Abstract 25: Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation is Common in Patients With Defined Etiology for Stroke: Prolonged Monitoring of Cardiac Rhythm for Detection of Atrial Fibrillation After a Cerebral Ischemic Event (PEAACE) Study

Stroke ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Esseddeeg M Ghrooda ◽  
Peter Dobrowolski ◽  
Ghazala Basir ◽  
Ibrahim Yaseen ◽  
Nazim khan ◽  
...  

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) related cardioembolic stroke accounts for over 20% of ischemic stroke. Recent reports using prolonged cardiac rhythm monitoring (PCRM) in cryptogenic stroke reveal paroxysmal AF (PAF) in an additional 20% of patients. We report our findings with PCRM in patients with and without cryptogenic stroke patients in whom an initial 24-h Holter was negative. Methods: Patients admitted to the stroke service with no previous history of AF and no AF on Holter monitoring were enrolled for 3 weeks of PCRM. We used a PAF predictive score to determine the risk of the arrhythmia. All studies were interpreted by the stroke team prior to final review by the cardiologist. Results: Between Sept 2012 and June 2013, 96 patients were evaluated. Over all PAF was diagnoses in 37.5 % of patients. PAF was diagnosed in 32% of patients with cryptogenic stroke and 36 % of patients where an additional etiology may account for the stroke diagnosis. The AF prediction score was not useful in the recognition of patients that were more likely to be at risk for AF. 96 of 98 recordings were correctly identified by the stroke team prior to final diagnosis by the cardiologist. Interpretation: PAF is more common in stroke patients than was previously suspected. It occurs with similar frequency in patients with and without cryptogenic stroke. Our data strongly supports the need for prolonged cardiac rhythm monitoring in all stroke patients to diagnose this important preventable cause of ischemic stroke.

Stroke ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takao Hoshino ◽  
Kentaro Ishiduka ◽  
Takehiko Nagao ◽  
Satoru Shimizu ◽  
Shinichiro Uchiyama

Background and Purpose The detection rate of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in stroke patients is limited because they are often asymptomatic, or presenting sinus rhythm on ECG. To estimate the likelihood of PAF as a cause of ischemic stroke, we attempted to identify predictive factors for PAF using the data of sinus heart rate (SHR) on monitoring ECG. Methods We enrolled 711 consecutive patients admitted to our hospital with acute ischemic stroke. Exclusion criteria were (1) persistent AF; (2) cardiac pacemaker; and (3) incomplete clinical investigations. Minimum and mean SHR on 24-hour Holter ECG were obtained. The presence of PAF was judged based on previous history, initial ECG, 24-hour Holter ECG, and cardiac monitoring by inpatient telemetry. The clinical characteristics were compared between patients with and without PAF (PAF and non-PAF group, respectively), and multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors for PAF. Results Of all enrolled patients, 577 patients were eligible for analysis, and PAF was confirmed in 110 (19.1%). Clinical parameters showing a significant difference between PAF and non-PAF groups included: age (mean, 74.1 vs. 66.6, P <0.001); dyslipidemia (32.7% vs. 50.8%, P =0.001); lack of intra- or extracranial stenosis (54.0% vs. 79.1%, P <0.001); chronic heart failure (17.3% vs. 4.9%, P <0.001); and NIHSS score (median, 8 vs. 6, P =0.002). Minimum and mean SHR were lower in PAF group than in non-PAF group (46.4 vs. 54.1 bpm, P <0.001; 71.0 vs. 73.8 bpm, P =0.021, respectively). Percentages of patients with PAF were highest in the lowest quartiles of minimum and mean SHR (Figure). Multivariate analysis showed minimum SHR as one of independent predictive factors of PAF (OR 1.08; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.12; P <0.001). Conclusions Low SHR on monitoring ECG can be a novel predictive factor for PAF in ischemic stroke patients.


Stroke ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shadi Yaghi ◽  
Yeseon P Moon ◽  
Consuelo Mora-McLaughlin ◽  
Joshua Z Willey ◽  
Marco R Di Tullio ◽  
...  

Background: While left atrial (LA) enlargement increases incident stroke risk, the association with recurrent stroke is unclear. Our aim was to determine the association of LA enlargement (LAE) with stroke recurrence risk and recurrent stroke subtypes likely related to embolism (cryptogenic or cardioembolic). Methods: We enrolled 655 first ischemic stroke patients in the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study. LA size was measured by two-dimensional echocardiogram as part of the clinical evaluation and patients were followed annually for up to 5 years. LA size adjusted for sex and body surface area was categorized into three groups: normal (52.7%), mild LAE (31.6%), and moderate to severe LAE (15.7%). The outcomes were total recurrent stroke, and recurrent combined cryptogenic or cardioembolic stroke. Cox proportional hazard models assessed the association between LA size and risk of stroke recurrence. Results: Of 655 patients, LA size data was present in 529 (81%). Mean age was 69 ± 13 years; 46% were male and 18% had atrial fibrillation. Over a median of 4 years, recurrent stroke occurred in 83 patients (16%), 29 were cardioembolic or cryptogenic stroke. After adjusting for baseline demographics and risk factors including atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure, compared to normal LA size, moderate to severe LAE was associated with greater risk of recurrent combined cardioembolic or cryptogenic stroke (adjusted HR 2. 99, 95% CI 1. 10 to 8.13), but not with risk of total stroke recurrence (adjusted HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.60 to 2.32). Mild LAE was not associated with either total stroke recurrence or the combined recurrent cryptogenic or cardioembolic stroke subtypes. Conclusion: Moderate to severe LAE is an independent marker of recurrent cardioembolic or cryptogenic stroke in a multiethnic cohort of ischemic stroke patients. Future research is needed to determine if anticoagulant use reduces the risk of recurrence in ischemic stroke patients with moderate to severe LAE.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessie Ze-Jun Chen ◽  
Vincent N. Thijs

Purpose: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is associated with ischemic stroke, especially in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source. This study aims to evaluate the presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in ischemic stroke patients with PFO.Methods: We systematically searched EMBASE and MEDLINE databases on May 21, 2020 for studies that analyzed the presence of AF in patients with PFO. The primary outcome was the presence of AF in patients with PFO compared with those without. Outcomes were pooled using a random-effects model using the method of DerSimonian and Laird. We recorded demographic characteristics and the methods used for AF detection in the studies included (unspecified, history/medical records review, ECG, Holter monitor, or loop recorder).Results: A total of 14 studies and 13,245 patients fulfilled the entry criteria. The average age was 61.2 years and 41.3% of the participants were female. There was a lower risk of AF in patients with PFO compared with those without (RR 0.52, 95% confidence interval, 0.41–0.63, p &lt; 0.001). There was no evidence of heterogeneity. The lower risk of AF was found in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies and in studies stratified by average age (&lt;60 or ≥60) and in cryptogenic stroke. Meta-regression by PFO detection technique suggested that studies using transoesophageal echocardiogram for PFO detection reported higher risk of AF (1.39, 95% confidence interval 1.14–1.70, p = 0.004).Conclusion: The presence of a PFO in patients with ischemic stroke/TIA may be associated with a lower risk of AF. Few studies have estimated the risk of future AF in patients with PFO.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Santucci ◽  
Takashi Shimoyama ◽  
Ken Uchino

Introduction: Electrocardiogram (ECG) findings of premature atrial contraction and prolonged PR interval are associated with risk of onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in cryptogenic stroke. We sought to see if normal ECG and AF incidence is incompletely understood. Methods: From a prospective single-hospital stroke registry from 2018, we identified ischemic stroke patients who had ECG done on admission for review. We excluded patients with AF on admission ECG, history of AF, and implanted device with cardiac monitoring capability. Normal ECG was interpreted based on the standardized reporting guidelines for ECG studies evaluating risk stratification of emergency department patients. Stroke subtype was diagnosed according to the TOAST classification: large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), small vessel occlusion (SVO), cardioembolism, others/undetermined and embolic stoke of undetermined source (ESUS) criteria. We compared the incidence of newly diagnosed AF during hospitalization and from outpatient cardiac event monitoring between normal and abnormal ECG. Results: Of the 558 consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients, we excluded 135 with AF on admission ECG or history of AF and 9 with implanted devices. Of the remaining 414 patients that were included in the study, ESUS (31.2%) was the most frequent stroke subtype, followed by LAA (30.0%), SVO (14.0%), others/undetermined (15.7%), and cardioembolism (9.2%). Normal ECG was observed in 125 patients (30.2%). Cardioembolic subtype was less frequent in the normal versus abnormal ECG group (1.6% vs. 12.5%, p<0.001). New AF was detected in 17/414 patients (4.1%) during hospitalization. Of these 17 patients, none had normal ECG (0/125) and all had abnormal ECG (17/289, 5.9%) (p=0.002). After discharge, of 111 patients undergoing 4-week outpatient cardiac monitoring, new AF was detected in 16 (14.4%). Of these 16 patients, only 1 had a normal ECG (1/35, 2.9%) while 15 had abnormal ECG (15/76, 19.7%) (p=0.02). Conclusions: Normal ECG at admission for acute ischemic stroke is associated with low likelihood of detection of new atrial fibrillation in either the inpatient or outpatient setting.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marian Muchada Lopez ◽  
Jorge Pagola ◽  
Jesus Juega ◽  
Jaume Francisco-Pascual ◽  
Alejandro Bustamante ◽  
...  

Introduction and Purpose: Our aim was to review the characteristics of transient ischemic attack (TIA) and minor ischemic stroke patients monitored for atrial fibrillation (AF) epidoses detection within the first 4weeks after stroke to assess AF predictors. Materials and Methods: TIA and minor ischemic stroke patients (nihss≤ 5) were selected from CRYPTO-AF database. CRYPTO-AF is a prospective multicentre registry of patients with cryptogenic stroke older of 55 year-old. Monitoring started within the first 72 hours from stroke symptoms onset and was prolonged for 4 weeks. Clinical, cardiographic and blood test parameters of patients included were reviewed. Fisher exact and Mann Whitney tests were used to analyze categorical and continuous data. Results: In our cohort of 152 transient and minor ischemic stroke patients, 55.9% were men, mean age 73.18±10.24 and median NIHSS score was 2.31(0-5). A total of 30 patients (20.3%) were diagnosed with AF in the first month of monitoring, 6 patients (5.7%) within the first 3 days, 14 patients (13.3%) between 3 days and to 2 weeks of monitoring, and 14 partientes (12.4%) between the second and the fourth week. In these transient and minor ischemic stroke patients, age (p< 0.031), left atrial volume index (p< 0.023), the appearance of isolated extrasystoles during monitoring (p< 0.021), Type B natriuretic peptide (p< 0.011) and the longitudinal strain (p< 0.019) appeared as independet precitors of AF. However in the multivariate analysis adjusted for the above variables, only left atrial strain (OR 0.89, 95% CI: 0.797-0.991, p< 0.034) independently predicts AF detection. Conclusions: In our serie, only the left atrial strain appeared as a indepent predictor of AF. Given the known pathophysiology of TIA and minor ischemic stroke, the description of AF predictors would help to identify those patients who would benefit from completing a longer monitoring. More studies are needed to identify these predictors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 266 (12) ◽  
pp. 3058-3064 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Vollmuth ◽  
S. Stoesser ◽  
H. Neugebauer ◽  
A. Hansel ◽  
J. Dreyhaupt ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To date, insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs) are the most effective method for the detection of occult atrial fibrillation (AF) in cryptogenic stroke. The overall detection rate after 12 months, however, is low and ranges between 12.4 and 33.3%, even if clinical predictors are considered. Ischemic stroke patients due to cardiogenic embolism present with particular lesion patterns. In patients with cryptogenic stroke, MR-imaging pattern may be a valuable predictor for AF. Methods This is an MRI-based, retrospective, observational, comparative, single-center study of 104 patients who underwent ICM implantation after cryptogenic stroke. The findings were compared to a reference group with related stroke etiology, i.e., 166 patients with embolic stroke due to AF detected for the first time by long-term ECG. Lesion patterns were evaluated with regard to affected territories, distribution (cortical, lacunar, scattered), lesion volume, and lesion size (diameter of the lesion size > 20 mm). Results The MR-imaging analysis of acute ischemic lesions yielded no association between AF and lesion size or volume, arterial vessel distribution, or the number of affected territories. There was no significant difference between the cohorts regarding ischemic patterns (cortical lesions, scattered lesions, and lacunar infarcts). An important clinical inference of our findings is that 10% (2 of 20) of cases in the ICM group in whom AF was detected had a lacunar infarct pattern. Similar results were shown in cases of ischemic stroke patients with AF detected for the first time by long-term ECG, with 10.9% (16 of 147) of them showing lacunar infarcts. The analysis of chronic MRI lesions revealed no differences between the groups in the rate of chronic lesions, arterial vessel distribution, or the number of affected territories. Left atrial size (LA size) and the presence of atrial runs in long-term ECG were independently associated with AF. Conclusions In this MRI-based analysis of patients with cryptogenic stroke who had received ICM implantation, the detection rate of AF in patients with ICM was not related to the imaging pattern. In addition, the lacunar infarct pattern should not be an exclusion criterion for ICM insertion in patients with cryptogenic stroke. ICM insertion in patients with cryptogenic stroke should not be evaluated solely on the basis of reference to infarct patterns.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Mannina ◽  
Z Jin ◽  
K Matsumoto ◽  
K Ito ◽  
A Biviano ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Prolonged monitoring of cardiac rhythm has been used in patients with symptomatic arrhythmias and to assess for atrial fibrillation (AF) after cryptogenic stroke, but not in the general population and especially in older adults. Purpose To evaluate the frequency of arrhythmias in a community-based cohort of older adults through 14-days continuous cardiac monitoring using a patch-based device. Methods Cardiac rhythm was analyzed in 533 participants free of AF and congestive heart failure (CHF) from the tri-ethnic (white, black, Hispanic) Subclinical Atrial Fibrillation and Risk of Ischemic Stroke (SAFARIS) study. AF, supraventricular tachycardia (SVT, defined as 4 beats or more), premature atrial (PACs) and ventricular (PVCs) contractions, ventricular tachycardia (VT, defined as 4 beats or more), sinus pauses (SP) and atrio-ventricular blocks (AVB) were analyzed. Gender, age and race-ethnic differences were examined. Results Mean age was 77.2±6.8 years (198 men, 335 women). Recording duration was over 10 days in 91%, and over 13 days in 84%. AF was present in 10 participants (1.9%), atrial flutter in 1 (0.2%). Other arrhythmias are reported in the Table. SP (1.9%) and high-degree AVB (Mobitz II: 0.6%; 3rd degree: 0.9%) were rare. No significant race-ethnic differences were observed. Conclusion In older adults without history of stroke or CHF, prolonged rhythm monitoring revealed moderate frequency of AF, but higher than expected frequencies of AF-predisposing conditions such as SVT and frequent PACs. VT episodes were relatively frequent, whereas SP and AVB were less frequent than commonly believed. Most arrhythmias were more frequent in the oldest; ventricular arrhythmias were more common in men than in women. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): NINDS R01 NS083874


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0259627
Author(s):  
Ki-Woong Nam ◽  
Hyung-Min Kwon ◽  
Yong-Seok Lee

Background In ischemic stroke patients with active cancer, cryptogenic stroke has worse prognosis than stroke by conventional mechanisms. However, the individual effects of intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) or atrial fibrillation (AF) on the prognosis of these patients have not been studied. Aims Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of ICAS and AF on the prognosis of ischemic stroke patients with active cancer. Methods We included ischemic stroke patients with active cancer between 2010 and 2020. Early neurological deterioration (END) was defined as an increase of ≥ 1 in the motor NIHSS score, or ≥ 2 in the total NIHSS score within 72 hours of admission. Unfavorable outcomes were defined as a score of ≥ 3 on the 3-month modified Rankin Scale. Results In total, 116 ischemic stroke patients with active cancer were evaluated. In multivariable analysis, ICAS was positively associated with END (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.56, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52–13.70), and this association showed a quantitative relationship according to the degree of stenosis of ICAS (stenosis group: aOR = 4.24, 95% CI: 1.31–13.72; occlusion group, aOR = 5.74, 95% CI: 1.05–31.30). ICAS was also closely related to unfavorable outcomes (aOR = 6.33, 95% CI: 1.15–34.79). In contrast, AF showed no significant association with END or unfavorable outcomes. Our data showed that patients with ICAS had larger and more severe initial stroke lesions, and poorer prognosis than those without. Conclusions ICAS, but not AF, was closely associated with poor prognosis in ischemic stroke patients with active cancer.


Stroke ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 2223-2226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Kneihsl ◽  
Thomas Gattringer ◽  
Egbert Bisping ◽  
Daniel Scherr ◽  
Reinhard Raggam ◽  
...  

Background and Purpose— Occult atrial fibrillation (AF) causes a relevant proportion of initially cryptogenic stroke (CS), but prolonged rhythm monitoring is difficult to apply to all such patients. We hypothesized that blood biomarkers indicating heart failure (NT-proBNP [N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide]) and hypercoagulability (D-dimer, AT-III [antithrombin-III]) were associated with AF-related stroke and could serve to predict the likelihood of AF detection in CS patients early on. Methods— Over a 1-year period, we prospectively applied a defined etiologic work-up to all ischemic stroke patients admitted to our stroke unit. If no clear stroke cause was detected (CS), patients underwent extended in-hospital cardiac rhythm monitoring (≥72 hours). Blood to determine biomarker levels was drawn within 24 hours after admission. Results— Of 429 patients, 103 had AF-related stroke. Compared with noncardiac stroke patients (n=171), they had higher NT-proBNP (1867 versus 263 pg/ml) and D-dimer levels (1.1 versus 0.6 µg/ml), and lower AT-III concentration (89% versus 94%). NT-proBNP ≥505 pg/ml distinguished AF-related from noncardiac stroke with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 72%. D-dimer and AT-III cutoffs had lower sensitivities (61% and 53%) and specificities (58% and 69%) for AF-related stroke. Of all initially 143 CS patients, 14 were diagnosed with AF during in-hospital monitoring. The preidentified NT-proBNP cutoff ≥505 pg/ml correctly predicted AF in 12 of them (86%, negative predictive value: 98%), while D-dimer and AT-III cutoffs were noncontributory. Conclusions— This study supports the association of NT-proBNP and to a lesser extent of hypercoagulation markers with AF-related stroke. NT-proBNP seems helpful in selecting CS patients for immediate extended cardiac rhythm monitoring to detect occult AF whereby levels <505 pg/ml seem to have a high-negative predictive value.


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