Do baseline characteristics and treatments account for geographical disparities in the outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation? The prospective GARFIELD-AF registry

ObjectiveIn patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF), do baseline risk factors and stroke prevention strategies account for the geographically diverse outcomes.DesignGlobal Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation is a prospective multinational non-interventional registry of patients with newly diagnosed AF (n=52 018 patients).SettingInvestigator sites (n=1317) were representative of the care settings/locations in each of the 35 participating countries. Treatment decisions were all determined by the local responsible clinicians.ParticipantsThe patients (18 years and over) with newly diagnosed AF had at least 1 investigator-determined stroke risk factor and patients were not required to meet specific thresholds of risk score for anticoagulant treatment.Main outcomes and measuresObserved 1-year event rates and risk-standardised rates were derived.ResultsRates of death, non-haemorrhagic stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding varied more than three-to-four fold across countries even after adjustment for baseline factors and antithrombotic treatments. Rates of anticoagulation and antithrombotic treatment varied widely. Patients from countries with the highest rates of cardiovascular mortality and stroke were among the least likely to receive oral anticoagulants. Beyond anticoagulant treatment, variations in the treatment of comorbidities and lifestyle factors may have contributed to the variations in outcomes. Countries with the lowest healthcare Access and Quality indices (India, Ukraine, Argentina, Brazil) had the highest risk-standardised mortality.ConclusionThe variability in outcomes across countries for patients with newly diagnosed AF is not accounted for by baseline characteristics and antithrombotic treatments. Residual mortality rates were correlated with Healthcare Access and Quality indices. The findings suggest the management of patients with AF needs to not only address guideline indicated and sustained anticoagulation, but also the treatment of comorbidities and lifestyle factors.Trial registration numberNCT01090362.

Stroke and stroke risk factors as disease burden

Stroke is the most common cause of disability and death in the world. Cardiovascular disease rates increase with age (10.9 % for people aged 20–30 years and 85.3 % for people older than 80 years). Coronary heart diseases is the leading cause of deaths attributable to cardiovascular diseases in the United States, followed by stroke, high BP, HF, diseases of the arteries, and other cardiovascular diseases. The report on the global burden of neurological disorders has shown that hemorrhagic stroke accounted for 35.7 % in it, and ischemic stroke, 22.4 %. Seven indicators are important and strategic to prevent cardiovascular disorders; they include healthy diet, sufficient physical activity, smokingstatius, BMI, cholesterol level, blood pressure, and glucose in blood on a fasting stomach. These indicators are associated with healthy behavior (diet quality, PA, smoking, BMI) which are as important as health factors (blood cholesterol, BP, blood glucose). There is a strong protective association between ideal cardiovascular health indicators and many clinical and preclinical conditions including premature all-cause mortality, stroke, CVD mortality, ischemic heart disease mortality, HF, deep venous thromboembolism, and pulmonary embolism. Atrial fibrillation, metabolic syndrome, renal failure, and sleep apnea are important risk factors which are modifiable and treatable. Air pollution has been reported as an increasing and very important risk factor for stroke. COVID-19 has been reported as another new stroke risk factor during the pandemic. Future targets must include each cardiovascular health indicator to decrease stroke risk burden and stroke risk.

Prevalence of Risk Factors for Stroke Patients at UKI General Hospital in 2015

Stroke is a disease caused by disturbance of brain blood circulation influenced by many risk factors such as age, blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipid level. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of risk factors that contribute to stroke incidence in stroke patients hospitalized at UKI General Hospital in 2015. The design of this study is retrospective with research methodology descriptive observational. The sample in this study is all cases of a stroke at UKI General Hospital in 2015. The result showed that the highest type of stroke is ischemic stroke (77%) with the largest age group of 40-60 years (51.3%), male sex (60 people). Prevalence risk factors are hypertension stage 2 (52,2%), blood glucose level <200 mg/dl (81,4%) low total cholesterol level (47,8%), LDL level borderline high (23%), low HDL level (44,2%). Keywords: stroke, risk factor, the prevalence

2021 Focused Update Consensus Guidelines of the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society on Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation: Executive Summary

The consensus of the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS) on stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) has been published in 2017 which provided useful clinical guidance for cardiologists, neurologists, geriatricians, and general practitioners in the Asia-Pacific region. In these years, many important new data regarding stroke prevention in AF were reported. The practice guidelines subcommittee members comprehensively reviewed updated information on stroke prevention in AF, and summarized them in this 2021 focused update of the 2017 consensus guidelines of the APHRS on stroke prevention in AF. We highlighted and focused on several issues, including the importance of the AF Better Care pathway, the advantages of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) for Asians, the considerations of use of NOACs for Asian AF patients with single one stroke risk factor beyond gender, the role of lifestyle factors on stroke risk, the use of oral anticoagulants during the “coronavirus disease 2019” pandemic, etc. We fully realize that there are gaps, unaddressed questions, and many areas of uncertainty and debate in the current knowledge of AF, and the physician's decision remains the most important factor in the management of AF.

Abstract 1122‐000035: Is Age Critical in Determining Stroke Severity Within the Telestroke Network?

Introduction : Age is the single most important risk factor for stroke and an estimated 75% of all strokes occur in people >65 years of age. In addition, adults >75 years’ experience more hospitalization stays and higher mortality rates with an estimated 50% in the occurrence of all strokes. Several comorbidities have been linked to an increased risk and severity of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). How these factors differentially contribute to the severity of stroke in patients ages >65 and <75 as well as those ≥75 is not known. In this study, we aim to investigate how age, coupled with various clinical risk factors, affects AIS severity within these two age categories. Methods : This retrospective data analysis study was conducted using the data collected from the PRISMA Health Stroke Registry between 2010 and 2016. Baseline clinical and demographic data for patients ages >65 and <75 as well as those ≥75 was analyzed using univariate analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and multivariate regression models were used to examine the association of specific baseline risk factors or comorbidities associated with worsening or improving neurologic functions. The primary functions were risk factors associated with improving or worsening neurologic outcome in each age category. Results : Adjusted multivariate analysis showed that AIS population of patients >65 and <75 experiencing heart failure (OR = 4.398, 95% CI, 3.912 – 494.613, P = 0.002) and elevated HDL levels (OR = 1.066, 95% CI, 1.009 – 1.126, P = 0.024) trended towards worsening neurologic functions while patients experiencing obesity (OR = 0.177, 95% CI, 0.041 – 0.760, P = 0.020) exhibited improving neurologic functions. For the patients ≥75 years of age, direct admission (OR = 0.270, 95% CI, 0.085 – 0.856, P = 0.026) was associated with improvement of patients treated in the telestroke. Conclusions : Age is a strong risk factor for AIS, and aged stroke patients have higher morbidity and worsening functional recovery than younger patients. In this study, we observed differences in stroke risk factor profiles for >65 and <75 and ≥75 age categories. Heart failure and elevated HDL levels were significantly associated with worsening neurologic functions among AIS for patients aged >65 and <75. Obese patients and individuals ≥75 years who were directly admitted were most likely to exhibit improving neurologic functions. Most importantly, findings from this study reveal specific risk factors that can be managed to improve the care in older stroke patients treated in the telestroke network.

Markers of atherosclerosis lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and E-selectin and vascular risk factors in patients with carotid stenosis

The aim of this study is to evaluate serum level biomarkers of atherosclerosis lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and E-selectin in patients with atherosclerotic carotid stenosis with different clinical manifestation in associated with vascular risk factors. Materials and methods: A total 106 patients with atherosclerotic carotid stenosis (74 men and 32 women, aged from 31 to 74 years, mean 62.6±0.9) were included: with acute ipsilateral atherothrombotic stroke (35), history of stroke and carotid endarterectomy (41) and 30 patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis. The control group consist of 20 health subjects without cardiovascular disease. All participants underwent duplex sonography. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and E-selectin was measured using commercially available (ELISA) kit. Results: The level of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 was in general 55.664±3.537 ng/ml, which was significantly higher (M-W U=10, p=1.023136´10-11 <0.05) than in the control group (9.296±0.935 ng/ml). Level was significantly higher in groups of symptomatic patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy (p=0.04893), and proportion patients with high degree stenosis >70 % was greater in this group. The level of E-selectin in the study patients was significantly higher (7.653±0.246 pg/ml) than in the control group (3.101±0.503 pg/ml) p<0.05. No association the serum level of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and E-selectin with common stroke risk factor such as hypercholesterinemia, smoking and body mass index were found, but positive correlation of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 with E-selectin was significant (p=0.00085). Conclusions: Increasing plasma level lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and E-selectin in patients with the carotid atherosclerotic stenosis were observe. Statistically significant correlation between the level of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and E-selectin were found in symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic stenosis

Prevalence, Impact, and Treatment of Co-Occurring Osteoarthritis in Patients With Stroke Undergoing Rehabilitation: A Review

Background and Purpose: Early, frequent rehabilitation is an important factor for optimizing stroke recovery outcomes. Medical comorbidities, such as osteoarthritis, that affect the ability to participate in rehabilitation could therefore have a detrimental impact on such outcomes. Both stroke and osteoarthritis are becoming more common in developed nations as the population ages. First-line osteoarthritis treatments, such as oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are often avoided poststroke due to interaction with secondary prevention stroke risk-factor management. Our objective was to summarize the current literature concerning co-occurring osteoarthritis and stroke prevalence, its functional impact, and treatment options. Methods: Narrative review using a comprehensive literature search of PubMed, osteoarthritis, and stroke guidelines. Outcomes related to co-occurrence prevalence, osteoarthritis as a stroke risk-factor, osteoarthritis-related imaging and treatment were extracted and summarized descriptively. Overall quality of the evidence was summarized using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. Results: We identified 23 studies and guidelines related to our objective. Overall quality of the evidence was very low. Conclusions: Few trials have investigated the relationship between osteoarthritis and stroke, nor osteoarthritis-specific pain and function management for stroke survivors. High-quality research evaluating the impact of osteoarthritis on stroke rehabilitation is needed.