Etiologic subtypes of first and recurrent ischemic stroke in young patients using A-S-C-O and TOAST classification criteria: A retrospective follow-up study.

INTRODUCTION: Scarce data exist on the etiology of recurrent ischemic strokes (ISs) among young adults. We analyzed the etiology of first-ever and recurrent events and the differences between them. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients aged 15-49 years with a first-ever IS in 1994-2007 were included in the Helsinki Young Stroke Registry. In this retrospective cohort study, data on recurrent ISs were identified from Care Register for Health Care until the end of 2017 and Causes of Death Register and from patient records until the end of 2020. All first-ever and recurrent ISs were classified using Atherosclerosis-Small vessel disease-Cardioembolism-Other Cause (A-S-C-O) and Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classifications. RESULTS: A total of 970 patients were included (median age at index IS 46 years, interquartile range 43-48, 33% women), of which 155 (16.0%) patients had recurrent IS, with 8 (5.2%) fatal cases and 5 (3.2%) unverifiable cases. The median follow-up was 17.4 (IQR 13.9-21.7) years. Median time from the index event to the first recurrent event was 4.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 1.6-10.2) years. Recurrence was more often due to definite cardioembolism (10.7% vs 18.0%, p = 0.013), while the proportion of other definite A-S-C-O subgroups remained the same. With TOAST classification, the proportion of true cryptogenic ISs decreased (16.7% vs 6.7%, p = 0.003), while those with incomplete evaluation increased (9.3% vs 19.3%, p = 0.015). Other TOAST phenotypes remained the same. CONCLUSION: The proportion of definite cardioembolism increased at recurrence using the A-S-C-O classification and the number of cryptogenic ISs decreased using the TOAST classification, while cases with incomplete evaluation increased. Most etiologies remained the same.

Association of post-stroke-initiated antidepressants with long-term outcomes in young adults with ischaemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the association between initiation of antidepressants within the first year after ischaemic stroke (IS) in young adults and long-term fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, as well as all-cause mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Helsinki Young Stroke Registry (HYSR) includes patients aged 15-49 years with their first-ever IS occurring 1994-2007. From nationwide registers, we obtained data on prescriptions (1993-2011) and outcomes of interest (1994-2011). Time of initiating post-stroke antidepressants (PSADs) was defined as time of the first filled prescription for antidepressants within the first year from IS. To account for non-random assignment of PSADs, we performed propensity score matching and studied the relationship between PSAD initiation and outcomes using Cox regression models with time-varying coefficients. RESULTS: Of all patients (n = 888), 206 (23.2%) initiated PSADs within the first year, of which 203 (98.5%) could be matched to 406 non-initiators. In this matched sample of 609 patients, the median follow-up time was 8.1 (interquartile range [IQR] 5.0-12.6) years and 169 (28.9%) patients had any cardiovascular events, 95 (15.8%) had recurrent ischaemic or haemorrhagic strokes and 106 (17.4%) died. Adjusted for sociodemographics and cardiovascular comorbidities, PSAD initiation was associated with recurrent ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke 5-10 years after IS (hazard ratio [HR] 3.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-7.12). No association emerged between PSAD initiation and other outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In young adults, PSAD initiation within the first year after IS was associated with a heightened hazard of recurrent ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke in the long term. Future studies are needed to verify the results and to further study the nature of this finding.KEY MESSAGESInitiation of post-stroke antidepressants (PSADs) within the first year after ischaemic stroke (IS) was associated with a heightened hazard of recurrent ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke in the long term.Patients starting antidepressants after IS should be followed up more closely in case of recurrent events.Future studies are needed to verify the results and to further study the nature of this finding.

Initiation of antidepressants in young adults after ischemic stroke: a registry-based follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: Data on post-stroke use of antidepressants in young individuals are scarce. We examined pattern and factors associated with initiating post-stroke antidepressants (PSAD) after ischemic stroke (IS) in young adults. METHODS: Helsinki Young Stroke Registry includes patients aged 15-49 years with first-ever IS, 1994-2007. Data on prescriptions, hospitalizations and death came from nationwide registers. We defined time of initiating PSAD as time of the first filled prescription for antidepressants within 1 year from IS. We assessed factors associated with initiating PSAD with multivariable Cox regression models, allowing for time-varying effects when appropriate. RESULTS: We followed 888 patients, of which 206 (23.2%) initiated PSAD. Higher hazard of starting PSAD within the first 100 days appeared among patients with mild versus no limb paresis 2.53 (95% confidence interval 1.48-4.31) and during later follow-up among those with silent infarcts (2.04; 1.27-3.28), prior use of antidepressants (2.09; 1.26-3.46) and moderate versus mild stroke (2.06; 1.18-3.58). The relative difference in the hazard rate for moderate-severe limb paresis persisted both within the first 100 days (3.84, 2.12-6.97) and during later follow-up (4.54; 2.51-8.23). The hazard rate was higher throughout the follow-up among smokers (1.48; 1.11-1.97) as well as lower (1.78; 1.25-2.54) and upper white-collar workers (2.00; 1.24-3.23) compared to blue-collar workers. CONCLUSION: One-fourth of young adults started PSADs within 1 year from IS. We identified several specific clinical characteristics associated with PSAD initiation, highlighting their utility in assessing the risk of post-stroke depression during follow-up.

Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment is Frequent After Infra-Tentorial Infarct.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Post-stroke cognitive impairment is a common and well-known consequence of supra-tentorial infarct, but its prevalence and severity after infra-tentorial infarct is unclear. We compared the frequencies and prognostic value of domain-specific cognitive deficits after supra-tentorial and infra-tentorial infarct. METHODS: In a consecutive cohort of patients with first-ever stroke (N = 244) admitted to Helsinki University Hospital, 37 patients had an infra-tentorial infarct. Patients were assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological examination 3 months post-stroke covering 9 cognitive domains and functional disability was assessed at 15 months with the modified Rankin Scale. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the frequencies of cognitive deficits in patients with infra-tentorial vs supra-tentorial infarct. Altogether 73% of patients with infra-tentorial infarct and 82% of patients with supra-tentorial infarct had impairment in at least one cognitive domain. Further 42% of patients with infra-tentorial infarct and 47% of those with supra-tentorial infarct had deficits in 3 or more cognitive domains. In patients with infra-tentorial infarct, visuo-constructional deficits were significantly associated with functional disability at 15 months (OR 9.0, 95%CI 1.3-62.5, p = 0.027). In patients with supratentorial infarct, executive deficits (OR 2.9, 95%CI 1.5-5.8, p = 0.002) and visuo-constructional deficits (OR 2.9, 95%CI 1.5-5.7, p = 0.001) showed associations with functional disability at 15 months. CONCLUSION: Cognitive deficits are as common in patients with infra-tentorial infarct as in those with supra-tentorial infarct, and it is important to recognize them to meet the needs of rehabilitation.

Familial hypercholesterolemia and statins in the COVID-19 era: Mitigating the risk of ischemic stroke.

There is a continuing need for research about the underlying mechanisms behind ischemic strokes in COVID-19 patients. Pre-existing endothelial dysfunction, especially if it is accompanied by a viral infection of the endothelial cells may present an important mechanism behind the immunothrombotic/thromboembolic complications of the COVID-19 illness. Here we emphasize that pharmacotherapy with statins could partly counteract such pathophysiological scenarios. Accordingly, using familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) as a pertinent example of a lifelong endothelial dysfunction, we aim to make the clinicians and consulting neurologists aware of statins as a possible adjuvant therapy in the context of an increased risk of ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19. Based on recent clinical evidence, there is a need to encourage clinicians and consulting neurologists to continue or initiate effective statin treatment to prevent an ischemic stroke, particularly when they encounter a hypercholesterolemic COVID-19 patient with FH.

Familial hypercholesterolaemia and COVID-19: A two-hit scenario for endothelial dysfunction amenable to treatment.

Patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) are likely at increased risk for COVID-19 complications in the acute phase of the infection, and for a long time thereafter. Because in FH patients the level of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is elevated from birth and it correlates with the degree of systemic endothelial dysfunction, both heterozygous FH (HeFH) patients and, in particular, homozygous FH (HoFH) patients have a dysfunctional endothelium prone to further damage by the direct viral attack and the hyper-inflammatory reaction typical of severe COVID-19. Evidence to date shows the benefit of statin use in patients with COVID-19. In FH patients, the focus should therefore be on the effective lowering of LDL-C levels, the root cause of the expected excess vulnerability to COVID-19 infection in these patients. Moreover, the ongoing use of statins and other lipid-lowering therapies should be encouraged during the COVID pandemic to mitigate the risk of cardiovascular complications from COVID-19. For the reduction of the excess risk in FH patients with COVID-19, we advocate stringent adherence to the guideline determined LDL-C levels for FH patients, or maybe even to lower levels. Unfortunately, epidemiologic data are lacking on the severity of COVID-19 infections, as well as the number of acute cardiac events that have occurred in FH subjects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such data need to be urgently gathered to learn how much the risk for, and the severity of COVID-19 in FH are increased.

Post-stroke dementia and permanent institutionalization.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is among the most frequent causes of institutionalization. To serve the purpose of preventive strategies, there are no follow-up studies that have evaluated the actual impact of post-stroke dementia on institutionalization. We therefore compared the institutionalization rate and length of stay in an institutional care facility of patients with post-stroke dementia with stroke patients without dementia. METHODS: We included 410 consecutive patients aged 55 to 85 years with ischemic stroke who were admitted to Helsinki University Hospital (The SAM cohort). Hospitalization and nursing home admissions were reviewed from national registries. Dementia was diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 3rd edition (DSM-III) criteria using extensive clinical assessments performed 3 months post-stroke. The cohort had a follow-up 21 years later. RESULTS: Compared to patients without dementia, post-stroke dementia was associated with shorter survival time (6.60 vs 10.10 years, p < 0.001), shorter time spent not institutionalized (5.40 vs 9.37 years, p < 0.001), but not with time spent permanently institutionalized (0.73 vs 1.10 years, p = 0.08). Post-stroke dementia was associated with higher rates and earlier permanent institutionalization compared to absence of post-stroke dementia (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.07-2.18) in a Cox regression model adjusting for age, status of living alone at baseline, modified Rankin Scale at baseline, history of atrial fibrillation, and cardiac failure. CONCLUSIONS: Post-stroke dementia is associated with earlier permanent institutionalization. Due to significantly shorter survival, the time spent in nursing homes was not significantly longer in patients with post-stroke dementia compared with patients without post-stroke dementia.

Use of Statins After Ischemic Stroke in Young Adults and Its Association With Long-Term Outcome.

Background and Purpose- Knowledge of the use of secondary preventive medication in young adults is limited. We studied the use of statins and its association with subsequent vascular events in young adults with ischemic stroke-a patient group with a known low burden of atherosclerosis. Methods- The study population included 935 first-ever 30-day ischemic stroke survivors aged 15 to 49 years from the Helsinki Young Stroke Registry, 1994 to 2007. Follow-up data until 2012 were obtained from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Drug Prescription Register), the Finnish Care Register, and Statistics Finland. The association of the use of statins (defined as at least 2 purchases) with all-cause mortality, recurrent stroke, and other recurrent vascular events was assessed through adjusted Cox regression analyses. We further compared propensity score-matched statin users with nonusers. Results- Of our 935 patients, 46.8% used statins at some point during follow-up. Higher age, dyslipidemia, heavy alcohol use, and hypertension were significantly associated with purchasing statins. Statin users exhibited lower risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.38 [95% CI, 0.25-0.58]) and recurrent stroke (hazard ratio, 0.29 [95% CI, 0.19-0.44]) than nonusers, after adjustment for dyslipidemia, stroke subtype, and other confounders. These results remained unchanged after propensity score-matched comparison. Conclusions- Less than half of young ischemic stroke patients used statins; use was affected by age and risk factor profile. Statin use was independently associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and recurrent stroke.

Use of antihypertensive medication after ischemic stroke in young adults and its association with long-term outcome.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge on the use of secondary preventive medication in young adults is limited. METHODS: We included 936 first-ever ischemic stroke 30-day survivors aged 15-49, enrolled in the Helsinki Young Stroke Registry, 1994-2007. Follow-up data until 2012 came from Finnish Care Register, Statistics Finland, and Social Insurance Institution of Finland. Usage thresholds were defined as non-users, low (prescription coverage <30%), intermediate (30-80%) and high users (>80%). Adjusted Cox regression allowed assessing the association of usage with all-cause mortality and recurrent vascular events. RESULTS: Of our patients, 40.5% were non-users, 7.8% had low usage, 11.8% intermediate usage and 40.0% high usage. Median follow-up was 8.3 years. Compared to non-users, risk of mortality and recurrent stroke or TIA was lower for patients with low-intermediate (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.22-0.65; HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.18-0.53) and high usage (HR 0.25, 95% CI 0.15-0.42; HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.19-0.46), after adjustment for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Use of antihypertensives was suboptimal in one-third of patients in whom antihypertensives were initially prescribed. Users were at lower risk of mortality and recurrent stroke or TIA compared to non-users. Key Messages The use of antihypertensive medication is suboptimal in one-third of patients in whom antihypertensive medication was initially prescribed after ischemic stroke at young age. The risk of mortality and recurrent stroke or TIA is lower for users of antihypertensive medication after ischemic stroke at young age compared to non-users, after adjustment for relevant confounders including pre-existing hypertension and prior use of antihypertensive medication. Specific guidelines on antihypertensive medication use after ischemic stroke at young age are lacking. However, our results may motivate doctors and patients in gaining better usage of antihypertensive medication, since better usage was associated with more favorable outcome in this study.

Haptoglobin Hp1 Variant Does Not Associate with Small Vessel Disease.

Haptoglobin (Hp) is a plasma protein that binds free hemoglobin and protects tissues from oxidative damage. An Hp2 allele has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular complications. On the other hand, recent studies have suggested that Hp1 allele increases risk to develop severe cerebral small vessel disease. We aimed to replicate this finding in a first-ever stroke patient cohort. Hp was genotyped by PCR and gel electrophoresis in the Helsinki Stroke Aging Memory Study in patients with DNA and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) available (SAM; n = 316). Lacunar infarcts and white matter lesions (WML) classified by Fazekas grading from brain MRI were associated with Hp genotypes. As population controls, we used participants of Cardiovascular diseases-a sub study of Health 2000 Survey (n = 1417). In the SAM cohort, 63.0% of Hp1-1 carriers (n = 46), 52.5% of Hp1-2 carriers (n = 141) and 51.2% of Hp2-2 carriers (n = 129) had severe WML (p = 0.372). There was no difference in severe WMLs between Hp1-1 vs. Hp1-2 and Hp2-2 carriers (p = 0.201). In addition, 68.9% of Hp1-1 carriers (n = 45), 58.5% of Hp1-2 carriers (n = 135), and 61.8% of Hp2-2 carriers (n = 126) had one or more lacunar lesions (p = 0.472). There was no difference in the number of patients with at least one lacunar infarct between Hp1-1 vs. Hp1-2 and Hp2-2 groups (p = 0.322). Neither was there any difference when diabetic patients (type I and II) were examined separately. Hp1 allele is not associated with an increased risk for cerebral small vessel disease in a well-characterized Finnish stroke patient cohort.

Return to work after ischemic stroke in young adults: A registry-based follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the proportion of young patients not returning to work (NRTW) at 1 year after ischemic stroke (IS) and during follow-up, and clinical factors associated with NRTW. METHODS: Patients from the Helsinki Young Stroke Registry with an IS occurring in the years 1994-2007, who were at paid employment within 1 year before IS, and with NIH Stroke Scale score ≤15 points at hospital discharge, were included. Data on periods of payment came from the Finnish Centre for Pensions, and death data from Statistics Finland. Multivariate logistic regression analyses assessed factors associated with NRTW 1 year after IS, and lasagna plots visualized the proportion of patients returning to work over time. RESULTS: We included a total of 769 patients, of whom 289 (37.6%) were not working at 1 year, 323 (42.0%) at 2 years, and 361 (46.9%) at 5 years from IS. When adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and NIH Stroke Scale score at admission, factors associated with NRTW at 1 year after IS were large anterior strokes, strokes caused by large artery atherosclerosis, high-risk sources of cardioembolism, and rare causes other than dissection compared with undetermined cause, moderate to severe aphasia vs no aphasia, mild and moderate to severe limb paresis vs no paresis, and moderate to severe visual field deficit vs no deficit. CONCLUSIONS: NRTW is a frequent adverse outcome after IS in young adults with mild to moderate IS. Clinical variables available during acute hospitalization may allow prediction of NRTW.

Risk Factors for Early-Onset Ischemic Stroke: A Case-Control Study.

Background Recent studies have shown an increasing prevalence of vascular risk factors in young adults with ischemic stroke ( IS ). However, the strength of the association between all vascular risk factors and early-onset IS has not been fully established. Methods and Results We compared 961 patients with a first-ever IS at 25 to 49 years to 1403 frequency-matched stroke-free controls from a population-based cohort study ( FINRISK ). Assessed risk factors included an active malignancy, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular disease, current smoking status, a family history of stroke, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hypertension, and type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. We performed subgroup analyses based on age, sex, and IS etiology. In a fully adjusted multivariable logistic regression analysis, significant risk factors for IS consisted of atrial fibrillation (odds ratio [OR], 10.43; 95% confidence interval [ CI ], 2.33-46.77], cardiovascular disease (OR, 8.01; 95% CI , 3.09-20.78), type 1 diabetes mellitus (OR, 6.72; 95% CI , 3.15-14.33), type 2 diabetes mellitus (OR, 2.31; 95% CI , 1.35-3.95), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR, 1.81; 95% CI , 1.37-2.40), current smoking status (OR, 1.81; 95% CI , 1.50-2.17), hypertension (OR, 1.43; 95% CI , 1.17-1.75), and a family history of stroke (OR, 1.37; 95% CI , 1.04-1.82). High low-density lipoprotein cholesterol exhibited an inverse association with IS . In the subgroup analyses, the most consistent associations appeared for current smoking status and type 1 diabetes mellitus. Conclusions Our study establishes the associations between 11 vascular risk factors and early-onset IS , among which atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular disease, and both type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus in particular showed strong associations.

Effects of alteplase for acute stroke according to criteria defining the European Union and United States marketing authorizations: Individual-patient-data meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Background The recommended maximum age and time window for intravenous alteplase treatment of acute ischemic stroke differs between the Europe Union and United States. Aims We compared the effects of alteplase in cohorts defined by the current Europe Union or United States marketing approval labels, and by hypothetical revisions of the labels that would remove the Europe Union upper age limit or extend the United States treatment time window to 4.5 h. Methods We assessed outcomes in an individual-patient-data meta-analysis of eight randomized trials of intravenous alteplase (0.9 mg/kg) versus control for acute ischemic stroke. Outcomes included: excellent outcome (modified Rankin score 0-1) at 3-6 months, the distribution of modified Rankin score, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, and 90-day mortality. Results Alteplase increased the odds of modified Rankin score 0-1 among 2449/6136 (40%) patients who met the current European Union label and 3491 (57%) patients who met the age-revised label (odds ratio 1.42, 95% CI 1.21-1.68 and 1.43, 1.23-1.65, respectively), but not in those outside the age-revised label (1.06, 0.90-1.26). By 90 days, there was no increased mortality in the current and age-revised cohorts (hazard ratios 0.98, 95% CI 0.76-1.25 and 1.01, 0.86-1.19, respectively) but mortality remained higher outside the age-revised label (1.19, 0.99-1.42). Similarly, alteplase increased the odds of modified Rankin score 0-1 among 1174/6136 (19%) patients who met the current US approval and 3326 (54%) who met a 4.5-h revised approval (odds ratio 1.55, 1.19-2.01 and 1.37, 1.17-1.59, respectively), but not for those outside the 4.5-h revised approval (1.14, 0.97-1.34). By 90 days, no increased mortality remained for the current and 4.5-h revised label cohorts (hazard ratios 0.99, 0.77-1.26 and 1.02, 0.87-1.20, respectively) but mortality remained higher outside the 4.5-h revised approval (1.17, 0.98-1.41). Conclusions An age-revised European Union label or 4.5-h-revised United States label would each increase the number of patients deriving net benefit from alteplase by 90 days after acute ischemic stroke, without excess mortality.

Treatment of intracerebellar haemorrhage: Poor outcome and high long-term mortality.

BACKGROUND: Intracerebellar haemorrhage constitutes around 10% of all spontaneous, non-aneurysmal intracerebral haemorrhages (ICHs) and often carries a grim prognosis. In symptomatic patients, surgical evacuation is usually regarded the standard treatment. Our objective was to compare the in-hospital mortality and functional outcome at hospital discharge in either medically or surgically treated patients, and the impact of either treatment on long-term mortality after a cerebellar ICH. METHODS: An observational, retrospective, single-centre consecutive series of 114 patients with cerebellar ICH. We assessed the effect of different demographic factors on functional outcome and in-hospital mortality using logistic regression. We also divided the patients in medical and surgical treatment groups based on how they had been treated and compared the clinical and radiological parameters, in-hospital, and long-term mortality in the different groups. RESULTS: In our series, 38 patients (33.3%) underwent haematoma evacuation and 76 (66.7%) received medical treatment. Glasgow coma scale <8, blocked quadrigeminal cistern, and severe hydrocephalus were associated with in-hospital death or poor functional outcome at discharge (modified Rankin scale 4-6). Surgically treated patients were younger, had larger haematomas both in volume and diameter, were in a worse clinical condition, and suffered more from hydrocephalus and brainstem compression. There were no statistically significant differences in in-hospital or long-term mortality. However, the surgically treated patients remained in a poor clinical condition. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of cerebellar ICH can be life-saving but often leads to a poor functional outcome. New studies are needed on long-term functional outcome after a cerebellar ICH.

Comparison of all 19 published prognostic scores for intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We evaluated the accuracy of 19 published prognostic scores to find the best tool for predicting mortality after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). METHODS: A retrospective single-center analysis of consecutive patients with ICH (n=1013). After excluding patients with missing data (n=131), we analyzed 882 patients for 3-month (primary outcome), in-hospital, and 12-month mortality. We analyzed the strength of the individual score components and calculated the c-statistics, Youden index, sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive value (NPV and PPV) for the scores. Finally, we included every score component in a multivariable model to analyze the maximum predictive value of the data elements combined. RESULTS: Observed in-hospital mortality was 23.6%, 3-month mortality was 31.0%, and 12-month mortality was 35.3%. For in-hospital mortality, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) performed equally good as the best score for the other outcomes, the ICH Functional Outcome Score (ICH-FOS). The c-statistics of the scores varied from 0.6293 (95% CI 0.587-0.672) to 0.8802 (0.855-0.906). With all variables from all the scores in a multivariable regression model, the c-statistics did not improve, being 0.89 (0.867-0.913). Using the Youden index cutoff for the ICH-FOS score, the sensitivity (73%), specificity (90%), PPV (76%), and NPV (88%) for the primary outcome were good. CONCLUSIONS: A plethora of scores exists to help clinicians estimate the prognosis of an acute ICH patient. The NIHSS can be used to quantify the risk of in-hospital death while the ICH-FOS performed best for the other outcomes.

ECG markers associated with ischemic stroke at young age - a case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: Certain electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities are associated with ischemic stroke (IS), especially cardioembolic subtype. Besides atrial fibrillation, markers of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) or atrial pathology also reflect elevated risk. We studied the association of ECG markers with IS in young adults. METHODS: We performed a case-control study including 567 consecutive IS patients aged 15-49 years (inclusion period: 1994-2007) and one or two age- and sex-matched control subjects enrolled during 1978-1980 (n = 1033), and investigated also the stroke aetiologic subgroups. We studied ECGs of all participants for markers of atrial abnormality, i.e. P-terminal force (PTF) on lead V1, interatrial blocks (IAB; P-wave duration ≥110 ms), and LVH. Conditional logistic regression analyses were used. RESULTS: IAB (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.57, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-2.13) and PTF combined with LVH (HR: 6.83, 95% CI: 1.65-28.31), were independently associated with IS. LVH, abnormal P-wave (HR: 6.87, 95% CI: 1.97-135.29), PTF, IAB, and combinations of these P-wave abnormalities with LVH - were associated with cardioembolic subtype. Abnormal P-wave and IAB were associated with cryptogenic stroke subtype. In unadjusted analysis, LVH was associated with small-vessel disease subtype. CONCLUSION: P-wave abnormalities on ECG were associated with cardioembolic but also with a cryptogenic subtype of IS. Key messages ECG patterns associated with atrial pathology are markers of increased risk of ischemic stroke in young adults. The ECG markers reflecting atrial pathology were seen in patients with cardioembolic and cryptogenic subtypes of ischemic stroke.