjusted HR: 0.66, 95% CI, 0.62–0.70, p < 0.001). For the hemorrhagic stroke population, NOACs were equivalent to warfarin in preventing ischemic stroke (adjusted HR: 1.11, 95% CI, 0.86–0.43, p < 0.001), but NOACs were superior to warfarin in preventing hemorrhagic stroke (adjusted HR: 0.64, 95% CI, 0.55–0.74, p < 0.001). Conclusions: NOACs were generally superior to warfarin in terms of efficacy and safety in previous stroke patients. The robustness of our findings was verified and should add new information to current recommendations for Asian stroke patients in selecting NOACs.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie S Ho ◽  
Ching-Hui Sia ◽  
Yushan Boi ◽  
Anthia S Foo ◽  
Mayank Dalakoti ◽  
...  

In ESUS, the relationship between atrial cardiopathy, occult AF and embolic stroke risk remains unclear. Studies suggest that left atrial volume index (LAVi) may be a better estimate of atrial cardiopathy than LA diameter. We explored LAVi as a marker of occult AF detection and ischemic stroke recurrence. Methods: From 2015-2017, consecutive ESUS patients diagnosed based on consensus criteria were studied. LAVi was measured using the Biplane Area-Length Method on TTE by trained cardiologists. Clinical outcomes measured were occult AF detection and ischemic stroke recurrence in a time-to-event analysis. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to compare outcomes in those with high versus low LAVi at optimized cut-off values. Results: 199 consecutive ESUS patients were followed up for 2.2±1.0 years. 9 patients were excluded due to technically inadequate views. Increased LAVi was associated with AF detection (36.63mL/m 2 ± 12.2 vs 26.93mL/m 2 ± 9.6) and stroke recurrence (32.13mL/m 2 ± 9.3 vs 27.23mL/m 2 ± 10.1). On multivariate regression adjusting for age, sex, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, LAVI was independently associated with AF detection (OR 1.08, CI 95% 1.03-1.14; p=0.003) and stroke recurrence (OR 1.05, CI 95% 1.01-1.10; p=0.026). Kaplan-Meier curves showed significant differences in occult AF (log-rank 8.67, p=0.003) and stroke recurrence (log-rank 5.31, p=0.021) between high (>27.7ml/m 2 ) and low LAVi (≤27.7ml/m 2 ) groups. Conclusion: Increased LAVi in ESUS patients was associated with AF detection and stroke recurrence, suggesting that this may be a useful echocardiographic marker to identify high-risk patients who may potentially benefit from anticoagulation.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander E Merkler ◽  
Heidi Sucharew ◽  
Kathleen S Alwell ◽  
Mary Haverbusch ◽  
Florence Rothenberg ◽  
...  

Introduction: Elevations in troponin (cTn) are common in patients with acute ischemic stroke, yet their significance remains uncertain. Hypothesis: Elevated cTn at the time of acute ischemic stroke is associated with ischemic stroke recurrence. Methods: We included all adult patients with acute ischemic stroke who were residents of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region and who presented to an emergency department (ED) in 2015 and who had a cTn measured within 24 hours of ED arrival. Our exposure variable was an elevated cTn, defined as a value exceeding the laboratory’s 99 th percentile. Our primary outcome was ischemic stroke recurrence, defined as a new ischemic stroke with radiographic confirmation in the 3 years following the index ischemic stroke event. Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the association between elevated cTn and ischemic stroke recurrence while adjusting for demographics, vascular risk factors, and stroke severity. In a secondary analysis, we excluded patients with a concomitant adjudicated myocardial infarction (MI) at the time of the index ischemic stroke. Results: Among 2,334 patients with acute ischemic stroke, 1,992 (85%) had a cTn assay within 24 hours of ED arrival and were included in the analysis. 402 (20%) patients had an elevated cTn and 259 (13%) patients had a recurrent ischemic stroke. 66 (3%) patients had an elevated cTn and a concomitant acute MI and 336 (17%) patients had an elevated cTn without a concomitant acute MI. After adjustment for demographics, vascular risk factors, and stroke severity, we found an association between elevated cTn and recurrent ischemic stroke (hazards ratio [HR], 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1-2.0). Our results were unchanged after excluding patients with a concomitant adjudicated MI (HR 1.4; 95% CI, 1.03-2.0). Conclusions: Among patients with acute ischemic stroke, elevated cTn even in the absence of concomitant adjudicated MI, was associated with ischemic stroke recurrence. Further mechanistic studies are necessary to explore the underlying etiology of hypertroponinemia among patients with acute ischemic stroke in order to guide targeted therapies to reduce stroke recurrence.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian C Mac Grory ◽  
Shadi Yaghi ◽  
Shreyansh Shah ◽  
Pratik Y Chhatbar ◽  
Carmelo Graffagnino ◽  
...  

Introduction: Hyperglycemia is associated with increased lesion volume and worse functional outcome after acute ischemic stroke, however, it is not known whether it is associated with further cerebrovascular events. The aim of this study was to examine the association between admission hyperglycemia and subsequent ischemic stroke. Methods: This was an exploratory analysis of the Platelet Oriented Inhibition in New TIA and Minor Ischemic Stroke (POINT) trial, which compared combined clopidogrel/aspirin with aspirin alone with respect to the primary outcome of subsequent ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death. We dichotomized patients based on a serum glucose threshold of 180mg/dl (chosen a priori based on the upper boundary of the active control arm of SHINE). We calculated hazard ratios (HR) for subsequent ischemic stroke at 90 days via a Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for age, sex, study treatment assignment and vascular risk factors. We performed sensitivity analyses excluding patients with a known history of diabetes and in patients whose index event was a TIA vs. minor stroke. Results: Of 4,878 patients in this analysis (mean age 64.6 years), 594 (12.2%) were hyperglycemic on presentation and 267 (5.5%) had a subsequent ischemic stroke within 90 days. Admission hyperglycemia was associated with subsequent ischemic stroke (HR 1.88; 95% CI:1.39-2.53, p<0.01). This association persisted after adjustment for relevant covariates (aHR 1.86, 95% CI: 1.37-2.52, p<0.01), in non-diabetic patients (n=3,529, aHR 3.1, 95% CI:1.7-5.7, p<0.01), in patients with TIA (n=2,327, aHR 2.2, 95% CI: 1.2-4.1, p<0.01), and in patients with minor ischemic stroke (n=2,304, aHR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1-2.2, p=0.02). Conclusions: Hyperglycemia portends a higher risk of subsequent ischemic stroke after adjusting for known predictors of stroke recurrence. This study may provide further support to pursuing aggressive secondary prevention strategies in this population.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 302-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongjun Wang ◽  
Ming Liu ◽  
Chuanqiang Pu

Ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) are the most common cerebrovascular disorder and leading cause of death in China. The Effective secondary prevention is the vital strategy for reducing stroke recurrence. The aim of this guideline is to provide the most updated evidence-based recommendation to clinical physicians from the prior version. Control of risk factors, intervention for vascular stenosis/occlusion, antithrombotic therapy for cardioembolism, and antiplatelet therapy for noncardioembolic stroke are all recommended, and the prevention of recurrent stroke in a variety of uncommon causes and subtype provided as well. We modified the level of evidence and recommendation according to part of results from domestic RCT in order to facility the clinical practice.


Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam de Havenon ◽  
Nabeel Chauhan ◽  
Jennifer Majersik ◽  
David Tirschwell ◽  
Ka-Ho Wong ◽  
...  

Introduction: Enhancing intracranial atherosclerotic plaque on high-resolution vessel wall MRI (vwMRI) is a reliable marker of recent thromboembolism, and confers a recurrent stroke risk of up to 30% a year. Post-contrast plaque enhancement (PPE) on vwMRI is thought to represent inflammation, but studies have not fully examined the clinical, serologic or radiologic factors that contribute to PPE. Methods: Inpatients with acute ischemic stroke due to intracranial atherosclerosis were prospectively enrolled at a single center from 2015-16. vwMRI was performed on a 3T Siemens Verio and included 3D DANTE pulse sequences, pre- and post-contrast (for PPE identification). Three experienced neuroradiologists interpreted vwMRI using a validated multicontrast technique. The Chi-squared, Fisher’s Exact, and Student’s t-test were used for intergroup differences, and logistic regression was fitted to the primary outcome of PPE. Results: Inclusion criteria were met by 35 patients. Atherosclerotic plaques were in the anterior circulation in 21/35 (60%) and PPE was diagnosed in 20/35 (57%) of stroke parent arteries. PPE predictors are shown in Table 1 with logistic regression in Table 2 . Conclusion: PPE is associated with stenosis, which was expected, but the association with HgbA1c is novel. All patients with HgbA1c >8 had PPE and a one point HgbA1c rise increased the odds of PPE 3-fold. Hyperglycemia induces vascular oxidative stress by generating reactive oxygen species, quenching nitric oxide, and triggering an inflammatory cascade. Given the high rate of stroke recurrence in PPE patients, aggressive HgbA1c reduction may be a viable treatment target and warrants additional study.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Durgesh Chaudhary ◽  
Ayesha Khan ◽  
Mudit Gupta ◽  
Yirui Hu ◽  
Jiang Li ◽  
...  

Introduction: Obesity is an established risk factor for ischemic stroke but the association of increased body mass index (BMI) with survival after ischemic stroke remains controversial. Many studies have shown that increased BMI has a “protective” effect on survival after stroke while other studies have debunked the obesity paradox. This study aimed at examining the relationship between BMI and all-cause mortality at one year in first-time ischemic stroke patients using data extracted from different resources including electronic health records. Methods: We analyzed consecutive ischemic stroke patients captured in the Geisinger NeuroScience Ischemic Stroke (GNSIS) database. Survival in first-time ischemic stroke patients was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimator, stratified by different BMI categories. The predictors of mortality at one-year were assessed using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Among 6,703 first-time adult ischemic stroke patients, mean age was 70.2 ±13.5 years and 52% were men. Of these patients, 24% patients were non-overweight (BMI < 25), 34% were overweight (BMI 25-29.9) and 41% were obese (BMI ≥ 30). One-year survival probability was significantly higher in overweight patients (87%, 95% CI: [85.6 - 88.4], p<0.001) and obese patients (89.5%, 95% CI: [88.4 - 90.7], p<0.001) compared to non-overweight patients (78.1%, 95% CI: [76.0 - 80.1]). In multivariate analysis, one-year mortality was significantly lower in overweight and obese patients (overweight patients- HR = 0.61 [95% CI, 0.52 - 0.72]; obese patients- HR = 0.56 [95% CI, 0.48 - 0.67]). Other significant predictors of one-year mortality were age at the ischemic stroke event (HR = 1.04 [95% CI, 1.03 - 1.04]), history of neoplasm (HR = 1.59 [95% CI, 1.38 - 1.85]), atrial fibrillation or flutter (HR = 1.26 [95% CI, 1.09 - 1.46]), heart failure (HR = 1.68 [95% CI, 1.42 - 1.98]), diabetes mellitus (HR = 1.27 [95% CI, 1.1 - 1.47]), rheumatic disease (HR = 1.37 [95% CI, 1.05 - 1.78]) and myocardial infarction ((HR = 1.23 [95% CI, 1.02 - 1.48]). Conclusion: Our results support the obesity paradox in ischemic stroke patients as shown by a significantly decreased hazard ratio for one-year mortality among overweight and obese patients in comparison to non-overweight patients.


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