Glycated Hemoglobin Value Combined with Initial Glucose Levels for Evaluating Mortality Risk in Patients with Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Hyperglycemia is a marker of poor outcome in acute ischemic stroke (IS) patients. We aimed at evaluating the effect of combined HbA1c and first glucose measurement values on 3-month mortality prediction. METHODS: In a prospective analysis, 1,317 first-ever IS patients with HbA1c values were classified by first glycemia value (<155, 155-199, ≥200 mg/dl). Three-month mortality was analyzed by glycemia category in nondiabetics, diabetics with good previous glucose control (PGC) (HbA1c <7%), and diabetics with poor PGC (HbA1c ≥7.0%). RESULTS: Mortality at 3 months was 13.1%, with no differences (p = 0.339) between non-diabetes mellitus (DM) (12.3%), good PGC-DM (12.4%), and poor PGC-DM (15.6%) patients. The unadjusted relative risk of 3-month mortality for patients with glucose ≥200 mg/dl was 3.76 (95% CI 1.48-9.56) in non-DM, 6.10 (95% CI 1.76-21.09) in good PGC-DM, and 1.44 (95% CI 0.77-2.69) in poor PGC-DM. Glycemia cutoffs most highly correlated with mortality increased as PGC declined: 107 mg/dl in non-DM, 152 mg/dl in good PGC-DM, and 229 mg/dl in poor PGC-DM patients. Glycemia correlated with stroke severity in nondiabetics and diabetic patients with good PGC, but not in those with poor PGC. CONCLUSIONS: HbA1c determination combined with first measured glucose value is useful to stratify mortality risk in IS patients: hyperglycemia is a poor prognostic marker in non-DM and DM patients with good PGC; results are inconsistent in poor PGC-DM patients. Our data suggest the relationship between hyperglycemia and poor outcome reflects stress response rather than a deleterious effect of glucose.

Sex-related differences in primary intracerebral hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Little information is available about sex-related differences in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This is a prospective observational study to describe the sex differences in demographics, vascular risk factors, stroke care, and outcomes in primary ICH. METHODS: BasicMar is a hospital-based registry of all stroke patients admitted to a single public hospital that covers a population of 330,000. From 2005 to 2015, there were 515 consecutive acute primary ICH patients. Outcome data were obtained at 3 months. RESULTS: More men than women had ICH (52.4% vs 47.6%); the women were older and had worse previous functional status than men, who were more likely to drink alcohol and smoke and to have ischemic heart disease and peripheral arterial disease. There were no sex differences in etiology, severity, or hemorrhage volume. ICH score was greater in women than in men (p = 0.018). Women had more lobar ICH than men (odds ratio adjusted by age was 1.75 [95% confidence interval 1.18-2.58], p = 0.005). The quality of stroke care was similar in both sexes. Mortality at 3 months was 44.1% in women and 41.1% in men (p = 0.656), and 3-month poor outcome among survivors (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score 3-5) 58.4% in women and 45.3% in men (p = 0.027). After adjustment for previous mRS and ICH score, there were no differences in 3-month mortality or poor outcome at 3 months between sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ICH showed sex-related differences in demographic characteristics, ICH location, and vascular risk factors, but not in stroke care, 3-month mortality, or adjusted poor outcome.

The role of HbA1c determination in detecting unknown glucose disturbances in ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the usefulness of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) determinations during the acute ischemic stroke (IS) to identify undiagnosed glucose disturbances in a prospective series of patients with first-ever IS. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a prospective series of first-ever IS patients. Patients with previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM) were excluded from the study. Patients were classified as non-DM (HbA1c<5.7% and no previous evidence of 2 or more fasting blood glucose> = 126 mg/dL), prediabetes (HbA1c from 5.7% to 6.4%), and new suspected DM (HbA1c> = 6.5% independently of current blood glucose). Medical charts from hospital discharge to July 2014 of all suspected DM patients were reviewed to confirm the DM diagnosis. RESULTS: The initial cohort included 1283 patients, of which 393 were excluded because of previous DM diagnosis and 136 because HbA1c during acute stroke phase was not available. No demographic differences were observed between patients with and without HbA1c determinations. The final cohort was composed of 754 patients with first-ever IS and unknown DM history. HbA1c determination suggested new DM in 87 cases (11.5%) and detected 273 patients with prediabetes (36.2%). New DM cases were identified in all etiological stroke subtypes. After discharge, DM diagnosis was confirmed in 80.2% of patients with available follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: HbA1c determination detected both undiagnosed DM and prediabetes in IS patients without taking into account the blood glucose values during admission, and independently of etiological stroke subtype. HbA1c determination should be included in the systematic screening of all IS patients.

Relevance of stroke subtype in vascular risk prediction.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the risk of a new vascular event (NVE) occurring after ischemic stroke and evaluate differences in risk based on stroke subtype. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of consecutive patients with nonfatal stroke recruited at a single tertiary stroke center with follow-up ranging from 2 to 5 years (average, 31 ± 15.9 months). An NVE (vascular death, nonfatal stroke or myocardial infarction, and hospitalization for other atherothrombotic events) was defined according to criteria used in a previously developed large multicenter register of atherothrombotic patients (Reduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health Registry [REACH]). We analyzed age, sex, and atherosclerotic burden (AB) based on a number of vascular risk factors, affected vascular areas, and stroke subtype according to Stop Stroke Study Trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment (SSS-TOAST) criteria in cardioaortic, large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), unclassified (more than one causal mechanism), small-artery disease (SAD), and undetermined (without cause) stroke categories. RESULTS: The final cohort consisted of 748 patients. An NVE occurred in 162 patients (21.7%), equivalent to a rate of 0.084 events per patient/year. Multivariate analysis revealed that higher NVE risk was associated with AB and 3 stroke subtypes, namely cardioaortic (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27-5.22), LAA (HR = 4.17; 95% CI 2.03-8.56), and unclassified (HR = 5.70; 95% CI 2.49-13.08). Patients with SAD or stroke of undetermined cause had lower NVE risk. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who survive stroke are at increased risk for NVEs. The risk for NVE varies according to stroke subtype.