Risk factors and prognosis of young stroke. The FUTURE study: A prospective cohort study. Study rationale and protocol

Abstract

BackgroundYoung stroke can have devastating consequences with respect to quality of life, the ability to work, plan or run a family, and participate in social life. Better insight into risk factors and the long-term prognosis is extremely important, especially in young stroke patients with a life expectancy of decades. To date, detailed information on risk factors and the long-term prognosis in young stroke patients, and more specific risk of mortality or recurrent vascular events, remains scarce.Methods/DesignThe FUTURE study is a prospective cohort study on risk factors and prognosis of young ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke among 1006 patients, aged 18-50 years, included in our study database between 1-1-1980 and 1-11-2010. Follow-up visits at our research centre take place from the end of 2009 until the end of 2011. Control subjects will be recruited among the patients' spouses, relatives or social environment. Information on mortality and incident vascular events will be retrieved via structured questionnaires. In addition, participants are invited to the research centre to undergo an extensive sub study including MRI.DiscussionThe FUTURE study has the potential to make an important contribution to increase the knowledge on risk factors and long-term prognosis in young stroke patients. Our study differs from previous studies by having a maximal follow-up of more than 30 years, including not only TIA and ischemic stroke but also hemorrhagic stroke, the addition of healthy controls and prospectively collect data during an extensive follow-up visit. Completion of the FUTURE study may provide better information for treating physicians and patients with respect to the prognosis of young stroke.

Remote Lower White Matter Integrity Increases the Risk of Long-Term Cognitive Impairment After Ischemic Stroke in Young Adults

“…3 This study comprises all consecutive patients with a first-ever ischemic stroke in one of the hemispheres. Exclusion criteria in this study were a previous stroke or TIA, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, retinal infarction, 17 recurrent stroke/TIA during the follow-up period, and severe aphasia. Lesion location was based on neuroimaging findings at follow-up, which was related to the stroke location at the time of the event described in medical records and radiological findings.…”

“…3,17 The Medical Review Ethics Committee region Arnhem-Nijmegen approved the study, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.…”

“…3,17 A z score per test was calculated for each participant based on the mean and the SD of the controls (n=84). Next, averaging z scores of cognitive tests that mainly reflected the same cognitive domain resulted in a composite z score per cognitive domain.…”

Poststroke Epilepsy Is Associated With a High Mortality After a Stroke at Young Age

“…6 To minimize bias because of changing diagnostic techniques, the World Health Organization definition for TIA and stroke was used. 7 TIA was defined as a rapidly evolving focal neurological deficit with no other than a vascular cause lasting <24 hours.…”

Determination of Prothrombotic Gene Polymorphisms and Stroke Risk Factors in Young Ischemic Stroke Patients

“…İnme, dünyada en yüksek üçüncü ölüm nedeni olmasının yanı sıra tedavi maliyetinin ve iş gücü kaybının yüksek olması nedeniyle önemlidir. Bu durumda inme risk faktörlerinin epidemiyolojik çalışmalarla belirlenmesi ve önlenmesi önem kazanmaktadır 3 .…”