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Background and Purpose— Value-based health care aims to bring together patients and health systems to maximize the ratio of quality over cost. To enable assessment of healthcare value in stroke management, an international standard set of patient-centered stroke outcome measures was defined for use in a variety of healthcare settings. Methods— A modified Delphi process was implemented with an international expert panel representing patients, advocates, and clinical specialists in stroke outcomes, stroke registers, global health, epidemiology, and rehabilitation to reach consensus on the preferred outcome measures, included populations, and baseline risk adjustment variables. Results— Patients presenting to a hospital with ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage were selected as the target population for these recommendations, with the inclusion of transient ischemic attacks optional. Outcome categories recommended for assessment were survival and disease control, acute complications, and patient-reported outcomes. Patient-reported outcomes proposed for assessment at 90 days were pain, mood, feeding, selfcare, mobility, communication, cognitive functioning, social participation, ability to return to usual activities, and health-related quality of life, with mobility, feeding, selfcare, and communication also collected at discharge. One instrument was able to collect most patient-reported subdomains (9/16, 56%). Minimum data collection for risk adjustment included patient demographics, premorbid functioning, stroke type and severity, vascular and systemic risk factors, and specific treatment/care-related factors. Conclusions— A consensus stroke measure Standard Set was developed as a simple, pragmatic method to increase the value of stroke care. The set should be validated in practice when used for monitoring and comparisons across different care settings.

Background Rural residence is associated with stroke incidence and mortality, but little is known about potential rural/urban differences in ambulatory stroke care. Methods and Results We used the CANHEART (Cardiovascular Health in Ambulatory Care Research Team) cohort, created from linked administrative databases from the province of Ontario, Canada, and divided into primary (N=6 207 032) and secondary (N=75 823) prevention cohorts based on the absence or presence of prior stroke. We defined rural communities as those with a population size of ≤10 000 and within each of the primary and secondary prevention cohorts, compared cardiovascular risk factors and care between rural and urban areas. We then calculated sex-/age-standardized rates of stroke incidence and mortality per 1000 person-years between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2012 and used cause-specific hazard models to compare outcomes in rural versus urban areas adjusting for age, sex, income, ethnicity, smoking, physical activity and comorbid conditions, and accounting for the competing risk of death in the model for the occurrence of stroke incidence. In the primary prevention cohort, rural residents were less likely than urban ones to be screened for diabetes mellitus (70.9% versus 81.3%) and hyperlipidemia (66.2% versus 78.4%) and less likely to achieve diabetes mellitus control (hemoglobin A1c ≤7% in 51.3% versus 54.3%; P<0.001 for all comparisons). In the secondary prevention cohort, the prevalence and treatment of risk factors were similar in rural and urban residents. After adjustment for sociodemographic and comorbid conditions, rural residence was associated with higher rates of stroke and all-cause mortality in both the primary prevention (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] for stroke, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.04-1.09; aHR for mortality, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.08-1.10) and the secondary prevention cohort (aHR for stroke, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.02-1.19; aHR for mortality, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03-1.11). Conclusions In this population-based study of over 6 million people with universal access to physician and hospital services, risk factors were more prevalent but less likely to be controlled in rural than in urban residents without prior stroke, whereas in those with prior stroke, risk factor prevalence and treatment were similar. Rural residence was associated with the rate of stroke and death even after adjustment for risk factors. Future efforts should focus not only on control of known vascular risk factors but also on addressing other determinants of health in rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The effect of endovascular therapy (EVT) for large vessel occlusion stroke on cognitive outcomes is not well understood. We evaluated the effect of EVT on cognitive function in the Endovascular Treatment for Small Core and Anterior Circulation Proximal Occlusion With Emphasis on Minimizing CT to Recanalization Times (ESCAPE) trial., Methods: Patient data from the ESCAPE randomized trial were analyzed. Cognitive assessments completed at 90 days after stroke were the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Sunnybrook Neglect Assessment Procedure (SNAP), the Boston Naming Test (BNT), Trail-making test A (Trails A), and Trail-making test B (Trails B). We used logistic regression to evaluate the association between EVT and favorable cognitive outcome on the 5 separate tests, adjusting for demographic and clinical factors. We used generalized estimating equations and ordinal regression to determine the odds of favorable outcome with EVT on global cognition incorporating the 5 tests. We added final infarct volume (FIV) to the models to assess the relationship of FIV with cognitive outcome., Results: The ESCAPE trial included 315 patients, 165 randomized to EVT and 150 randomized to control. There was higher odds of favorable outcome with EVT for MoCA (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.32, 95% CI 1.30-4.16), SNAP (aOR 3.85, 95% CI 2.00-7.45), BNT (aOR 2.33, 95% CI 1.30-4.17), trails A (aOR 3.50, 95% CI 1.93-6.36), and trails B (aOR 2.56, 95% CI 1.46-4.48). There was higher odds of favorable outcome with EVT on global binary (aOR 2.57, 95% CI 1.67-3.94) and ordinal analyses (aOR 2.83, 95% CI 1.68-4.76) of cognitive function. After adding FIV to the models, both FIV and EVT were significantly associated with cognitive outcome. There was a significant correlation between global cognitive performance and mRS at day 90 ( r = -0.78, p < 0.001), with the largest reductions in favorable cognitive outcome from mRS score 4 to 5 and from mRS 2 to 3., Discussion: In this secondary analysis of the ESCAPE trial, EVT was associated with favorable outcome on 5 separate cognitive tests and in global analyses of cognitive benefit. These results provide novel evidence for the effect of EVT on cognition and support the global benefit of treatment with EVT., Classification of Evidence: This study provides Class II evidence that in patients with acute ischemic stroke due to intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) or M1 segment MCA occlusion, including tandem extracranial ICA occlusions, EVT compared with best medical therapy increased odds of favorable cognitive outcome.

Background and Purpose: Concern exists that preadmission warfarin use may be associated with an increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage in patients with ischemic stroke receiving intravenous tissue plasminogen activator, even in those with an international normalized ratio <1.7. However, evidence to date has been derived from a small single-center cohort of patients., Methods: We used data from Phase 3 of the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network. We compared the rates of post-tissue plasminogen activator hemorrhage, including any intracerebral hemorrhage, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, and gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with and without preadmission warfarin use. For those receiving warfarin, we restricted the analysis to patients with an international normalized ratio <1.7 on presentation. Secondary outcomes included functional status and mortality. Multivariate analyses were performed to adjust for other prognostic factors., Results: Our cohort included 1739 patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator of whom 125 (7.2%) were receiving warfarin before admission and had an international normalized ratio <1.7. Preadmission warfarin use was not associated with any secondary intracerebral hemorrhage (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.7 to 2.2), symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.5 to 2.3), or gastrointestinal hemorrhage (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.2 to 5.6). Multivariate analysis showed that preadmission warfarin use was independently associated with a reduced risk of poor functional outcome (OR, 0.6; 95 CI, 0.3 to 0.9), but not with in-hospital mortality (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.3 to 1.0)., Conclusions: The results from the present study suggest that tissue plasminogen activator treatment appears to be safe in patients with acute ischemic stroke taking warfarin with an international normalized ratio <1.7 and may reduce the risk of poor functional outcome.

Background and Purpose: The safety of carotid artery stenting (CAS) and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has varied by symptomatic status in previous trials. The Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy Versus Stenting Trial (CREST) data were analyzed to determine safety in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients., Methods: CREST is a randomized trial comparing safety and efficacy of CAS versus CEA in patients with high-grade carotid stenoses. Patients were defined as symptomatic if they had relevant symptoms within 180 days of randomization. The primary end point was stroke, myocardial infarction, or death within the periprocedural period or ipsilateral stroke up to 4 years., Results: For 1321 symptomatic and 1181 asymptomatic patients, the periprocedural aggregate of stroke, myocardial infarction, and death did not differ between CAS and CEA (5.2% versus 4.5%; hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.82 to 1.68; P=0.38). The stroke and death rate was higher for CAS versus CEA (4.4% versus 2.3%; hazard ratio, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.21 to 2.98; P=0.005). For symptomatic patients, the periprocedural stroke and death rates were 6.0%±0.9% for CAS and 3.2%±0.7% for CEA (hazard ratio, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.11 to 3.21; P=0.02). For asymptomatic patients, the stroke and death rates were 2.5%±0.6% for CAS and 1.4%±0.5% for CEA (hazard ratio, 1.88; 95% CI, 0.79 to 4.42; P=0.15). Rates were lower for those aged <80 years., Conclusions: There were no significant differences between CAS versus CEA by symptomatic status for the primary CREST end point. Periprocedural stroke and death rates were significantly lower for CEA in symptomatic patients. However, for both CAS and CEA, stroke and death rates were below or comparable to those of previous randomized trials and were within the complication thresholds suggested in current guidelines for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

Background: Previous studies have found higher stroke case fatality in patients admitted to the hospital on weekends compared to weekdays, but the reasons for this association are not known., Methods: This was a cohort study using data from the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network. We included consecutive patients with acute stroke or TIA seen in the emergency department or admitted to the hospital at 11 stroke centers in Ontario, Canada, between July 1, 2003, and March 30, 2008 (n = 20,657). We compared in-hospital stroke care and 7-day all-cause stroke case fatality rates between patients seen on weekends and weekdays, with adjustment for stroke severity and other baseline factors., Results: Overall rates of hospital presentation were lower on weekends compared to weekdays, with lower rates of weekend presentation among individuals with minor stroke and TIA compared to those with more severe strokes. Stroke care, including admission to a stroke unit, neuroimaging, and dysphagia screening, was similar in those treated on weekends and weekdays. All-cause 7-day fatality rates were higher in patients seen on weekends compared to weekdays (8.1% vs 7.0%), even after adjustment for age, sex, stroke severity, and comorbid conditions (adjusted hazard ratio 1.12, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.25)., Conclusions: Stroke fatality is higher with weekend compared to weekday admission, even after adjustment for case mix.

Background and Purpose: Reduced cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) with steal phenomenon is an independent predictor for stroke and may indicate tissue exposed to episodic low-grade ischemia. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) calculated using diffusion-weighted MRI is effective in characterizing focal brain ischemia and subtle structural changes in normal-appearing white matter (WM). We hypothesized that regions of steal phenomenon are associated with increased ADC in normal-appearing WM of patients with Moyamoya disease., Methods: Twenty-two patients with unilateral CVR impairment secondary to Moyamoya disease and 12 healthy control subjects underwent diffusion-weighted MRI and functional MRI mapping of the cerebrovascular response to hypercapnia. Parametric maps of ADC and CVR were calculated, coregistered, and segmented using automated image processing methods. ADC of normal-appearing WM was compared between hemispheres, and between WM with negative CVR (ie, steal phenomenon) and WM with positive CVR., Results: In patients, ADC of normal-appearing WM was elevated in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the CVR impairment compared with the contralateral hemisphere (P<0.005) and in WM with negative CVR compared with WM with positive CVR (P<0.001). WM in regions of steal phenomenon within the affected hemisphere had higher ADC than homologous contralateral WM (P<0.005). In control subjects, negative CVR in WM was not associated with elevated ADC., Conclusions: Regions of steal phenomenon are spatially correlated with elevated ADC in normal-appearing WM of patients with Moyamoya disease. This structural abnormality may reflect low-grade ischemic injury after exhaustion of the cerebrovascular reserve capacity.