Population-based approaches for reducing stroke risk: an update on their success and the challenges ahead.

INTRODUCTION: Stroke is a significant public health challenge as it is the second most common cause of death and the third leading cause of disability globally. Additionally, stroke incidence and the number of stroke deaths have been rising. Efforts to prevent stroke have been made, including high-risk approaches where patients are screened for cardiovascular risk factors, and population-based approaches which attempt to reduce stroke rates by improving overall population health. AREAS COVERED: We summarize studies of population-based approaches to stroke prevention involving greater than 1,000 participants identified on a PubMed database search. Based on these programs, challenges of population-based stroke prevention programs are discussed and potential keys to success are highlighted. EXPERT OPINION: Population-based stroke prevention programs face challenges including cost and interest of the public and certain stakeholders. Additionally, secular trends for improvement in risk factors and catastrophic adverse environmental circumstances add to the complexity of analyzing program success. Factors leading to successful programs include validated digital solutions for self-monitoring of risks, backing by global policy and legislation, flexibility to the needs of the population, intersectoral programs, community engagement, information dissemination back to the populations, and high-risk screening to develop a complementary combination approach to stroke prevention.

Exophiala dermatitidis fungal infective endocarditis on prosthetic mitral valve.

Fungal infective endocarditis, although rare, carries a high mortality risk. We present a case of successful multidisciplinary management of Exophiala dermatitidis infective endocarditis in an immunocompetent male with a bio-prosthetic mitral valve. This case highlights the clinical presentation and provides valuable treatment insights into this rare fungal entity. Prompt consideration of fungal pathogens in predisposed patients, expedited detection through non-culture-based tests, and a combined surgical and prolonged antifungal approach are pivotal.

Genotype-guided dual antiplatelet therapy in cerebrovascular disease: assessing the risk and benefits for ethnic populations.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebrovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world and antiplatelet therapy is a main pharmacologic means of secondary prevention. Clinical information has accumulated about benefit of dual antiplatelet therapy in certain clinical scenarios, genetic causes of antiplatelet resistance and its effect on clinical outcomes, and ethnic and geographic distributions of genetic polymorphisms. AREAS COVERED: This review covers literature related to the pharmacogenomics of antiplatelet agents with a focus on ethnic variability, antiplatelet resistance, and dual antiplatelet therapy in cerebrovascular disease. EXPERT OPINION: Selecting patients for dual antiplatelet therapy and specific agents require consideration of multiple factors. Ethnic factors should be considered in certain circumstances, but additional research is needed to determine the generalizability of the findings.

Malpractice Lawsuits Relating to Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review.

Background and Purpose: Medical-legal claims for malpractice relating to the use of alteplase for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are usually for failure to treat rather than for complications. The advent of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) as a standard of AIS treatment has added a new dimension to the medical-legal landscape as there is a need for the delivery of a higher level of care creating the potential for delays and errors associated with such treatment. Information on causes of malpractice related to mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is currently lacking. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of legal databases (Westlaw, LexisNexis, Google Scholar Case Law, and VerdictSearch) to identify medical malpractice cases with and without verdicts filed in the United States up to March 31, 2021 which pertained to performance or non-performance of MT for AIS. We collected various case characteristics, case outcomes, and root causes for malpractice claims. Results: We found 25 cases, 16 of which alleged failure to treat with MT, 8 for harm due to delay in treatment and 1 case that alleged complications. Root causes included delay in vascular imaging, communication breakdowns, and transportation delays. Eight cases had an outcome in favor of the defendant, 9 in favor of the plaintiff, and 8 remained to be determined. Conclusions: As with alteplase, malpractice allegations regarding MT for AIS are largely for failure to treat or delay in treatment as opposed to complications. Addressing root causes of diagnostic delay, communication breakdowns, and transportation delays may reduce subsequent malpractice risk.

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage due to Cerebral Cavernous Malformation in a Young Female.

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are usually intraparenchymal lesions commonly associated with intraparenchymal hemorrhage. Extra-axial Lesions are uncommon and have rarely been reported as the cause of aneurysmal like subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We present a 33-years-old female with a past medical history significant for hypertension who presented with acute onset head and neck pain after bending over. En route to the hospital, she had abnormal motor movements suggestive of seizures. Computed tomography (CT) of the head was significant for diffuse aneurysmal like SAH. Head CT angiography (CTA) and catheter digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were both negative for aneurysm. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed susceptibility artifact in the right parafalcine frontal lobe suspicious for underlying CCM. This lesion was in the area suspected of having an aneurysm on CT head. The patient was diagnosed with SAH secondary to cavernous malformation mimicking aneurysmal etiology. This case is important as it serves as a good reminder to consider cavernous malformations in the differential in patients presenting with angiogram negative SAH. Diagnosis of this entity has treatment implications including discontinuation of calcium channel blockers if initiated, discussion about duration of anti-seizure medication, in addition to consideration for surgical intervention in select populations.

Corkscrew Angiopathy of the Basilar Artery: A Case Report.

A vascular malformation is an abnormal development of blood vessels that can be found in arteries, veins, or the lymphatic system. While pathology such as aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), dissections, and dolichoectasia have been documented frequently and linked to an increased incidence of stroke, we present a rare finding of a 'corkscrew' appearance of the basilar artery causing recurrent posterior circulation symptoms. Imaging during 3 separate hospitalizations showed recurrent acute strokes within the basilar artery vascular territory. A conventional cerebral angiogram revealed a corkscrew appearance of the basilar artery with no dilatation, outpouching, or aneurysm.

Bilateral Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischaemic Optic Neuropathy in a Patient with a COL4A2 Mutation.

Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is a common cause of vision loss in adults and is thought to be due to compromised perfusion to the optic nerve head. Patients with NAION in one eye are at risk of recurrence in the fellow eye. We report a case of sequential, bilateral NAION in a patient who was found to have a COL4A2 mutation. COL4A2 encodes a subunit of the collagen 4 protein, the major component of the human basement membranes, and has several known cerebrovascular and ocular associations.

Outflow graft obstruction in patients with the HM 3 LVAD: A percutaneous approach.

BACKGROUND: The use of the HeartMate 3 (HM3) left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is expanding. Despite being associated with lower rates of adverse events and increased survival, outflow graft obstruction (OGO) has been reported in patients with HM3. The incidence and best management of this serious complication remain unclear. METHODS: We describe six cases of HM3 OGO occurring in five patients in our institutional HM3 cohort. Four cases underwent computed tomography angiography and in two percutaneous angiography was directly performed to confirm the diagnosis. In four cases, percutaneous repair of the OG was performed using common interventional cardiology (IC) techniques. RESULTS: Our institutional incidence of OGO was 7% (event rate of 0.05 per patient year); much higher than the previously reported incidence of 1.6%. All cases occurred in the bend relief covered segment. Only two patients had apparent OG twisting, and in two, OGO occurred despite placement of an anti-twist clip at the time of implant. External compression seems to play a role in most cases. Balloon "graftoplasty" and stent deployment via the femoral artery alleviated the obstruction and normalized LVAD flow in all patients who underwent percutaneous repair. The use of self-expanding stents allowed for downsizing of the procedural access site to 10 Fr. No serious procedure-related complications occurred. CONCLUSION: OGO is common in HM3 patients, external compression due to biomaterial accumulated surrounding the OG is a common etiology. Percutaneous repair using standard IC techniques is safe and feasible in cases of compression with or without partial twisting.

3D Hierarchically Mesoporous Zinc-Nickel-Cobalt Ternary Oxide (Zn0.6Ni0.8Co1.6O4) Nanowires for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

Increased efforts have been devoted recently to develop high-energy-density supercapacitors (SC) without renouncing their power efficiency. Herein, a hierarchically mesoporous nanostructure of zinc-nickel-cobalt oxide (ZNCO) nanowires (NWs) is constructed by hierarchical aggregation of ZNCO nanoparticles. It is worth noting that cobalt and nickel rich lattice imparts higher charge storage capability by enhanced reversible Faradaic reaction while zinc provides structural stability and higher conductivity. Moreover, particulate nature of ZNCO NWs allows deep diffusion of electrolyte thus enabling reversible charge storage under higher current densities. The as-prepared ZNCO NWs exhibited excellent specific capacitance of 2082.21 F g-1 at the current density of 1 A g-1 with high stability up to 5,000 charge-discharge cycles. Further, the asymmetric SC device was assembled using ZNCO NWs (ZNCO NWs//MWCNTs) which exhibited high energy density of 37.89 Wh kg-1 and excellent capacitance retention up to 88.5% over 1,000 cycles. This work presents ways to construct multi-component high-energy-density materials for next-generation energy storage devices.

Ischemic Stroke Secondary to Stylocarotid Variant of Eagle Syndrome.

Eagle syndrome is a rare cause of stroke and results as a complication of the elongated styloid process (ESP), which can cause carotid dissection and consequent ischemic stroke. We report a case of a 42-year-old woman with a past medical history of rheumatoid arthritis who developed left hemispheric ischemic stroke after deep tissue massage. Imaging studies revealed an intimal tear of the left carotid artery bulb and bilaterally ESPs, measuring approximately 6 cm on the right and 4.5 cm on the left. It seems that direct vascular compromise by the anomalous styloid process was the cause of her carotid artery dissection and stroke. Moreover, neck manipulation may have been a contributing factor.

Management of blood pressure in stroke.

OBJECTIVE: In this review and opinion piece, we discuss recent United States (US)-based guidance statements on the management of BP in stroke according to stroke type and stage of stroke. METHODS: We reviewed the most recent guidance statements on BP control from United States (US)-based organizations such as the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC), and articles available to the authors in their personal files. RESULTS: The key BP target before starting alteplase (t-PA) is < 185/110 mm Hg, and the maintenance BP after tPA administration is < 180/105 mm Hg. For IPH patients with systolic BP between 150 and 220 mm Hg and no contraindication to acute BP reduction therapy, acute lowering to 140 mm Hg systolic BP is safe. For persons with small vessel or lacunar cerebral ischemia, a reasonable BP lowering target is < 130 mm Hg systolic. For primary stroke prevention, the target BP for those with hypertension is < 140/90 mm Hg and self-measured BP is recommended to assist in BP control. Recent study and guidance suggest a BP target of <130/80 mm Hg for both primary and recurrent stroke prevention. BP control is reasonable for the prevention of cognitive decline or dementia. CONCLUSIONS: BP targets for the proper management of stroke vary by chronological stage of stroke and by stroke subtype. Furthermore, consideration should be given to control of BP variability, especially in the acute phases of stroke, as it may play a role in conferring longer term outcomes.

Emergency Medicine Pharmacist Impact on Door-to-Needle Time in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Decreased door-to-needle (DTN) time with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute ischemic stroke is associated with improved patient outcomes. Emergency medicine pharmacists (EMPs) can expedite the administration of tPA by assessing patients for contraindications, preparing, and administering tPA. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of EMPs on DTN times and clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke who receive tPA in the emergency department. METHODS: A retrospective, single-center, cohort study of patients who received tPA between August 1, 2012, and August 30, 2014, was conducted to compare DTN times with or without EMP involvement in stroke care. Secondary outcomes included changes in neurological status as measured by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), length of hospital stay, discharge disposition, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and in-hospital all-cause mortality. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients were included. The EMPs were involved in the care of 49 patients. The EMP involvement was associated with a significant improvement in DTN time (median 46 [interquartile range IQR: 34.5-67] vs 58 [IQR: 45-79] minutes; P = .019) and with receiving tPA within 45 minutes of arrival (49% vs 25%, odds ratio [OR]: 2.81 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-6.52]). National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores were significantly improved at 24 hours post-tPA in favor of the EMP group (median NIHSS 1 [IQR: 0-4] vs 2 [IQR: 1-9.25]; P = .047). CONCLUSIONS: The EMP involvement in initial stroke care was associated with a significant improvement in DTN time.

Gold Nanoparticles-enabled Efficient Dual Delivery of Anticancer Therapeutics to HeLa Cells.

Colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are of interest as non-toxic carriers for drug delivery owing to their advanced properties, such as extensive surface-to-volume ratio and possibilities for tailoring their charge, hydrophilicity and functionality through surface chemistries. To date, various biocompatible polymers have been used for surface decoration of AuNPs to enhance their stability, payloads capacity and cellular uptake. This study describes a facile one-step method to synthesize stable AuNPs loaded with combination of two anticancer therapeutics, -bleomycin and doxorubicin. Anticancer activities, cytotoxicity, uptake and intracellular localization of the AuNPs were demonstrated in HeLa cells. We show that the therapeutic efficacy of the nanohybrid drug was strongly enhanced by the active targeting by the nanoscale delivery system to HeLa cells with a significant decrease of the half-maximal effective drug concentration, through blockage of HeLa cancer cell cycle. These results provide rationale for further progress of AuNPs-assisted combination chemotherapy using two drugs at optimized effective concentrations which act via different mechanisms thus decreasing possibilities of development of the cancer drug resistance, reduction of systemic drug toxicity and improvement of outcomes of chemotherapy.

An exploratory study of the electronic medical record and outpatient vascular neurology consultations.

We carried out a quality improvement project utilizing the electronic medical record (EMR) to determine (1) the quality of vascular neurologists' recommendations for recurrent stroke prevention and (2) primary care provider (PCP) acknowledgement of the vascular neurologists' recurrent stroke prevention recommendations and their frequency of meeting the recommended metrics for risk factor control and lifestyle modification. We conducted a retrospective EMR chart review on a convenience sample of ischemic stroke patients during two epochs. Data collected included risk factors, stroke subtype, and process and outcome guidance metrics for recurrent ischemic stroke prevention according to American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) recommendations. Overall, vascular neurologists commonly recommended appropriate AHA/ASA risk factor management standards, but were less likely to do so for lifestyle management. Improvements in the EMR system over time, including the establishment of guideline-driven importable recurrent stroke prevention templates, led to a high frequency of proper risk factor and lifestyle recommendations made by vascular neurologists. Statistical analysis provided further evidence that the EMR positively influenced the delivery of proper recurrent stroke prevention guidance. Although PCPs infrequently acknowledged receipt of vascular neurology consultations, there was a relatively high frequency of achieved risk factor control. The latter may be attributed at least in part to pre-existent quality improvement programs implemented at primary care offices. Our exploratory findings suggest that proper use of the EMR may heighten efforts to provide appropriate and consistent recurrent stroke prevention recommendations in a primary care setting.

Pharmacotherapy for Vascular Cognitive Impairment.

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer's disease (AD). Stroke and cardiovascular risk factors have been linked to both AD and VCI and potentially can affect cognitive function in mid and later life. Various pharmacological agents, including donepezil, galantamine, and memantine, approved for the treatment of AD have shown modest cognitive benefits in patients with vascular dementia (VaD). However, their functional and global benefits have been inconsistent. Donepezil has shown some cognitive benefit in patients with VaD only, and galantamine has shown some benefit in mixed dementia (AD/VaD). The benefits of other drugs such as rivastigmine, memantine, nimodipine, and piracetam are not clear. Some other supplements and herbal therapies, such as citicoline, actovegin, huperzine A, and vinpocetine, have also been studied in patients with VaD, but their beneficial effects are not well established. Non-drug therapies and lifestyle modifications such as diet, exercise, and vascular risk factor control are important in the management of VCI and should not be ignored. However, there is a need for more robust clinical trials focusing on executive function and other cognitive measures and incorporation of newer imaging modalities to provide additional evidence about the utility of these strategies in patients with VCI.