Serum ALT levels are positively associated with the risk of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with NAFLD, suggesting that serum ALT levels could serve as a surrogate marker of cardiovascular risk in this special clinical setting.

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BackgroundThe triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index has recently been proposed as a reliable marker of insulin resistance. There is insufficient evidence to verify that the TyG index is correlated with functional outcomes and hemorrhagic transformation and in patients with stroke treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT).MethodsWe designed a multicenter cohort study, which enrolled patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with IVT between December 2004 and December 2016. The TyG index was divided into tertiles and calculated on a continuous scale. Unfavorable functional outcomes were defined by the modified Rankin Scale of 3–6 at 90 days and the incident rates of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) within 36 h of IVT onset were surveyed. Stroke severity was defined as mild (4–8), moderate (9–15), or high (≥16) based on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores.ResultsAmong 914 enrolled patients, the tertiles of the TyG index were 8.48 for T1, 8.48–9.04 for T2, and 9.04 for T3. T3 showed an increased risk of unfavorable functional outcomes at 90 days [odds ratio (OR): 1.76; P = 0.0132]. The TyG index was significantly associated with unfavorable functional outcomes at 90 days (OR: 1.32; P = 0.0431 per unit increase). No association was found between the TyG index and SICH. These findings were applicable for T3 with stroke of moderate (OR, 2.35; P = 0.0465) and high severity (OR: 2.57, P = 0.0440) patients with stroke.ConclusionThis study supports the strong association between the increased TyG index and increased unfavorable functional outcomes at 90 days in patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with IVT. These findings were found to be robust in patients with moderate and high stroke severity.

Background:Urinary tract infection (UTI) during acute ischemic stroke is associated with a longer hospital length of stay and unfavorable functional outcomes.Objective:We investigated the benefits of portable bladder ultrasound (PBU) scanning during acute ischemic stroke.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed patients with acute ischemic stroke from January 2011 to February 2017. Patients were divided into group 1 (PBU not available) and group 2 (PBU available), before or after the split date, April 9, 2014. Portable bladder ultrasound scanning was conducted by nurses to measure postvoid residual urine volume in patients with impaired consciousness and/or dependent ambulation.Results:In total, 1928 patients were enrolled, of whom 109 (5.7%) had UTI and 901 (46.7%) experienced unfavorable outcomes (modified Rankin scale score ≥ 3). Multivariate analysis revealed that factors that influenced UTI were age of 75 years or older, female gender, initial total National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 5 or higher, initial NIHSS conscious score of 1 or higher, initial NIHSS leg score of 2 or higher, and urinary catheterization. Factors influencing unfavorable outcomes were similar to those influencing UTI but further comprised UTI. C-statistic for UTI detection was 0.864 for model fitting, including significant factors in logistic regression. Compared with group 1, group 2 had a higher incidence of urinary catheterization (13.1% vs 8.2%), a lower incidence of UTI (4.0% vs 6.9%), and a shorter length of stay (11.9 vs 13.6 days).Conclusions:Portable bladder ultrasound scanning reduced the incidence of UTI and shortened length of stay. We suggest routine PBU procedures for patients with acute ischemic stroke who fulfill the AGN3 criteria for a high risk of UTI.