Deceleration in the decline of all CVD, HD, and stroke mortality rates has occurred since 2011. If this trend continues, strategic goals for lowering the burden of CVD set by the American Heart Association and the Million Hearts Initiative may not be reached.
Stroke is the fourth killer and number one cause of adult disability in the United States. The estimated direct and indirect costs of stroke care in this country are $68.9 billion for 2009. The prevalence of stroke and its cost will undoubtedly rise as the aging population increases. In addition, stroke incidence and mortality are increasing in less developed countries in which the lifestyles and population restructuring are rapidly changing. More population-based research to assess incidence, risk factors, and outcomes are needed in these countries. Epidemiologic studies can help identify groups of individuals or regions at higher risk for stroke. They can also help us better understand the natural history of certain conditions and therefore push the direction of therapeutic investigations. Furthermore, the study of trends across different time periods and different populations can help investigators evaluate the effects of stroke care programs and treatment options.
The China National Stroke Registry is a large-scale nationwide registry in China. Rich data collected from this prospective registry may provide the opportunity to evaluate the quality of care for stroke patients in China.
Context More than 1.5 million US adults use stimulants and other medications labeled for treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These agents can increase heart rate and blood pressure, raising concerns about their cardiovascular safety. Objective Examine whether current use of medications used primarily to treat ADHD is associated with increased risk of serious cardiovascular events in young and middle-aged adults. Design Retrospective, population-based cohort study Setting Computerized health records from 4 study sites (OptumInsight Epidemiology, Tennessee Medicaid, Kaiser Permanente California, and the HMO Research Network), starting in 1986 at one site and ending in 2005 at all sites, with additional covariate assessment using 2007 survey data. Participants Adults aged 25–64 years with dispensed prescriptions for methylphenidate, amphetamine, or atomoxetine at baseline. Each medication user (n=150,359) was matched to two non-users on study site, birth year, sex, and calendar year (total users and non-users=443,198). Main Outcome Serious cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction (MI), sudden cardiac death (SCD), or stroke. Comparison between current or new users and remote users to account for potential healthy user bias. Results During 806,182 person-years of follow-up (median 1.3 years per person), 1357 cases of MI, 296 cases of SCD, and 575 cases of stroke occurred. There were 107,322 person-years of current use (median 0.33 years), with a crude incidence per 1000 person-years of 1.34 (95% CI, 1.14–1.57) for MI, 0.30 (95% CI, 0.20–0.42) for SCD, and 0.56 (95% CI, 0.43–0.72) for stroke. The multivariable adjusted rate ratio (RR) of serious cardiovascular events for current use vs non-use of ADHD medications was 0.83 (95% CI 0.72–0.96). Among new users of ADHD medications, the adjusted RR was 0.77 (95% CI 0.63–0.94). The adjusted RR was 1.03 (95% CI, 0.86–1.24) for current use vs remote use, and was 1.02 (95% CI, 0.82–1.28) for new use vs remote use. Conclusion Among young and middle-aged adults, current or new use of ADHD medications, compared with non-use or remote use, was not associated with an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events. Apparent protective associations likely represent healthy user bias.
These recommendations can help clinicians make evidence-based treatment decisions with their patients who have had strokes.
on behalf of the China National Stroke Registry (CNSR) InvestigatorsBackground and Purpose-Little is known about intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) use in China. By accessing the Chinese National Stroke Registry (CNSR), the rate of intravenous rtPA use was reviewed. We specifically examined the issues of prehospital and in-emergency department delay and compared them with the published data from developed countries. Methods-Funded by Chinese government, CNSR is the only nationwide stroke registry that includes 132 urban hospitals.All patients eligible for intravenous rtPA were included for analysis. We then compared the onset-to-needle time and door-to-needle time in the emergency department in China with those in developed countries. Key Words: registries Ⅲ stroke Ⅲ thrombolytic therapy S troke is the second leading cause of death after cancer in the world. 1 However, stroke has become the leading cause of death among all diseases in China, which has one fifth of the total population in the world. Currently, Ͼ7 million Chinese have strokes, and approximately 65% of them are ischemic. Rising incidence and morbidity of stroke have created a heavy burden to the Chinese healthcare system. 2-4 Since its approval in the United States in 1996, intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) has been used in treating acute ischemic stroke (AIS) for Ͼ15 years in developed countries. 5 With the reported rate of using rtPA between 1.2% and 9%, 6 -8 their experiences have identified many barriers of giving rtPA such as prehospital or in-hospital delay, short treatment time window, and lack of hospital infrastructure and readiness. Delay in presentation is the most common reason for exclusion. Many studies found that only approximately 20% to 25% of patients with acute stroke arrived in the hospital within 3 hours. 6 Results-From Case Enrollment and Target Population Data Collection and ManagementAll research coordinators and study investigators were trained and certified to assess National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and modified Rankin Scale before the beginning of the trial. Trained research coordinators at each site reviewed medical records daily and identified, consented, and enrolled all eligible patients. A paper-based registry form developed by the advisory panel was used for data collection. Information collected included patient demographics, use of emergency medical services, the time of symptom onset and arrival at the ED, initial brain imaging, NIHSS scores, prestroke modified Rankin Scale, medical history, diagnosis, stroke management, and discharge status. Type of thrombolytics and doses, intravenous (IV), intra-arterial (IA), or IV and IA combination, treatment time, and reasons for not giving thrombolytic therapies were also recorded.At each site, all data elements from each paper-based registry form were manually checked for completeness, correct coding, and proper application of diagnostic algorithm by a research specialist who had experience in c...
Background and Purpose-Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is regarded as the gold standard in assessing degree of stenosis in intracranial vessels. However, it is invasive and can only be carried out at specialized centers. We sought to compare CT angiography (CTA) to DSA for detection and measurement of stenosis in large intracranial arteries. Methods--We identified all subjects admitted with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack and with CTA and DSA studies of good quality completed within 30 days of each other between April 2000 and May 2006 at a single medical center. Two readers blinded to clinical information reviewed each CTA and DSA independently. Each reader located and measured stenosis of 15 prespecified large intracranial arterial segments per study at the same level of magnification. These stenotic lesions were most likely atherosclerotic in etiology. All measurements were made with Wiha digiMax 6" digital calipers. The degree of stenosis was calculated using the published method for the Warfarin-Aspirin Symptomatic Intracranial Disease study. All disagreements of greater than 10% were reviewed by a third reader who decided between the 2 prior measurements. Segments were excluded from analyses if they were judged to be congenitally hypoplastic or seen only through collaterals or cross-filling. Intraclass correlation, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated using DSA as the reference standard. Results-Forty-one pairs of CTA and DSAs from 41 patients were reviewed. CTAs were completed within 28 days before 13 days after DSA, with a median of 1 day. A total of 475 pairs of major intracranial arterial segment were analyzed. Intraclass correlation between degree of stenosis based on CTA and DSA for all segments was 0.98 (Pϭ0.001). CTA detected large arterial occlusion with 100% sensitivity and specificity. For detection of Ն50% stenosis, CTA had 97.1% sensitivity and 99.5% specificity. To detect all lesions Ն50% as determined by DSA, the cut off point on CTA appeared to be at Ն30%, with a false-positive rate of 2.4%. Conclusions-Compared to DSA, CTA has high sensitivity and specificity for detecting Ն50% stenosis of large intracranial arterial segments. CTA is minimally invasive and may be a useful screening tool for intracranial arterial disease and occlusion.
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