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Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early identification of high-risk patients is crucial for timely interventions and improved outcomes. The lactate/albumin ratio (LAR) has been suggest as a significant correlate for assessing the risk of mortality in critically ill patients. This study aimed to utilize the American eICU Collaborative Research Database to explore the association between baseline LAR and all-cause mortality within 28 days in ICU of critically ill patients diagnosed with AMI. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 989 AMI patients from the eICU Collaborative Research Database. Patients were included based on ICD-9 code 410 and the universal definition of AMI. LAR was calculated as the ratio of baseline lactate to albumin levels within the first 24 h of ICU admission. The outcome was all-cause mortality within 28 days after ICU admission. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the independent association between LAR and the risk of death, adjusting for potential confounders including demographics, comorbidities, vital signs, and laboratory parameters. Subgroup analyses and nonlinear modeling were performed to further explore the relationship. Of the 989 AMI patients, 171 (17.3%) died within 28 days after ICU admission. Patients who died had significantly higher LAR compared to survivors (1.66 vs. 0.96, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that each unit increase in LAR was associated with a 2.15-fold higher risk of all-cause mortality within 28 days after ICU admission (95% CI: 1.64–2.83, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses confirmed the consistent association across different patient characteristics. Nonlinear modeling revealed a threshold effect, where LAR above 2.15 was no longer significantly associated with mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated lower survival probabilities for patients with higher LAR(1.0526–5.8235). The findings suggest that a higher LAR was associated with an increased risk of 28-day all-cause mortality for critically ill patients with AMI after ICU admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aim to investigate whether cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) imaging markers correlate with deep medullary vein (DMV) damage in small vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke (SVO-AIS) patients. Methods: The DMV was divided into six segments according to the regional anatomy. The total DMV score (0–18) was calculated based on segmental continuity and visibility. The damage of DMV was grouped according to the quartiles of the total DMV score. Neuroimaging biomarkers of cSVD including white matter hyperintensity (WMH), cerebral microbleed (CMB), perivascular space (PVS), and lacune were identified. The cSVD score were further analyzed. Results: We included 229 SVO-AIS patients, the mean age was 63.7 ± 23.1 years, the median NIHSS score was 3 (IQR, 2–6). In the severe DMV burden group (the 4th quartile), the NIHSS score grade (6 (3–9)) was significantly higher than other groups (p < 0.01). The grade scores for basal ganglia PVS (BG-PVS) were positively correlated with the degree of DMV (R = 0.67, p < 0.01), rather than centrum semivole PVS (CS-PVS) (R = 0.17, p = 0.1). In multivariate analysis, high CMB burden (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 25.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.87–345.23) was associated with severe DMV scores. In addition, BG-PVS was related to severe DMV burden in a dose-dependent manner: when BG-PVS score was 3 and 4, the aORs of severe DMV burden were 18.5 and 12.19, respectively. Conclusion: The DMV impairment was associated with the severity of cSVD, which suggests that DMV burden may be used for risk stratification in SVO-AIS patients. Clinical relevance statement: The DMV damage score, based on the association between small vessel disease and the deep medullary veins impairment, is a potential new imaging biomarker for the prognosis of small vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke, with clinical management implications. Key Points: • The damage to the deep medullary vein may be one mechanism of cerebral small vessel disease. • Severe burden of the basal ganglia perivascular space and cerebral microbleed is closely associated with significant impairment to the deep medullary vein. • The deep medullary vein damage score may reflect a risk of added vascular damage in small vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction effect between collateral circulation and ischemic core size on stroke outcomes has been highlighted in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, biomarkers that assess the magnitude of this interaction are still lacking. We aimed to present a new imaging marker, the collateral-core ratio (CCR), to quantify the interaction effect between these factors and evaluate its ability to predict functional outcomes using machine learning (ML) in AIS. Patients with AIS caused by anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) were recruited from a prospective multicenter study. CCR was calculated as collateral perfusion volume/ischemic core volume. Functional outcomes were assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days. An ML model was built and tested with a tenfold cross-validation using nine clinical and four imaging variables with mRS score 3–6 as unfavorable outcomes. Among 129 patients, CCR was identified as the most important variable. The prediction model incorporating clinical factors, ischemic core volume, collateral perfusion volume, and CCR showed better discriminatory power in predicting unfavorable outcomes than the model without CCR (mean C index 0.853 ± 0.108 versus 0.793 ± 0.133, P = 0.70; mean net reclassification index 52.7% ± 32.7%, P < 0.05). When patients were divided into two groups based on their CCR value with a threshold of 0.73, unfavorable outcomes were significantly more prevalent in patients with CCR ≤ 0.73 than in those with CCR > 0.73. CCR is a robust predictor of functional outcomes, as identified by ML, in patients with acute LVO. The prediction model that incorporated CCR improved the model's ability to identify unfavorable outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02580097. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have indicated an association between migraine and right-to-left shunt. However, little is known about whether right-to-left shunt has an effect on the migraine brain. This observational study aims to explore the impact of right-to-left shunt on the brain of migraine without aura on microstructural level. Thirty-five patients with migraine without aura were enrolled in this study. Contrast-enhanced Transcranial Doppler was performed to evaluate the status of right-to-left shunt. Three-dimensional T1-weighted and diffusion tensor images were acquired for data analysis. We employed voxel-based morphometry and tract-based spatial statistical analyses to assess the differences of gray and white matter between migraineurs with and without right-to-left shunt, respectively. Among the 35 patients, 19 (54.3%) patients had right-to-left shunt. There were no significant differences in headache features between migraineurs with and without right-to-left shunt. There were significant increases of mean and radial diffusivity in migraineurs with right-to-left shunt compared with migraineurs without right-to-left shunt. The alterations were primarily located in the right posterior thalamic radiation, secondly in the body of corpus callosum and the right superior corona radiata. No significant differences were observed in values of fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity. No significant between-group differences were found in gray matter volume. Right-to-left shunt may cause alterations of white matter integrity in migraine without aura, and the alterations are more likely to be located at the posterior circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]