Intensive heart rhythm monitoring to decrease ischemic stroke and systemic embolism-the Find-AF 2 study-rationale and design.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most frequent causes of stroke. Several randomized trials have shown that prolonged monitoring increases the detection of AF, but the effect on reducing recurrent cardioembolism, ie, ischemic stroke and systemic embolism, remains unknown. We aim to evaluate whether a risk-adapted, intensified heart rhythm monitoring with consequent guideline conform treatment, which implies initiation of oral anticoagulation (OAC), leads to a reduction of recurrent cardioembolism. METHODS: Find-AF 2 is a randomized, controlled, open-label parallel multicenter trial with blinded endpoint assessment. 5,200 patients ≥ 60 years of age with symptomatic ischemic stroke within the last 30 days and without known AF will be included at 52 study centers with a specialized stroke unit in Germany. Patients without AF in an additional 24-hour Holter ECG after the qualifying event will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion to either enhanced, prolonged and intensified ECG-monitoring (intervention arm) or standard of care monitoring (control arm). In the intervention arm, patients with a high risk of underlying AF will receive continuous rhythm monitoring using an implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) whereas those without high risk of underlying AF will receive repeated 7-day Holter ECGs. The duration of rhythm monitoring within the control arm is up to the discretion of the participating centers and is allowed for up to 7 days. Patients will be followed for at least 24 months. The primary efficacy endpoint is the time until recurrent ischemic stroke or systemic embolism occur. CONCLUSIONS: The Find-AF 2 trial aims to demonstrate that enhanced, prolonged and intensified rhythm monitoring results in a more effective prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke and systemic embolism compared to usual care.

First manifestation of Fabry's disease by psychotic episode associated with thalamic ischemic stroke - case report and review of literature.

Fabry's disease is a X-linked inherited multisystem disorder with deficient activity of the lysosomal enzyme α-galactosidase which neuropsychiatric manifestations comprise mainly small fiber neuropathy, cerebral microangiopathy, and depression. This report describes a patient in who psychotic symptoms were associated with a thalamic ischemic stroke and the first manifestation of Fabry's disease. Reviewing the current literature and the hitherto reported cases of psychosis in Fabry's disease, the inclusion of psychiatric exploration and screening in the routine examination of patients with Fabry's disease as well as a brain MRI on initial diagnosis of Fabry's disease should be considered.

Case series of introducing palliative care consultation in psychiatry.

BACKGROUND: The significance of palliative care consultation in psychiatry is unclear. ACTUAL CASE SERIES: Analysis of the introduction of palliative care consultation in a large psychiatric hospital. POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION: Continue without offering, survey the need for or offer palliative care consultation, and analyse its introduction. FORMULATION OF A PLAN: Palliative care consultation was established and details including patient age, department, diagnosis, main problem, solution and discharge were analysed during the first 2 years. OUTCOME: Two consultations in the first year and 18 consultations in the second year were requested (18 geriatric, 2 addiction, 0 general, clinical social and forensic psychiatry) involving two domains: delirium associated with dementia or another condition (75%) and mental illness (e.g. alcoholic psycho-syndrome, psychosis, suicidal tendency, schizophrenia, depression) and cancer (25%). Recommendations of consultations were realized in 95%. LESSONS FROM THE CASE SERIES: Implementation of palliative care consultation in psychiatry is one possible method of how to introduce palliative care in a field of medicine with lack of palliative care. VIEW: Future research should focus on reasons for reservations about palliative care in psychiatry, include more patients with severe persistent mental illness and assess the value of palliative care consultation in resolving this problem.

Predicting dementia in primary care patients with a cardiovascular health metric: a prospective population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Improving cardiovascular health possibly decreases the risk of dementia. Primary care practices offer a suitable setting for monitoring and controlling cardiovascular risk factors in the older population. The purpose of the study is to examine the association of a cardiovascular health metric including six behaviors and blood parameters with the risk of dementia in primary care patients. METHODS: Participants (N = 3547) were insurants aged ≥55 of the largest German statutory health insurance company, who were enrolled in a six-year prospective population-based study. Smoking, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting glucose were assessed by general practitioners at routine examinations. Using recommended cut-offs for each factor, the patients' cardiovascular health was classified as ideal, moderate, or poor. Behaviors and blood parameters sub-scores, as well as a total score, were calculated. Dementia diagnoses were retrieved from health insurance claims data. Results are presented as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS: Over the course of the study 296 new cases of dementia occurred. Adjusted for age, sex, and education, current smoking (HR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.09-2.85), moderate (1.38, 1.05-1.81) or poor (1.81, 1.32-2.47) levels of physical activity, and poor fasting glucose levels (1.43, 1.02-2.02) were associated with an increased risk of dementia. Body mass index, blood pressure, and cholesterol were not associated with dementia. Separate summary scores for behaviors and blood values, as well as a total score showed no association with dementia. Sensitivity analyses with differently defined endpoints led to similar results. CONCLUSIONS: Due to complex relationships of body-mass index and blood pressure with dementia individual components cancelled each other out and rendered the sum-scores meaningless for the prediction of dementia.

Repeated early thrombolysis in cervical spinal cord ischemia.

Specific therapy of acute spinal ischemia is not established. We report the first case of an MRI-verified cervical spinal ischemia treated by thrombolysis and review the literature. A 72-year old woman with right-sided motor hemiparesis and trunk ataxia was treated by intravenous thrombolysis with full recovery. Three days later she developed again a severe right-sided sensorimotor hemiparesis and a second off-label intravenous thrombolysis was repeated. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a right-sided posterior-lateral cervical spinal ischemia. Spinal ischemia may clinically present with a cerebral-stroke-like picture challenging diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. Systemic thrombolysis might be a treatment option in acute spinal ischemia. In addition, early repeated systemic thrombolysis may be considered in selected strokes.

B-type natriuretic peptides help in cardioembolic stroke diagnosis: pooled data meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Determining the underlying cause of stroke is important to optimize secondary prevention treatment. Increased blood levels of natriuretic peptides (B-type natriuretic peptide/N-terminal pro-BNP [BNP/NT-proBNP]) have been repeatedly associated with cardioembolic stroke. Here, we evaluate their clinical value as pathogenic biomarkers for stroke through a literature systematic review and individual participants' data meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched publications in PubMed database until November 2013 that compared BNP and NT-proBNP circulating levels among stroke causes. Standardized individual participants' data were collected to estimate predictive values of BNP/NT-proBNP for cardioembolic stroke. Dichotomized BNP/NT-proBNP levels were included in logistic regression models together with clinical variables to assess the sensitivity and specificity to identify cardioembolic strokes and the additional value of biomarkers using area under the curve and integrated discrimination improvement index. RESULTS: From 23 selected articles, we collected information of 2834 patients with a defined cause. BNP/NT-proBNP levels were significantly elevated in cardioembolic stroke until 72 hours from symptoms onset. Predictive models showed a sensitivity >90% and specificity >80% when BNP/NT-proBNP were added considering the lowest and the highest quartile, respectively. Both peptides also increased significantly the area under the curve and integrated discrimination improvement index compared with clinical models. Sensitivity, specificity, and precision of the models were validated in 197 patients with initially undetermined stroke with final pathogenic diagnosis after ancillary follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Natriuretic peptides are strongly increased in cardioembolic strokes. Future multicentre prospective studies comparing BNP and NT-proBNP might aid in finding the optimal biomarker, the best time point, and the optimal cutoff points for cardioembolic stroke identification.

Suitability of the 6CIT as a screening test for dementia in primary care patients.

OBJECTIVES: To map the suitability of the Six Item Cognitive Impairment Test's (6CIT) as a screening instrument for dementia in primary care and to assess its feasibility, reliability, and validity in a real-world setting. METHOD: The present study was part of a population-based prospective trial aimed at reducing the incidence of stroke and dementia. The 6CIT was administered by general practitioners (GPs) at routine examinations every two years. Incidence of dementia was obtained from health insurance records. Psychometric qualities of the 6CIT were evaluated for two different cut-offs. RESULTS: At baseline, 72 GPs examined 3908 patients. In total, 528 patients were diagnosed with new dementia. Less than 1% of the tests were not completed. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), stability over time (Pearson's r), and the agreement between successive tests (Cohen's kappa) reached values of 0.58, 0.62, and 0.45, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity reached values of 0.49 and 0.92 at the 7/8 cut-off and of 0.32 and 0.98 at the 10/11 cut-off, respectively. Patients with dementia had significantly higher mean error scores than patients without dementia. High scores at baseline posed a more than fourfold risk of being diagnosed with dementia. CONCLUSION: The 6CIT's psychometric properties in a real-world setting suggest that the test is not suited as a routine screening instrument. Factors inherent to screening in primary care likely contributed to its low reliability and validity. This highlights the need for training GPs in the conduct of cognitive screening before such procedures can be implemented on a routine basis.

Thrombolysis for ischemic stroke in patients with brain tumors.

BACKGROUND: Thrombolysis is the most successful therapy in acute ischemic stroke. Limitations comprise strict eligibility criteria including many contraindications for thrombolysis, and in particular clinical situations lack of evidence-based data resulting in recommendations based on single experiences. Therefore, the risk-benefit effect of thrombolysis in the presence of brain tumor is unknown. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature research of electronic databases (MEDLINE, Goggle Scholar) covering the period from 1990 to 2012 including search terms "thrombolysis," "stroke," "brain tumor," and "intracranial neoplasm." In addition, we report 1 new case of a 71-year-old patient with a large right frontal meningioma who fully recovered with thrombolysis from a severe ischemic stroke. RESULTS: Our literature research retrieved 12 patients with different brain tumors who were treated with thrombolysis for different reasons. Intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 1 patient (8.3%) with a glioblastoma, and in the other 11 patients (91.7%), no hemorrhage was documented. In the subgroup of 8 stroke patients, both patients with a glioblastoma had no stroke but rather a focal seizure. Two of 3 patients with meningiomas showed a very good benefit from thrombolysis. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, very limited data exist about thrombolysis in patients with brain tumors. Differentiation of tumor by additional neuroimaging before thrombolysis in ischemic stroke is recommended as thrombolysis might be considered in extra-axial benign appearing neoplasms (eg, meningioma) but is not advisable in intra-axial primary or metastatic neoplasm. Further reporting of thrombolysis in patients with brain tumors is recommended.

Insertable cardiac event recorder in detection of atrial fibrillation after cryptogenic stroke: an audit report.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent risk factor in ischemic stroke but often remains undetected. We analyzed the value of insertable cardiac event recorder in detection of AF in a 1-year cohort of patients with cryptogenic ischemic stroke. METHODS: All patients with cryptogenic stroke and eligibility for oral anticoagulation were offered the insertion of a cardiac event recorder. Regular follow-up for 1 year recorded the incidence of AF. RESULTS: Of the 393 patients with ischemic stroke, 65 (16.5%) had a cryptogenic stroke, and in 22 eligible patients, an event recorder was inserted. After 1 year, in 6 of 22 patients (27.3%), AF was detected. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary data show that insertion of cardiac event recorder was eligible in approximately one third of patients with cryptogenic stroke and detected in approximately one quarter of these patients new AF.

Brain size and white matter content of cerebrospinal tracts determine the upper cervical cord area: evidence from structural brain MRI.

INTRODUCTION: Measurement of the upper cervical cord area (UCCA) from brain MRI may be an effective way to quantify spinal cord involvement in neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis. However, knowledge on the determinants of UCCA in healthy controls (HCs) is limited. METHODS: In two cohorts of 133 and 285 HCs, we studied the influence of different demographic, body-related, and brain-related parameters on UCCA by simple and partial correlation analyses as well as by voxel-based morphometry (VBM) across both cerebral gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM). RESULTS: First, we confirmed the known but moderate effect of age on UCCA in the older cohort. Second, we studied the correlation of UCCA with sex, body height, and total intracranial volume (TIV). TIV was the only variable that correlated significantly with UCCA after correction for the other variables. Third, we studied the correlation of UCCA with brain-related parameters. Brain volume correlated stronger with UCCA than TIV. Both volumes of the brain tissue compartments GM and WM correlated with UCCA significantly. WM volume explained variance of UCCA after correction for GM volume, whilst the opposite was not observed. Correspondingly, VBM did not yield any brain region, whose GM content correlated significantly with UCCA, whilst cerebral WM content of cerebrospinal tracts strongly correlated with UCCA. This latter effect increased along a craniocaudal gradient. CONCLUSION: UCCA is mainly determined by brain volume as well as by WM content of cerebrospinal tracts.

Depression as first manifestation of a large intracerebral lymphoma.

OBJECTIVE: The differentiation between a 'non-organic' depressive episode and an organic depressive disorder on the basis of clinical grounds might be challenging. METHODS: We report a case with an initially typical severe depressive episode without any focal neurological deficits. RESULTS: Only medical history from a third party raised doubts about this provisional diagnosis. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed a highly malignant diffuse large intracerebral B-cell lymphoma in the right frontal lobe changing the diagnosis into an organic depressive disorder. The patient recovered after neurosurgical resection, chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. CONCLUSION: This report helps to reduce possible errors in the differential diagnosis of depressive disorders by underlining the importance of a comprehensive medical history including anamnesis from a third party and neuroimaging, especially in first or atypical manifestation of depressive disorders.

Systematic analysis of nonfatal suicide attempts and further diagnostic of secondary injury in strangulation survivors: A retrospective cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: Data on nonfatal suicide attempts in Germany are sparse. The study aimed to analyze data on nonfatal suicide attempts and consecutive diagnostic steps to identify secondary injuries after strangulation. Methods: All admissions after nonfatal suicide attempt in a large Bavarian psychiatric hospital between 2014 and 2018 were reviewed and the methods were analyzed. Results: A total of 2125 verified cases out of 2801 registered cases of nonfatal suicide attempts were included in further analysis. The most common methods were intoxication (n = 1101, 51.8%), cutting (n = 461, 21.7%), and strangulation (n = 183, 8.6%). Among survivors of strangulation with external neck compression (n = 99, 54.1%), no diagnostic steps were performed in 36 (36.4%) patients and insufficient imaging in 13 (20.6%) patients. Carotid artery dissection was detected in two (4.0%) of 50 patients with adequate neuroimaging. Conclusions: This study provides details on nonfatal suicide attempts in Germany. Slightly more than half of the patients with strangulation underwent adequate diagnostic work-up, with 4.0% being diagnosed with dissection. Further studies with systematic screening for dissection after strangulation in psychiatric hospitals are recommended to reduce possible under-reporting.

Ultraearly repeated systemic thrombolysis in recurrent ischemic stroke - A multicentre case study.

OBJECTIVE: We analysed outcomes of patients who received off-label repeated thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator for ischemic stroke recurrence within 10 days (ultraearly repeated thrombolysis, UERT). METHOD: We identified patients receiving UERT from the prospective telestroke network of South-East Bavaria (TEMPiS) registry and by database search (Pubmed, Google scholar). Corresponding authors were contacted for further details. Baseline demographic data and clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings were analysed in a multicentric case study. RESULTS: Sixteen patients receiving UERT were identified. The median time between first and second thrombolysis was 3.5 days. In patients with available data, second thrombolysis achieved an early clinical improvement (NIHSS reduction ≥4 points) in 12 of 14 (85.7%) and a favourable outcome (mRS 0-2 after 3 months) in 11 of 16 (68.8%) patients. Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) occurred in 4 patients (25.0%) with one fatal large parenchymatous haemorrhage (6.3%). Neither allergic reactions nor other immunoreactive events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: In our analysis UERT led to early clinical improvement and a favourable clinical outcome in a high percentage of patients with ICH rates comparable to prior publications. UERT might be considered in patients with early recurrent stroke under careful risk-benefit assessment.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients With NMO Spectrum Disorders and MOG-Antibody-Associated Diseases: COPANMO(G)-Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the life of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated diseases (MOGAD). METHODS: This multicenter, cross-sectional study included data of 187 patients recruited from 19 different German and Austrian Neuromyelitis Optica Study Group (NEMOS) centers between July 2021 and March 2022. The effects of the pandemic on immunotherapeutic treatment and access to care, the possible severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and the potential effect of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 on disease incidence and relapse risk were assessed using a patient questionnaire. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured with the EuroQoL Group 5-Dimension 5-Level Scale (EQ-5D-5L). Demographic and clinical characteristics were retrieved from the NEMOS database. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-seven patients (75% women; median age 47 [range 21-86] years; median disease duration 5.5 [range 0-67] years; median Expanded Disability Status Scale 2.0 [range 0-8.0]; 51% aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG)-positive, 36% myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-IgG-positive 13% double-seronegative) were analyzed. Most patients maintained excellent access to healthcare services throughout the pandemic. Immunotherapy was not changed in 88% of patients. Ninety-one percent of all patients were satisfied with medical care during the pandemic. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of patients rated their risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 as low or moderate. Among this study sample, 23 patients (12%) knowingly acquired an infection with SARS-CoV-2 and predominantly had a nonsevere course of illness (n = 22/23, 96%). The SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rate was 89%, with 4 cases of confirmed attack or first manifestation of NMOSD/MOGAD occurring in temporal association with the vaccination (range 2-9 days). The reported HRQoL did not decline compared with a prepandemic assessment (mean EQ-5D-5L index value 0.76, 95% bootstrap confidence interval [CI] 0.72-0.80; mean EQ-VAS 66.5, 95% bootstrap CI 63.5-69.3). DISCUSSION: This study demonstrates that, overall, patients with NMOSD/MOGAD affiliated with specialized centers received ongoing medical care during the pandemic. Patients' satisfaction with medical care and HRQoL did not decrease.

Chronic kidney disease and cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has emerged as a possible new risk factor of cognitive impairment and dementia, but results of studies remain conflicting. METHODS: A systematic literature research of electronic databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and Goggle Scholar covering the period from 1980 to January 2012) and meta-analysis of relevant cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were conducted to assess the association of CKD and cognitive decline. RESULTS: Most cross-sectional and longitudinal studies suggest an association between cognitive impairment and CKD. Meta-analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies comprising 54,779 participants yielded an association of cognitive decline in patients with CKD compared with patients without CKD (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.32-2.05; p < 0.001, and OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.15-1.68; p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: This is the first meta-analysis assessing the impact of CKD on cognitive decline. Our results suggest CKD being a significant and independent somatic risk factor in the development of cognitive decline.

Vitamin D deficiency, cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recent preventive strategies for patients with cognitive impairment include the identification of modifiable somatic risk factors like vitamin D deficiency. METHODS: A systematic literature research and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the association of cognitive impairment and vitamin D deficiency. RESULTS: Data from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies suggest an association between cognitive impairment and vitamin D deficiency. Meta-analysis of 5 cross-sectional and 2 longitudinal studies comprising 7,688 participants showed an increased risk of cognitive impairment in those with low vitamin D compared with normal vitamin D (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.91-3.00; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Methodological limitations of these studies comprise heterogeneity of study populations, different forms of cognitive assessment, the problem of reverse causality, different definitions of vitamin D deficiency and inconsistent control for confounders. As the value of vitamin D substitution in cognitive impairment remains doubtful, a long-time major placebo-controlled randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation in participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) should be started.

[First clinical manifestation of chronic hepatitis C in painless progressive atrophic monoparesis of the right leg]. / Klinische Erstmanifestation einer chronischen Hepatitis C bei schmerzloser progredienter atrophischer Monoparese des rechten Beines.

HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: A 60-year-old male patient was admitted with a painless reduction in the circumference of the right calf with mild gait disturbance that had been increasing for 6 months. Neurological findings included atrophic monoparesis of the right lower leg with preserved muscle reflexes without sensory disturbances. INVESTIGATIONS: Electrophysiologically and neuroradiologically, only the right triceps surae muscle showed signs of combined acute and chronic damage and marked atrophy with diffuse muscle oedema. With elevated liver enzymes, previously unknown positive hepatitis C serology and high hepatitis C viral load in serum, even pleocytosis with very low viral load was detectable in the CSF. DIAGNOSIS: A diagnosis of hepatitis C-associated mononeuropathy of the right sciatic nerve with focal involvement of the right tibial nerve was made. THERAPY AND COURSE: After therapy with Sofosbuvir and Velpatasvir, no further progression of the monoparesis occurred during the further course. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic hepatitis C may be rarely associated with painless progressive monoparesis. With regard to pathogenesis, the significance of CSF requires further studies.

[Reflex syncope-or more? : Ictal asystole!] / Reflexsynkope ­ oder mehr? : Iktale Asystolie!

A 59-year-old male patient was admitted for possible reflex syncope following loss of consciousness during urination. During the visit, a malaise with unconsciousness occurred. Holter ECG at that time showed increasing sinus bradycardia with transition to a junctional escape rhythm (30/min); in addition, there were several sinus pauses > 2.0 s (the longest almost 10 s). This malaise occurred again during routine EEG, when a focal epileptic seizure on the right fronto-temporal with sinus bradycardia after 15 s was documented. Thus, the diagnosis of ictal asystole was made, anticonvulsant therapy was started, and a cardiac pacemaker was implanted.

Relationship between kidney function and risk of asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease in elderly subjects.

BACKGROUND: Limited data exist regarding the relationship between kidney function and incident asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD). METHODS: The study population consisted of 2881 participants of the Intervention Project on Cerebrovascular Diseases and Dementia in the Community of Ebersberg, Bavaria, a community-based cohort of elderly individuals. Kidney function was calculated as creatinine clearance (Ccr) estimated by the Cockcroft-Gault formula. Incident PAD was defined as a new onset of ankle-brachial index < 0.9 assessed at regular examinations among those with an ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) ≥ 0.9 at baseline. Relative risks (RR) for PAD were compared across declining kidney function quartiles. RESULTS: Mean serum concentration of creatinine and Ccr were 0.82 ± 0.31 mg/dL and 78 ± 21 mL/min/1.73 m(2). After 6 years of follow-up, 478 (17%) participants developed incident asymptomatic PAD. After adjustment for demographic factors and cardiovascular risk factors, lower Ccr quartiles were directly associated with a higher risk of PAD. Compared with participants in quartile 1 (> 89 mL/min/1.73 m(2)), the adjusted RR (95% CI) for PAD were 1.01 (0.88-1.19) for quartile 2 (75-89 mL/min/1.73 m(2)), 1.05 (0.93-1.23) for quartile 3 (64-75 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) and 1.10 (1.01-1.44) for quartile 4 (< 64 mL/min/1.73 m(2); P = 0.009 for trend). Cardiovascular events as a function of baseline Ccr and incident PAD showed that most vascular events occurred in participants with Ccr < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) at baseline and incident PAD (log-rank test, P = 0.0018). CONCLUSIONS: Lower kidney function is associated with incident asymptomatic PAD. In addition, the combination of impaired kidney function and incident PAD better predicts cardiovascular outcomes.

Bilateral superior altitudinal hemianopia: missing the goal, but hitting the stroke cause.

Bilateral superior altitudinal hemianopia is an uncommon clinical presentation of ischemic stroke. We report a patient who had an ischemic stroke with a pure bilateral superior altitudinal hemianopia resulting from bilateral ischemia in the optic radiation. This symptom was first overlooked and a delusion was suspected. A thorough clinical examination is essential to avoid any misdiagnosis or to overlook correct treatment.