High Prevalence of Moyamoya Syndrome in Appalachia.

INTRODUCTION: Moyamoya is a chronic cerebrovascular condition of unclear etiology characterized by progressive occlusion of 1 or both internal carotid arteries with neovascular collateral formation. With both an idiopathic form (moya-moya disease) and congenital condition-associated form (moyamoya syndrome), it can cause ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Recent findings in Kentucky have challenged traditional estimates of its incidence in US populations. Using the Kentucky Appalachian Stroke Registry (KApSR), our aim was to further characterize its incidence as a cause of stroke and to understand the patient population in Appalachia. METHODS: A retrospective review of moyamoya patients was performed using the KApSR database. Data collected included demographics, county location, risk factors, comorbidities, and health-care encounters from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2016. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients were identified; 36 (53.7%) resided in Appalachian counties. The cohort accounted for 125 of 6,305 stroke admissions, representing an incidence of 1,983 per 100,000 stroke admissions. Patients presented with ischemic strokes rather than hemorrhagic strokes (odds ratio 5.50, 95% CI: 2.74-11.04, p < 0.01). Eleven patients (16.4%) exhibited autoimmune disorders. Compared to the general population with autoimmune disorder prevalence of 4.5%, the presence of autoimmunity within the cohort was significantly higher (p < 0.01). Compared to non-Appalachian patients, Appalachian patients tended to present with lower frequencies of tobacco use (p = 0.08), diabetes mellitus (p = 0.13), and hypertension (p = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: Moyamoya accounts for a substantial number of stroke admissions in Kentucky; these patients were more likely to develop an ischemic stroke rather than a hemorrhagic stroke. Autoimmune disorders were more prevalent in moyamoya patients than in the general population. The reduced frequency of traditional stroke risk factors within the Appalachian group suggests an etiology distinct to the population.

Evaluation of Patients with High National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale as Thrombectomy Candidates Using the Kentucky Appalachian Stroke Registry.

INTRODUCTION: Mechanical thrombectomy has become standard of care for emergent large vessel occlusive stroke. Estimates of incidence for thrombectomy eligibility vary significantly. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) of 10 or greater is highly predictive of large vessel occlusion. Using our Kentucky Appalachian Stroke Registry (KApSR), we evaluated temporal trends in stroke admissions with NIHSS ≥10 to determine patient characteristics among that group along with effects and needs in thrombectomy utilization. METHODS: Using the KApSR database that captures patients throughout the Appalachian region in our stroke network, we evaluated patients admitted with ischemic stroke with NIHSS ≥10. We recorded demographics, comorbidities, treatment (thrombectomy, decompressive craniectomy), and county of origin. Change in NIHSS from admission to discharge was used as an indicator of inpatient outcome. RESULTS: Between 2010 and 2016, 1,510 patients were admitted with NIHSS ≥10. 87.2% had high blood pressure, 69.6% had dyslipidemia, and 41.7% used tobacco. There were significant sex differences in the types of patients presenting with NIHSS ≥10 with females being older on average and having more atrial fibrillation and obesity. There was an increase in thrombectomy utilization from 2010 to 2016, but only 7.5% of the potentially eligible patients underwent the procedure. In comparison to the period 2010-2014, the 2015-2016 period had higher rates of obesity and tobacco abuse. CONCLUSION: Among patients with significant burden of ischemic stroke, the most common coexisting medical condition was high blood pressure. Patients who underwent thrombectomy had significantly better inpatient clinical improvement. These data support the need to maximize utilization of thrombectomy along with need to devote increased resources on modifiable stroke risk factors.

The Prevalence of Multiple Comorbidities in Stroke Survivors in Rural Appalachia and the Clinical Care Implications.

BACKGROUND: The majority of studies on multimorbidity have been in aging populations and there is a paucity of data on individuals following stroke. OBJECTIVE: In order to better understand the overall complexity of the stroke population in rural Kentucky, we examined the prevalence of multimorbidity that impact the overall long-term health and health care for these individuals. METHODS: A secondary analysis examined whether there are gender or age differences in this stroke population related to the prevalence of multimorbidity. A total of 5325 individuals, 18 years of age and older, seen at an academic medical center for the primary diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack between the years of 2010-2017 were identified using the Kentucky Appalachian Stroke Registry. Descriptive analysis was used to report the prevalence of each comorbidity in the rural population by age group, gender, and level of multimorbidity by looking at concurrent frequencies. RESULTS: Overall, hypertension, dyslipidemia, tobacco use, diabetes, and obesity were the comorbidities with the highest prevalence in our population irrespective of gender. Over 78% (n = 4153) of the individuals had 3 or more comorbidities while 61% (n = 3285) had at least 3 out of the top 5 comorbidities (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, tobacco, obesity, diabetes). With respect to age, 15% (n = 795) of the sample was under the age of 50, while 32% (n = 1704) were between the age of 50 and 64 and 53% (n = 2826) of the sample were 65 years or older. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate the majority of individuals affected by stroke in rural Appalachia Kentucky have multimorbidity. In addition, almost half of these individuals are having their strokes at a younger age, which will require a shift in the focus for therapeutic interventions (eg, reintegration into the workforce versus just community reintegration).

The Kentucky Appalachian Stroke Registry (KApSR).

BACKGROUND: The population of rural Kentucky and West Virginia has a disproportionately high incidence of stroke and stroke risk factors. The Kentucky Appalachian Stroke Registry (KApSR) is a novel registry of stroke patients developed to collect demographic and clinical data in real time from these patients' electronic health records. OBJECTIVE: We describe the development of this novel registry and test it for ability to provide the information necessary to identify care gaps and direct clinical management. METHODS: The KApSR was developed as described in this article. To assess utility in patient care, we developed a "Diabetes Quality Assurance Dashboard" by cross-referencing patients in the registry with a diagnosis of ischemic cerebrovascular disease with patients that were tested for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, patients with HbA1c levels diagnostic for diabetes mellitus (DM), and patients with an elevated HbA1c that were formally diagnosed with DM. RESULTS: For the 1008 patients treated for ischemic cerebrovascular disease in the year studied, 859 (85%) had their HbA1c tested. Of those, 281 had levels of 6.5 or greater, although only 261 (93%) were discharged with a formal diagnosis of DM. CONCLUSIONS: The KApSR has practical value as a tool to assess a large population of patients quickly for care quality and for research purposes.