Association between sleep-disordered breathing and post-stroke fatigue in patients with ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVES: Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is common and often disabling. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent among stroke survivors and can cause fatigue. We explored the relationship between SDB and PSF over time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ischemic stroke (IS) patients within the BASIC project were offered SDB screening with a well-validated cardiopulmonary sleep apnea test at 0, 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-stroke. The primary exposure was the respiratory event index (REI; sum of apneas plus hypopneas per hour). The primary outcome was PSF, measured by the SF-36 vitality scale. Associations between REI and PSF were evaluated using linear regression including time-by-REI interactions, allowing the effect of REI to vary over time. RESULTS: Of the 411 IS patients who completed at least one outcome interview, 44 % were female, 61 % Mexican American (MA), 26 % non-Hispanic white, with a mean age of 64 (SD 10). Averaged across timepoints, REI was not associated with PSF. In a time-varying model, higher REI was associated with greater PSF at 3-months (ß = 1.75, CI = 0.08, 3.43), but not at 6- or 12-months. Across timepoints, female sex, depressive symptoms, and comorbidity burden were associated with greater PSF, whereas MA ethnicity was associated with less PSF. CONCLUSIONS: Higher REI was associated with modestly greater PSF in the early post-stroke period, but no association was observed at 6 months and beyond. SDB may be a modest modifiable risk factor for early PSF, but its treatment is unlikely to have a substantial impact on long-term PSF. MA ethnicity seems to be protective against PSF.

Long-Term Psychological Distress Among Surrogate Decision Makers for Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White Patients With Severe Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: During acute hospitalizations, physicians often focus on the stroke patient and not family who may be traumatized by this sudden change to their loved one. We investigated long-term psychological distress among family surrogate decision makers for Mexican American (MA) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) severe stroke patients. Previous work in other diseases suggested worse psychological outcomes in MA than NHW caregivers. METHODS: This was a population-based, prospective cohort study in Nueces County, TX. Stroke patient participants and their surrogate decision makers were enrolled soon after any stroke between April, 2016, and October, 2020, if surrogates had made decisions about life-sustaining treatments. Surrogates completed validated measures of posttraumatic stress, National Stressful Events Survey for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Short Scale; anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7; and depression, Patient Health Questionnaire-8 at discharge, 3, 6, and 12 months. Ethnic differences were assessed with multilevel linear mixed models, sequentially adjusted for prespecified patient and surrogate demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical covariates. RESULTS: There were 301 family surrogates for 241 severe stroke patients. The mean follow-up was 315 days. High scores on measures of psychological distress ranged between 17% and 28% of surrogates. One or more high levels of the psychological outcomes were found in 17%-43% of surrogates; 2 or more were found in 12%-27%; and all 3 were found in 5%-16% of surrogates. All psychological outcomes were worse among MAs on unadjusted analyses. In fully adjusted models, posttraumatic stress remained worse among MAs (0.36, 95% CI 0.17-0.56); ethnic differences were attenuated and no longer significant in the final model for anxiety (0.59, 95% CI -0.55 to 1.74) and depression (0.97, 95% CI -0.25 to 2.19). The trajectory for depression did differ by ethnicity (interaction p = 0.03), with depression score improving more rapidly over time among NHWs than MAs. Advance care plans did not seem to confound any ethnic differences. DISCUSSION: Psychological distress is common among family surrogate decision makers in the year after stroke and may be worse among MAs. Efforts are needed to support family members of all ethnic groups after severe stroke.

Impact of Poverty on Stroke Recurrence: A Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Poverty is associated with greater stroke incidence. The relationship between poverty and stroke recurrence is less clear. METHODS: In this population-based study, incident strokes within the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region were ascertained during the 2015 study period and followed up for recurrence until December 31, 2018. The primary exposure was neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES), defined by the percentage of households below the federal poverty line in each census tract in 4 categories (≤5%, >5%-10%, >10%-25%, >25%). Poisson regression models provided recurrence rate estimates per 100,000 residents using population data from the 2015 5-year American Community Survey, adjusting for age, sex, and race. In a secondary analysis, Cox models allowed for the inclusion of vascular risk factors in the assessment of recurrence risk by nSES among those with incident stroke. RESULTS: Of 2,125 patients with incident stroke, 245 had a recurrent stroke during the study period. Poorer nSES was associated with increased stroke recurrence, with rates of 12.5, 17.5, 25.4, and 29.9 per 100,000 in census tracts with ≤5%, >5%-10%, >10%-25%, and >25% below the poverty line, respectively (p < 0.01). The relative risk (95% CI) for recurrent stroke among Black vs White individuals was 2.54 (1.91-3.37) before adjusting for nSES, and 2.00 (1.47-2.74) after adjusting for nSES, a 35.1% decrease. In the secondary analysis, poorer nSES (HR 1.74, 95% CI 1.10-2.76 for lowest vs highest category) and Black race (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.01-1.70) were both independently associated with recurrence risk, though neither retained significance after full adjustment. Age, diabetes, and left ventricular hypertrophy were associated with increased recurrence risk in fully adjusted models. DISCUSSION: Residents of poorer neighborhoods had a dose-dependent increase in stroke recurrence risk, and neighborhood poverty accounted for approximately one-third of the excess risk among Black individuals. These results highlight the importance of poverty, race, and the intersection of the 2 as potent drivers of stroke recurrence.