Risk Factors and Diet Components Determining Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of a Prospective Hospital Register Study.

OBJECTIVES: Low adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MeDi) is associated with increased incidence, mortality, and severity of acute ischemic strokes (AIS). Nevertheless, the explanatory factors associated with such results are unclear. Our aim was to investigate stroke risk factors associated with adherence to a MeDi in a prospective cohort of AIS patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients admitted from February 2017 to February 2020 were included in this study. Adherence was measured using the 14-point Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared with adherence with a univariate analysis. A binomial regression was used to investigate the independent association of premorbid factors and MeDi components with adherence. RESULTS: There were 413 patients. Mean age was 68.6 (17.4), 176 (42.6%) women. Median MEDAS score was 6 (IQR 4-7) points. 253 patients (61.2%) had a low adherence (MEDAS ≤ 6). In the univariate analysis, a low MEDAS was associated with lower education, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, greater body mass index (BMI), lower alcohol consumption, and higher LDLc. In the regression analysis, younger age, lower education, functional disability, hypertension, sedentary lifestyle, and higher BMI were associated with lower MEDAS scores. Six MeDi components had particularly low patient adherence: seafood, legumes, olive oil, nuts, wine, and fruit. DISCUSSION: These data indicate low adherence to MeDi in younger patients who are less educated and have existing cardiovascular risk factors, in particular hypertension, sedentary lifestyle, and higher BMI. Some components of the diet had a particularly low adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Tailoring diet prevention interventions to these specific populations, focusing on components with known less adherence, could improve adherence to a MeDi and the opportunity for secondary stroke prevention.

Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index Predicts 3-Month Functional Outcome in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated with Intravenous Thrombolysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), a novel inflammation index derived from counts of circulating platelets, neutrophils and lymphocytes, has been studied in developing incident cancer. However, the clinical value of SII in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients had not been further investigated. Therefore, we aimed to explore the association between SII and severity of stroke as well as 3-month outcome of AIS patients. METHODS: A total of 216 AIS patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and 875 healthy controls (HCs) were retrospectively recruited. Blood samples were collected within 24h after admission. Severity of stroke was assessed by the National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) scores on admission and poor 3-month functional outcome was defined as Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) > 2. RESULTS: SII levels in AIS patients were higher than in HCs. The cut-off value of SII is 545.14×109/L. Patients with SII > 545.14×109/L had higher NIHSS scores (median: 5 vs 9, p < 0.001), a positive correlation between SII and NIHSS was observed (rs = 0.305, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that high SII was one of the independent risk factors for poor prognosis at 3 months of AIS patients (OR = 3.953, 95% CI = 1.702-9.179, p = 0.001). The addition of SII to the conventional prognostic model improved the reclassification (but not discrimination) of the functional outcome (net reclassification index 39.3%, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: SII is correlated with stroke severity at admission and can be a novel prognostic biomarker for AIS patients treated with IVT.

Predictive Value of Serum Creatinine/Cystatin C in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients under Nutritional Intervention.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: As a very common risk of adverse outcomes of the ischemic stroke patients, sarcopenia is associated with infectious complications and higher mortality. The goal of this retrospective study is to explore the predictive value of serum Cr/CysC ratio in acute ischemic stroke patients receiving nutritional intervention. METHODS: We reviewed adult patients with AIS from December 2019 to February 2020. Patients with acute kidney injury were excluded and all patients received nutritional intervention during a 3-month follow-up period. We collected baseline data at admission including creatinine and cystatin C. The primary poor outcome was major disability (modified Rankin Scale score ≥ 4) at 3 months after AIS. RESULTS: A total of 217 patients with AIS were identified for this study. Serum Cr/CysC ratio was significantly correlated with NIHSS at discharge, 1-month modified Rankin Scale score, and 3-month modified Rankin Scale score. During 3 months, 34 (15.70%) patients had a poor outcome after AIS and 11 (5.10%) patients died within 30 days. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, serum Cr/CysC ratio at admission was independently associated with 3-month poor outcomes (OR: 0.953, 95% CI: 0.921-0.986, p = .006) and 30-day mortality (OR: 0.953, 95% CI: 0.921-0.986, p = .006). CONCLUSION: As a blood biochemical indexes reflecting the muscle mass and aiding in risk stratification, Cr/CysC ratio at admission could be used as a predictor of 30-day mortality and long-term poor prognosis in AIS patients.

Dietary docosahexaenoic acid inhibits neurodegeneration and prevents stroke.

Stroke severely impairs quality of life and has a high mortality rate. On the other hand, dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) prevents neuronal damage. In this review, we describe the effects of dietary DHA on ischemic stroke-associated neuronal damage and its role in stroke prevention. Recent epidemiological studies have been conducted to analyze stroke prevention through DHA intake. The effects of dietary intake and supply of DHA to neuronal cells, DHA-mediated inhibition of neuronal damage, and its mechanism, including the effects of the DHA metabolite, neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1), were investigated. These studies revealed that DHA intake was associated with a reduced risk of stroke. Moreover, studies have shown that DHA intake may reduce stroke mortality rates. DHA, which is abundant in fish oil, passes through the blood-brain barrier to accumulate as a constituent of phospholipids in the cell membranes of neuronal cells and astrocytes. Astrocytes supply DHA to neuronal cells, and neuronal DHA, in turn, activates Akt and Raf-1 to prevent neuronal death or damage. Therefore, DHA indirectly prevents neuronal damage. Furthermore, NDP1 blocks neuronal apoptosis. DHA, together with NPD1, may block neuronal damage and prevent stroke. The inhibitory effect on neuronal damage is achieved through the antioxidant (via inducing the Nrf2/HO-1 system) and anti-inflammatory effects (via promoting JNK/AP-1 signaling) of DHA.

[Key problems of nutritional support in patients with ischemic stroke and nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage].

The presented systematic literature review is focused on the main problems of nutritional support as a complex treatment of patients with ischemic stroke and non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage. Nutritional support is one of the main points of intensive care in patients with stroke with a neurological deficit. Conducting rational nutritional therapy in this category of patients requires taking into account the characteristics of both the main and concomitant pathologies, in particular diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular pathology. Deep analysis of recent data shows that a number of questions for assessing the severity of hypermetabolic syndrome and differentiated correction of protein and energy metabolic disorders in various clinical forms (ischemic, hemorrhagic) of cerebral stroke with or without comorbid pathology has not been studied enough and are waiting to be resolved. The search continues for new techniques and optimal algorithms for nutritional support with the subsequent development of appropriate clinical recommendations for use in this category of patients. Controversial issues remain regarding the timing of the start of nutritional support, protein and energy requirements, ways to control the adequacy and effectiveness of clinical nutrition.

Impact of Glycosylated Hemoglobin on the Prognosis of Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated with Arterial Thrombolysis.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the impact of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) on the prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treated with intra-arterial thrombolysis (IAT). METHODS: The clinical data of 136 patients with AIS treated with IAT at the Zhongshan City People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into a high HbA1c group (HHbA1c) (≥6.5%) and a normal HbA1c group (NHbA1c) (<6.5%). According to National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score after thrombolysis, patients were divided into a good prognosis group (GP) (≥4 or <4 points reduction) and a poor prognosis group (PP) (≤4 or >4 points reduction). RESULTS: There were significant differences in the HbA1c and glucose levels, NIHSS scores at admission and at discharge, complication rates, and mortality rates between groups HHbA1c and NHbA1c (P < .05) and between groups GP and PP (P < .05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that HbA1c level (odds ratio [OR] 0.717; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.545 to 0.889) and NIHSS score at admission (OR 0.894; 95% CI 0.814 to 0.982) were risk factors for neurological improvement in IAT-treated patients with AIS. CONCLUSIONS: HbA1c level is associated with neurological function improvement in IAT-treated patients with AIS and can be used as a serological indicator of poor prognosis.

Role of the ketogenic diet in acute neurological diseases.

The current review outlines the role of ketogenic diet (KD) in the management of acute neurological conditions namely traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke, status epilepticus and primary aggressive brain tumor. An overview of the scientific literature- both clinical and pre-clinical studies is presented along with the proposed mechanism of ketogenic diet. The review also describes different formulations of commercially available ketogenic diets along with the common adverse effects and dosing recommendations.