scholarly journals Persistent or permanent atrial fibrillation is associated with severe cardioembolic stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joji Hagii ◽  
Norifumi Metoki ◽  
Shin Saito ◽  
Hiroshi Shiroto ◽  
Satoko Sasaki ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Little is known about the difference in the severity of cardioembolic (CE) stroke between patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and persistent/permanent AF (PerAF). We assessed stroke severity in patients with CE stroke divided by the type of AF. Methods Three hundred and fifty-eight consecutive patients with CE stroke within 48 h of onset and with a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤ 1 before onset were studied. We compared basic characteristics, stroke severity, and functional outcome between patients with PAF (n = 127) and PerAF (n = 231). Results Patients with PerAF were more likely to take oral anticoagulants (OACs) than those with PAF (37% vs. 13%, P <  0.0001), even though still underuse of OAC in both patients. Regarding stroke severity on admission, patients with PerAF exhibited a tendency toward a higher score on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) compared with patients with PAF (12 [5–20] vs. 9 [4–18]; P = 0.12). Mortality and mRS score at discharge were higher in the PerAF than in the PAF group (13% vs. 4%; P = 0.005, and 3 [1–5] vs. 2 [1–4]; P = 0.01, respectively). Multivariate analyses confirmed that PerAF was a significant determinant of severe stroke (NIHSS score > 8) on admission (odds ratio [OR] to PAF = 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08–2.98; P = 0.02) and of an mRS score ≥ 3 at discharge (OR = 2.07; 95% CI 1.24–3.46; P = 0.006). Patients with PerAF had three times more internal carotid artery occlusion evaluated by magnetic resonance angiography, which indicated a more severe cerebral embolism compared with patients with PAF. Conclusions We found underuse of OAC in high risk AF patients with CE stroke. PerAF is significantly associated with severe stroke on admission and an unfavorable functional outcome at discharge in Japanese patients with CE stroke.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Masaki Naganuma ◽  
Yuichiro Inatomi ◽  
Toshiro Yonehara ◽  
Makoto Nakajima ◽  
Mitsuharu Ueda

<b><i>Background and Purpose:</i></b> Anticoagulant drugs, including vitamin K antagonist (VKA) and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), can reduce stroke severity and are associated with good functional outcomes. Some patients are prescribed lower-than-recommended doses of DOACs; whether these have similar effects has not been clarified. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We retrospectively evaluated 1,139 consecutive ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack patients with atrial fibrillation. Patients were divided into 5 groups according to their preceding anticoagulant drug therapies: no anticoagulant therapy (AC<sub>n</sub>), undercontrolling VKA doses (VKA<sub>uc</sub>), recommended, controlling VKA doses (VKA<sub>rec</sub>), prescribed underdoses of DOAC (DOAC<sub>ud</sub>), and recommended doses of DOAC (DOAC<sub>rec</sub>). We investigated the associations between these anticoagulant drug therapies and patients’ initial stroke severity and 3-month outcomes. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores at admission were as follows: AC<sub>n</sub>: 16, VKA<sub>uc</sub>: 15, VKA<sub>rec</sub>: 9, DOAC<sub>ud</sub>: 5, and DOAC<sub>rec</sub>: 7. When the AC<sub>n</sub> group was used as a reference, regression analysis showed that VKA<sub>rec</sub> (odds ratio [OR] 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–2.21), DOAC<sub>ud</sub> (OR 2.84, 95% CI: 1.47–5.66), and DOAC<sub>rec</sub> (OR 1.83, 95% CI: 1.23–2.74) were associated with milder stroke severity, while VKA<sub>uc</sub> was not. Median 3-month modified Rankin Scale scores were 2 in the DOAC<sub>ud</sub> and DOAC<sub>rec</sub> groups and 4 in all other groups. After adjusting for confounding factors, DOAC<sub>ud</sub> (OR 3.14, 95% CI: 1.50–6.57) and DOAC<sub>rec</sub> (OR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.05–2.64) were associated with good 3-month outcomes while VKA<sub>uc</sub> and VKA<sub>rec</sub> were not. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> In patients with atrial fibrillation, recommended doses and underdoses of DOACs reduced stroke severity on admission and were associated with good 3-month outcomes.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole B Sur ◽  
Sebastian Koch ◽  
Kefeng Wang ◽  
Marco R Di Tullio ◽  
Carolina Gutierrez ◽  
...  

Background: Oral anticoagulants (OACs) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) are largely underutilized. We identified pre-admission OAC utilization patterns and factors predictive of OAC non-use in patients hospitalized for AF-related stroke. Methods: We included 22,220 patients with ischemic stroke due to previously diagnosed AF enrolled in the Florida Stroke Registry from 2010-2017. A multivariable-adjusted logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with pre-stroke OAC use for patients with AF-related stroke. Results: A total of 16,246 (73%) patients with AF-related stroke were not on OAC pre-stroke. Compared to patients on OAC, non-OAC patients were more likely to be ≥80 years old, have Medicaid/no insurance, lower CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores and greater stroke severity at presentation. After adjustment for age, sex, race-ethnicity, insurance status and vascular risk factors, baseline OAC non-use was higher for patients with Medicaid/no insurance (vs. private insurance, (OR 1.34 [95% CI 1.08-1.67]), smokers (OR 1.29 [1.09-1.52] and patients with NIHSS ≥6 (vs. NIHSS≤5, OR 1.18 [1.11-1.26]). A trend towards greater odds of OAC non-use was seen in women (vs. men, OR 1.07 [0.99-1.14, P=0.07]). Conclusion: The majority of AF-related stroke patients with known AF were not anticoagulated prior to hospitalization for stroke in our study. Insurance status and smoking status had the greatest influence on pre-stroke OAC use. Anticoagulated patients had lower stroke severity on admission. Further efforts are needed to increase OAC use to reduce the burden of stroke for patients with AF, especially for vulnerable populations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 2277-2285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela SM Salinet ◽  
Nathália CC Silva ◽  
Juliana Caldas ◽  
Daniel S de Azevedo ◽  
Marcelo de-Lima-Oliveira ◽  
...  

We aimed to assess cerebral autoregulation (CA) and neurovascular coupling (NVC) in stroke patients of differing severity comparing responses to healthy controls and explore the association between CA and NVC with functional outcome. Patients admitted with middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke and healthy controls were recruited. Stroke severity was defined by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores: ≤4 mild, 5–15 moderate and ≥16 severe. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound and Finometer recorded MCA cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFv) and blood pressure, respectively, over 5 min baseline and 1 min passive movement of the elbow to calculate the autoregulation index (ARI) and CBFv amplitude responses to movement. All participants were followed up for three months. A total of 87 participants enrolled in the study, including 15 mild, 27 moderate and 13 severe stroke patients, and 32 control subjects. ARI was lower in the affected hemisphere (AH) of moderate and severe stroke groups. Decreased NVC was seen bilaterally in all stroke groups. CA and NVC correlated with stroke severity and functional outcome. CBFv regulation is significantly impaired in acute stroke, and further compromised with increasing stroke severity. Preserved CA and NVC in the acute period were associated with improved three-month functional outcome.


2015 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 339-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keitaro Senoo ◽  
Yee Cheng Lau ◽  
Mikhail Dzeshka ◽  
Deirdre Lane ◽  
Ken Okumura ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Ignatius Ivan ◽  
Budi Riyanto Wreksoatmodjo ◽  
Octavianus Darmawan

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HISTORY OF HEART DISEASE AND SEVERITY OF ACUTE FIRST-EVER ISCHEMIC STROKEABSTRACTIntroduction: History of heart disease such as atrial  fibrillation, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, heart failure has a role on ischemic stroke severity.Aim: This research aims to find the association between history of heart disease and stroke severity using NIHSS score on acute ischemic stroke patients in Atma Jaya hospital during 2014-2018.Method: This research used cross-sectional method with two-sided fisher’s exact test. With total sampling, samples retrieved from secondary sources in Atma Jaya hospital during 2014-2018 resulting 236 subjects. Stroke severity measured by NIHSS score during admission, categorized with severe stroke (15-42) and non-severe stroke (0-14).Result: There is a significant association between history of AF (p=0.046) on first-ever ischemic stroke severity. Acute first-ever ischemic stroke patients who are  >18 years old with history of AF has a tendency of 5,2 times to have severe stroke compared with patients without AF. Other history of heart disease has no significant association towards stroke severity.Discussion: In accordance with previous research, our findings suggest a significant association between history of atrial fibrillation and acute first-ever ischemic stroke severity in which there is a tendency of more severe stroke compared wth patients without AF. Unlike previous findings, this research shows no significant association between history of heart failure and stroke severity due to limited data characteristic  of ejection fraction preventing us to include patient with ejection fraction below 30%. This limitation may also allow history of angina pectoris and myocardial infarction to be insignificant.Keywords:  Atrial  fibrillation,  heart  failure,  ischemic  stroke,  myocardial  infarction,  National  Institutes  of Health Stroke ScaleABSTRAKPendahuluan: Riwayat penyakit jantung seperti atrial fibrilasi, angina pektoris, infark miokardium, gagal jantung memiliki peran terhadap keparahan stroke iskemik.Tujuan: Mengetahui hubungan riwayat penyakit jantung dengan tingkat keparahan stroke berdasarkan skor NIHSS pada pasien stroke iskemik akut di RS Atma Jaya pada tahun 2014-2018.Metode: Penelitian potong lintang terhadap data sekunder pasien stroke iskemik pertama kali yang dirawat di RS Atma Jaya pada tahun 2014-2018. Keparahan stroke diukur berdasarkan National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) masuk dengan kategori severe stroke (skor 15-42) dan non-severe stroke (0-14). Dilakukan uji Fisher dua sisi untuk menilai hubungan.Hasil: Terdapat 236 subjek dengan mayoritas hubungan riwayat AF (p=0,046) terhadap tingkat keparahan stroke. Pasien berumur >18 tahun yang mengalami stroke iskemik akut pertama kali dengan riwayat AF akan berpeluang 5,2 kali lebih tinggi untuk mengalami severe stroke dibandingkan jika tanpa riwayat AF. Riwayat penyakit jantung lain tidak memiliki hubungan signifikan terhadap tingkat keparahan stroke.Diskusi: Terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara riwayat AF terhadap tingkat keparahan stroke, terutama pada subjek dengan severe stroke jika dibandingkan pasien tanpa riwayat AF. Tidak ditemukan hubungan signifikan antara penyakit jantung yang lain dikarenakan keterbatasan data penelitian.Kata kunci: Atrial fibrilasi, gagal jantung, infark miokardium, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, stroke iskemik


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10.2) ◽  
pp. 134-138
Author(s):  
Ioana Stanescu ◽  
Angelo Bulboaca ◽  
Dana Fodor ◽  
Gabriela Dogaru

Abstract Internal carotid artery occlusion accounts for 15-20% of ischemic strokes, caused by atherosclerosis or dissection. Clinical symptoms are variable, from asymptomatic cases to minor or severe strokes. Diagnosis in internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion is based on imaging techniques. Prognosis after ICA occlusion depends on many factors: severity of neurologic deficit, spontaneous recanalization of the artery, and the occurrence of recurrent strokes. Patients with spontaneous recanalization of the occluded ICA tend to have a retained functional ability and favorable clinical outcomes. Medical treatment, recanalization techniques and intensive rehabilitation program are essential in improving functional outcome of patients with stroke produced by ICA occlusion. We present the case of a young patient diagnosed with ischemic stroke produced by internal carotid artery occlusion, with consecutive severe neurologic deficit, and an unfavorable functional outcome, as evaluated with the Modified Rankin Scale. Spontaneous recanalization of the occluded ICA was observed after 6 weeks, suggesting a carotid dissection. The patient was included in an intensive rehabilitation program, associated with best medical therapy, showing improvement of its functional status at 3 months follow up. Key words: ischemic stroke, carotid artery occlusion, carotid dissection, spontaneous recanalization, functional outcome,


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_G) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Strisciuglio ◽  
Valerio Pergolae ◽  
Giuseppe Ammirati ◽  
Lucio Addeo ◽  
Gaetano Todde ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk of ischaemic strokes (IS) and is associated with a more severe neurological impairment. We sought to investigate whether AF also impacts the neurological recovery and whether patients with AF have a different response to the treatment. Methods and results Data of patients admitted to the Stroke Unit of our institution from January to December 2020 were retrieved from the local database. The stroke severity was calculated by mean of the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at hospital admission (NIHSSad), at 24 h (NIHSS24) and at discharge (NIHSSdis). The functional capacity was assessed by the modified Rankin score (mRS). As for the neurological recovery, this was assessed by the delta NIHSS at 24 h (Δ24 = NIHSS24−NIHSSad) and at discharge (Δdis = NIHSSdis−NIHSSad). Out of 545 patients with IS 64 had known history of AF or were admitted with AF. Patients with AF had higher NIHSSad (13.9 ± 7 vs. 8.5 ± 7; P &lt; 0.001) and NIHSS24 (9.6 ± 8 vs. 6.4 ± 7; P = 0.007) than patients without, however the neurological improvement was greater (Δdis −7.4 ± 9 vs. −3.4 ± 6; P = 0.002), indeed the NIHSSdis was similar (4.2 ± 5 vs. 4.2 ± 6; P = 0.98). Patients with AF also had a more impaired mRS before the ischaemic event and at discharge (2.4 ± 1.9 vs. 1.6 ± 1.7, P = 0.02; 1.2 ± 1.2 vs. 0.4 ± 0.9, P &lt; 0.001). Among AF patients with CHADVASC ≥ 3, 34% of them were taking antiplatelet therapy, 31% anticoagulants, and 35% didn’t take any therapy. Of interest, no differences in the NIHSSad nor in the NIHSSdis were found between them and neither in the Δdis. As for the treatment of AF patients, no differences in the neurological recovery were observed between those treated with intravenous thrombolysis and those not treated at all (Δdis 2.8 ± 5 vs. 2.8 ± 8, P = 1), whereas the Δdis was significantly higher in patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy (−11.7 ± 7, P = 0.007). Conclusions Patients with AF experience more severe stroke, however the neurological recovery is greater than in patients without the arrhythmia. The treatment with antiplatelets or anticoagulants before the event does not reduce the severity of the stroke and does not influence the improvement of the NIHSS at discharge. The mechanical thrombectomy is more effective in reducing the neurological impairment.


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