Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Am Heart Assoc 2018 Dec;7(24):e010383

2 Department of Radiology Weill Cornell Medicine New York NY.

Background Studies have shown that pericoronary artery inflammation can be accurately detected via increased attenuation on computed tomography. Our purpose was to evaluate the association between pericarotid inflammation, measured by density of carotid perivascular fat on computed tomography angiography, with stroke and transient ischemic attack. Methods and Results We screened computed tomography angiography examinations for patients with unilateral internal carotid artery ( ICA ) stenosis ≥50% to 99%. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2018 Dec;7(24):e009480

3 Pfizer Essential Health Pfizer New York NY.

Background Evidence suggests that patients with higher blood pressure variability ( BPV ) have a higher risk for stroke, but any link between BPV and stroke recurrence is unknown among those who had a stroke or transient ischemic attack ( TIA ). Methods and Results Data for patients with a history of stroke or TIA at enrollment were extracted from the ASCOT (Anglo Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial) and the ALLHAT (Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial). BPV was defined as the within-subject standard deviation or coefficient of variation of systolic blood pressure across visits from 12 weeks poststroke or TIA onward. Read More

J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Heart Rhythm Management Center, Postgraduate program in Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing.

Background: The present study sought to evaluate the incidence of cerebrovascular events in a large cohort of patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS) analysing possible predictors, clinical characteristics and prognosis of cardioembolic events secondary to atrial fibrillation.

Methods: A total of 671 consecutive patients (age 42.1 ± 17. Read More

J Neurosurg 2018 Dec 14:1-7. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

OBJECTIVERevascularization surgery is a safe and effective surgical treatment for symptomatic moyamoya disease (MMD) and has been shown to reduce the frequency of future ischemic events and improve quality of life in affected patients. The authors sought to investigate the occurrence of acute perioperative occlusion of the contralateral internal carotid artery (ICA) with contralateral stroke following revascularization surgery, a rare complication that has not been previously reported.METHODSThis study is a retrospective review of a prospective database of a single surgeon's series of revascularization operations in patients with MMD. Read More

J Vasc Surg 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

CAMC Health Education and Research Institute, Charleston, WVa.

Background: The incidence of carotid in-stent stenosis has been reported to vary between 1% and 30%. Most published studies have short follow-up, which may lead to underestimation of the incidence of in-stent stenosis. This study analyzed the incidence of ≥50% and ≥80% in-stent stenosis using validated duplex ultrasound criteria and its clinical implications. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Dec 13;8(1):17829. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Science, Guangzhou, 510080, China.

Precise prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and the associated risk factors in southern China are rarely reported. This large population-based follow-up study, the Guangzhou Heart Study, was conducted from 2015 to 2017 to fill up this gap. Permanent residents aged 35 years and above in Guangzhou city were enrolled and demographic factors of participants were collected by a structured questionnaire. Read More

Brain Nerve 2018 Dec;70(12):1389-1396

Department of Neurology, Japanese Red Cross Yamaguchi Hospital.

A 31-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital after several episodes of transient numbness in her fingers and dysarthria. No neurological symptoms and signs were observed in this patient on admission; however, blood tests revealed elevated amylase and immunoglobulin G levels, an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and positive anti-Sjögren's-syndrome (SjS)-related antigen A antibodies. The cerebrospinal fluid examination revealed a slight increase in the cell count and protein content. Read More

Sleep Med 2018 Oct 24. Epub 2018 Oct 24.

Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Canada; Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Research Unit, Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada; Sleep Laboratory, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address:

Objective: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been shown to improve functional, motor and cognitive outcomes in post-stroke obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, rates of CPAP adherence are often low and factors impacting CPAP adherence remain under-explored. Our objective was to determine predictors of CPAP adherence in patients who had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2018 Dec;11(23):2414-2424

Brigham and Women's Hospital Heart & Vascular Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address:

Objectives: The authors sought to investigate the incidence, predictors, and causes of 30-day nonelective readmissions after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT).

Background: Randomized trials have demonstrated that EVT improves outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: The Nationwide Readmissions Database, years 2013 and 2014, was used to identify hospitalizations for a primary diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke during which patients underwent EVT, with or without intravenous thrombolysis. Read More

Med Sci Monit 2018 Dec 12;24:9001-9006. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Radiology, Baoding First Central Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland).

BACKGROUND The present study was designed to evaluate the predictive value of head-neck computed tomography angiography (CTA) combined with ABCD2 score scale for patients with cerebral infarction of vertebrobasilar transient ischemic attack (TIA). MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 92 patients with TIA who were admitted to our hospital from January 2014 to June 2015 were enrolled in this study. ABCD2 score and CTA combined with ABCD2 score were assessed. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Neurosurgery, 687-4 Nadogaya, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0032 Japan.

Background: Ischemic symptoms caused by traumatic vertebral artery dissection after cervical maneuvers are treated medically and surgically. This is a report of the infrequently documented occipital to vertebral artery bypass to stop the transient ischemic attacks following traumatic vertebral artery dissection.

Case Description: A 33-year-old man presented with a sudden right posterior neck pain following a sudden neck movement, accompanied by left lower quadrant anopsia and rotational vertigo. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2018 Dec 4;90:107-111. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Epidemiology, IQVIA, Frankfurt, Germany. Electronic address:

Aims: Little is known about the recent epidemiology of epilepsy in the elderly in Germany. Therefore, the goal of this study was to analyze the incidence of epilepsy and associated factors in elderly patients followed in general practices in this country.

Methods: The incidence of epilepsy was estimated using data from all patients aged ≥60 years who were followed in 1203 general practices in Germany in 2017 (IQVIA Disease Analyzer database). Read More

Cortex 2018 Nov 10. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Neglect Dyslexia is a neuropsychological syndrome in which patients commit consistently lateralised letter omission, addition, and substitution errors when reading individual words. Although neglect dyslexia frequently co-occurs with domain-general visuospatial neglect, some cases of neglect dyslexia may be best characterised as a dissociable impairment within a word-centred reference frame. This investigation employs data from a single case study of a patient who demonstrated word-centred neglect dyslexia to clarify neglect dyslexia's relationship with visuospatial neglect. Read More

J Autoimmun 2018 Oct 24. Epub 2018 Oct 24.

Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

Objective: To describe the clinical, laboratory, and imaging features and course of patients with primary central nervous system vasculitis (PCNSV) presenting with an intracranial tumor-like mass (TLM).

Methods: We retrospectively studied a cohort of 191 consecutive patients with PCNSV seen at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN over a 35-year period (1982-2017). 13/191 patients presented with a TLM. Read More

J Med Case Rep 2018 Dec 8;12(1):363. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weiss Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL, USA.

Background: Myxomas account for approximately half of all primary cardiac neoplasms. Most occur in the left atrium and only rarely are attached to the mitral valve, with just over 30 such cases reported in the literature. These neoplasms can manifest with a combination of obstruction of blood flow, systemic embolization, and constitutional symptoms. Read More

Rom J Intern Med 2018 Dec 1. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

TOBB Economy and Technology University, Cardiology Department, Ankara, Turkey.

Background: Platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been demonstrated as an risk and prognostic marker in many of cardiovascular diseases. Relationship between PLR and severity of carotid stenosis has been shown. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between PLR and all cause mortality in patients with carotid arterial disease. Read More

Can J Neurol Sci 2018 Dec 6:1-7. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary,University of Alberta,Edmonton, Alberta,Canada.

Background: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a disease of abnormal vasculature where patients are predisposed to strokes of multiple etiologies. We assessed yearly stroke incidence among Albertans with HHT and compared with the general population. Given the tendency for stroke in HHT patients, we expected HHT patients to have higher stroke incidence, in particular at younger ages. Read More

Heart Vessels 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine II, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1, Shin-machi, Hirakata, 573-1010, Osaka, Japan.

Diastolic wall strain (DWS) was reported as a simple and feasible echocardiographic index in assessing left ventricular (LV) diastolic stiffness. We sought to evaluate whether DWS predicts age-related cardiovascular events. Patients referred for transthoracic echocardiogram, those with preserved LV ejection fraction and no clinical heart failure were studied. Read More

Front Neurol 2018 21;9:988. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Department of Neurology, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.

Some patients with acute stroke symptoms do not show hyperintensities on diffusion-weighted image (DWI). A few case reports have indicated that acutely developed cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) might cause focal symptoms. This study sought to investigate the incidence and characteristics of symptomatic CMBs in the patients with acute stroke symptoms but without DWI ischemic lesions. Read More

Case Rep Neurol 2018 Sep-Dec;10(3):322-327. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Neurology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea.

Cerebral ischemia may be rarely associated with a hypoplastic vertebrobasilar system. Intracranial lipoma is also a very rare congenital malformation. We report the case of a 52-year-old woman with vertebrobasilar transient ischemic attack associated with basilar artery hypoplasia and coincidental intracranial lipoma. Read More

Europace 2018 Dec 1. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

Department of General Practice, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, AZ Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Aims: Premature atrial contractions (PACs) are a common cardiac phenomenon, traditionally considered to be of little clinical significance. Recent studies, however, suggest that PACs are associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), as well as ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack, and mortality. This systematic review aims to investigate the association between PACs on standard electrocardiogram (ECG) as well as PAC-count on Holter monitor and future detection of AF, brain ischaemia, and all-cause mortality in patients without a history of AF. Read More

Int J Stroke 2018 Dec 3:1747493018816430. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

1 Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada.

Background: Identifying and treating patients with transient ischemic attack is an effective means of preventing stroke. However, making this diagnosis can be challenging, and over a third of patients referred to stroke prevention clinic are ultimately found to have alternate diagnoses.

Aims: We performed a systematic review to determine how neurologists diagnose transient ischemic attack. Read More

Int J Stroke 2018 Dec 3:1747493018816425. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

2 Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.

Background: The obesity paradox refers to the finding in observational studies that patients with obesity have a better prognosis after stroke than normal weight patients.

Aim: To test the hypothesis that there might be important heterogeneity within the obese stroke population, such that those with metabolic syndrome would be at higher risk for stroke or myocardial infarction and all-cause mortality compared to patients without metabolic syndrome.

Methods: The Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke trial enrolled non-diabetic patients with a recent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack and insulin resistance. Read More

Brain Behav 2018 Dec 1:e01091. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

Department of Neurology, Poitiers University Hospital, Poitiers Cedex, France.

Objectives: We aimed to confirm the sensitivity and specificity of contrast transcranial Doppler (cTCD) in the detection of right-to-left shunt (RLS) compared to the current reference standard (i.e., transesophageal echocardiography-TEE) in patients aged <55 years with a cryptogenic acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or high-risk (ABCD score ≥4) transient ischemic attack (TIA), and to calculate the real life delay in detecting RLS by cTCD versus TEE in a tertiary care academic stroke center. Read More

Echocardiography 2018 12;35(12):2079-2091

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.

Following cardiac disease and cancer, stroke continues to be the third leading cause of death and disability due to chronic disease in the developed world. Appropriate screening tools are integral to early detection and prevention of major cardiovascular events. In a carotid artery, the presence of increased intima-media thickness, plaque, or stenosis is associated with increased risk of a transient ischemic attack or a stroke. Read More

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Faculty of Nursing, Vongchavalitkul University, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Electronic address:

Background: The correct perception in patients of their future risk of recurrent stroke may lead to changes in behavior and to successful secondary prevention of stroke. The primary aim was to compare patients' perceived risk with the actual risk of further stroke.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2 tertiary hospitals in northeast Thailand. Read More

Heart Rhythm 2018 Dec;15(12):1746-1753

Arrhythmia Center, Korea University Medical Center Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Background: Electrical isolation of the left atrial appendage (LAA) is associated with a lower rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence in patients undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation. However, LAA isolation can significantly impair LAA contractility.

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate whether electrical isolation of the LAA is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Read More

Curr Opin Neurol 2019 Feb;32(1):105-110

Indiana University School of Medicine.

Purpose Of Review: The funduscopic examination can be a technically difficult, and often omitted, portion of the neurologic examination, despite its great potential to influence patient care.

Recent Findings: Medical practitioners are often first taught to examine the ocular fundus using a direct ophthalmoscope, however, this skill requires frequent practice. Nonmydriatic tabletop and portable fundus photography and even smartphone-based photography offer alternative and practical means for approaching examination of the ocular fundus. Read More

Curr Neurovasc Res 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. China.

Background: Recent studies indicated that multiple acute infarctions on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) were associated with a higher risk of stroke.

Objective: The study aims to estimate the association of different infarction patterns and ABCD2 score with the prognosis of transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Method: We prospectively analyzed the data from TIA database of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Read More

J Endovasc Ther 2018 Dec 4:1526602818816656. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

1 Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria, Negrar, Italy.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of carotid artery stenting (CAS) performed without an embolic protection device (EPD) in a selected group of asymptomatic patients with primary internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis or restenosis after carotid endarterectomy (CEA).

Materials And Methods: Between May 2015 and May 2018, 77 patients (mean age 77 years; 60 men) underwent CAS without any embolic protection device. Forty-seven (61%) patients had primary ICA stenosis and were excluded from CEA because of high surgical risk; the other 30 (39%) patients had post-CEA restenosis (n=26) or a distal ICA flap after eversion CEA (n=4). Read More

Endocrinol Metab (Seoul) 2018 Dec;33(4):429-434

Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.

As diagnostic techniques have advanced, primary aldosteronism (PA) has emerged as the most common cause of secondary hypertension. The excess of aldosterone caused by PA resulted in not only cardiovascular complications, including coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and heart failure, but also cerebrovascular complications, such as stroke and transient ischemic attack. Moreover, PA is associated more closely with these conditions than is essential hypertension. Read More

J Thromb Thrombolysis 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Brigham and Women's Hospital Heart & Vascular Center, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.

Recurrent stroke is common immediately following a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ischemic stroke. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with clopidogrel and aspirin may provide greater protection against subsequent stroke than monotherapy. Electronic databases were searched for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing DAPT with monotherapy in ischemic stroke/TIA. Read More

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2018 ;118(9. Vyp. 2):42-48

Tver State Medical University, Tver, Russia.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical efficacy, metabolic and membrane protective effects of mexidol for transient ischemic attacks (TIA) in the vertebrobasilar system in elderly patients with chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI).

Material And Methods: Fifty-three patients, aged from 60 to 74 years, with the first episode of TIA in the vertebrobasilar system and CCI were examined. Patients of the main group (n=33) received mexidol in the dose of 500 mg for 10 days along with standard therapy, patients of the comparison group (n=20) received only standard therapy. Read More

Front Neurol 2018 15;9:976. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.

Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) is a rare, monogenic, autosomal dominant subtype of migraine, in which three genes, , and , are currently known to be involved. The familial hemiplegic migraine type 3 (FHM3) is seldom caused by mutations in . Here, we report a rare case of an mutation leading to FHM3 in a Chinese family. Read More

Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed) 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain; Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, El Palmar, Murcia, Spain; Departamento de Medicina Interna, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain. Electronic address:

Introduction And Objectives: Valvular heart disease in patients with atrial fibrillation included in clinical trials with direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) is common and is associated with worse prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of valvular heart disease and its influence on clinical events in real-world clinical practice.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter registry including 2297 consecutive patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation initiating DOAC between January 2013 and December 2016. Read More

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China; Center of Stroke, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine for Cerebrovascular Disease, Beijing, China. Electronic address:

Background: The association of prediabetes and outcome of patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) remains controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between prediabetes and outcome of ischemic stroke or TIA.

Methods: We comprehensively searched the PubMed and Excerpt Medica Database(EMBASE) from their inceptions to August 25, 2017. Read More

J Neurosurg Pediatr 2018 Nov 1:1-6. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Analysis of direct STA-MCA bypass procedures in young children to achieve flow augmentation via direct revascularization. Read More

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2018 Nov 27. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Institute for Medical Technology Assessment, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Objectives: Our aim was to provide estimates of patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL), use of informal care and productivity in patients after surgical aortic and pulmonary valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Methods: Consecutive cohorts of 1239 adult patients who had surgical aortic valve replacement or surgical pulmonary valve replacement and 433 patients who had transcatheter aortic valve implantation at 2 Dutch heart centres were cross-sectionally surveyed at a median time of 2.9 and 3. Read More

Hu Li Za Zhi 2018 Dec;65(6):104-110

MSN, RN, NP, Department of Nursing, Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Taiwan, ROC.

Atherosclerosis, a major cause of carotid artery stenosis, has a high correlation to stroke, which may induce transient ischemic attack (TIA) and/or permanent brain damage. The main treatment of carotid artery stenosis includes medication, carotid endarterectomy (CEA), and carotid artery stenting (CAS). However, when artery stenosis becomes severe, CEA or CAS is the most-often recommended intervention. Read More

J Gen Intern Med 2018 Nov 27. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Precision Monitoring to Transform Care (PRIS-M) Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI), Indianapolis, IN, USA.

Background: Patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIA) are at high risk of subsequent vascular events. Hospitalization improves quality of care, yet admission rates for TIA patients vary considerably.

Objectives: We sought to identify factors associated with the decision to admit patents with TIA. Read More

Ear Nose Throat J 2018 Oct-Nov;97(10-11):342-344

Department of Radiology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USA.

Int J Stroke 2018 Nov 27:1747493018816511. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

1 Clinic for Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany.

Background: About 25% of strokes are thought to be cryptogenic. There is growing evidence that most of these cryptogenic strokes are thromboembolic and caused by an undetected atrial fibrillation. Measured slow flow in the left atrial appendage has been proposed to be an indicator for the thromboembolic risk since it is possibly associated with undetected atrial fibrillation. Read More

J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep 2018 Jan-Dec;6:2324709618813178. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Kern Medical-UCLA, Bakersfield, CA, USA.

Coccidioidal meningitis typically presents with symptoms that may include headache, altered mental status including personality changes, fever, nausea, vomiting, gait abnormalities, and focal neurological deficits. This is a case of coccidioidal meningitis that initially presented as 4 consecutive crescendo cerebrovascular transient ischemic attacks with focal neurological deficits that resolved within minutes. Imaging showed a left basilar coccidioma. Read More

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Medtronic plc, Mounds View, Minnesota.

Background: Atrial arrhythmias are associated with major adverse cardiovascular events. Recent reports among implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients have demonstrated a high prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF), predominantly in dual-chamber recipients. AF incidence among patients with single-chamber systems (approximately 50% of all ICDs) is currently unknown. Read More

Echocardiography 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Cardiology Department, Santa Marta Hospital, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal.

Background: Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is an established surrogate marker for cardiovascular events in patients with intermediate risk. In patients with high cardiovascular risk or established cardiovascular disease, the impact of CMIT measurement on risk stratification for future events is less clear. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of CIMT on the occurrence of cardiovascular events in a cohort of individuals with high cardiovascular risk, in long-term follow-up. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2018 Dec 17;122(12):2142-2146. Epub 2018 Sep 17.

Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona. Electronic address:

The objective was to study the utility of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in affecting acute ischemic stroke treatment of older adults (age ≥80 years). Patients hospitalized in January 2010 and February 2015 were included who had TEE ordered as part of their diagnostic workup at a tertiary medical center. We studied 515 hospitalized patients with acute stroke or transient ischemic attack who underwent TEE. Read More

J Electrocardiol 2018 Nov 6;52:47-52. Epub 2018 Nov 6.

Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; Department of Cardiology, Eastern Health, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address:

Introduction: Several ECG markers are postulated to represent underlying atrial remodelling and have been associated with ischemic stroke. P-wave terminal force in lead V (PTFV) is one such marker. We examined the factors that contribute to the reliability of PTFV and its association with ischemic stroke. Read More

Int J Stroke 2018 Nov 26:1747493018816451. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

1 Stroke, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.

Background: High blood pressure is common in acute stroke and associated with a worse functional outcome. Glyceryl trinitrate, a nitric oxide donor, lowers blood pressure in acute stroke and may improve outcome.

Aims: Rapid Intervention with Glyceryl trinitrate in Hypertensive stroke Trial-2 (RIGHT-2) tested the feasibility of performing a UK multicenter ambulance-based stroke trial, and the safety and efficacy of glyceryl trinitrate when administered by paramedics before hospital admission. Read More

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2018 Nov 21. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Department of Cardiology, Tachikawa Medical Center, Niigata, Japan. Electronic address:

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and outcomes of asymptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with the first episode of ischemic stroke.

Methods: Patients admitted to our hospital between November 2001 and January 2009 for the episode of an acute ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack were included. Stress-Tl-201 scintigraphy was performed and followed by coronary angiography (CAG). Read More

Curr Opin Neurol 2019 Feb;32(1):19-24

Department of Ophthalmology.

Purpose Of Review: To review recent advances in the management of acute ocular ischemic events, including: transient monocular vision loss, central and branch retinal artery occlusions, and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.

Recent Findings: Transient monocular vision loss and acute retinal arterial occlusions require immediate diagnosis and management, with recognition of these events as transient ischemic attack or stroke equivalents, respectively. Patients should undergo an immediate stroke workup in a stroke center, similar to patients with acute cerebral ischemia. Read More