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Aim: We aimed to investigate the impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on the outcomes of stroke patients with large-artery atherosclerosis who underwent reperfusion therapy., Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out on patients receiving reperfusion therapy for atherothrombotic stroke between January 2019 and May 2021. MetS was diagnosed according to the AHA/NHLBI criteria. The primary outcome was the composite outcome of disability (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score 3-5), death or stroke recurrence within 3 months of stroke onset. Secondary outcomes included disability and death within 3 months as well as hemorrhagic transformation (HT) and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) within 24 hours after reperfusion treatment. The independent association of MetS with the above outcomes and the highly correlated components of MetS was examined using binary logistic regression analysis., Results: A total of 174 patients were enrolled. MetS patients had a higher proportion of the composite outcome (p = 0.012), disability (p = 0.029) and HT (p = 0.049) than those without MetS, except for death (p = 0.375) and sICH (p = 0.306). Following adjustments, MetS remained independently associated with the composite outcome (adjusted OR, 3.011 [95 %CI 1.372-6.604]; p = 0.006) and disability (adjusted OR, 2.727 [95 %CI 1.220-6.098]; p = 0.015), but not HT (adjusted OR, 1.872 [95 %CI 0.854-4.104]; p = 0.117). Hypertriglyceridemia was remarkedly associated with the composite outcome (adjusted OR, 9.746 [95 % CI 2.402-39.536]; p = 0.001) and disability (adjusted OR, 6.966 [95 % CI 1.889-25.692]; p = 0.004)., Conclusion: MetS is independently associated with an increased risk of composite outcome and disability in patients with large-artery atherosclerosis stroke receiving reperfusion therapy, and hypertriglyceridemia is the main component that drives the effect of MetS on outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest in this work., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mild asymptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (aICAS) is common in Chinese patients with hypertension. However, there are no data on its prognostic value in this population. The aim of the present study was to clarify the prevalence and associated cardiovascular risk factors of mild aICAS and determine its prognostic value for overall and cardiovascular mortality in patients with hypertension., Methods: In total, 1,813 participants were evaluated for aICAS using computed tomographic angiography. The predictive effect of mild to severe aICAS on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression analyses., Results: The prevalence rate of mild aICAS was 35.7%. Poorly controlled hypertension, in combination with diabetes and dyslipidemia, was associated with aICAS. Patients with aICAS had an independently significant increase in the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death, with adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for mild to severe stenosis ranging from 1.56 to 3.30 for all-cause death and from 2.48 to 6.38 for cardiovascular death. Among the patients with mild aICAS, only those with more than two stenoses had increased mortality after adjustment, with an HR of 2.44 (95% CI: 1.42-4.18) for total death and 4.49 (95% CI: 1.82-11.05) for cardiovascular death., Conclusions: A significant association between mild aICAS and mortality in stroke-free patients with hypertension was revealed. The results indicate that mild aICAS might be an imaging marker for cerebrovascular lesions in patients with hypertension and poor control of blood pressure and lipids in this population requires further research., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Importance: Previous randomized clinical trials did not demonstrate the superiority of endovascular stenting over aggressive medical management for patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (sICAS). However, balloon angioplasty has not been investigated in a randomized clinical trial., Objective: To determine whether balloon angioplasty plus aggressive medical management is superior to aggressive medical management alone for patients with sICAS., Design, Setting, and Participants: A randomized, open-label, blinded end point clinical trial at 31 centers across China. Eligible patients aged 35 to 80 years with sICAS defined as recent transient ischemic attack (<90 days) or ischemic stroke (14-90 days) before enrollment attributed to a 70% to 99% atherosclerotic stenosis of a major intracranial artery receiving treatment with at least 1 antithrombotic drug and/or standard risk factor management were recruited between November 8, 2018, and April 2, 2022 (final follow-up: April 3, 2023)., Interventions: Submaximal balloon angioplasty plus aggressive medical management (n = 249) or aggressive medical management alone (n = 252). Aggressive medical management included dual antiplatelet therapy for the first 90 days and risk factor control., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was a composite of any stroke or death within 30 days after enrollment or after balloon angioplasty of the qualifying lesion or any ischemic stroke in the qualifying artery territory or revascularization of the qualifying artery after 30 days through 12 months after enrollment., Results: Among 512 randomized patients, 501 were confirmed eligible (mean age, 58.0 years; 158 [31.5%] women) and completed the trial. The incidence of the primary outcome was lower in the balloon angioplasty group than the medical management group (4.4% vs 13.5%; hazard ratio, 0.32 [95% CI, 0.16-0.63]; P < .001). The respective rates of any stroke or all-cause death within 30 days were 3.2% and 1.6%. Beyond 30 days through 1 year after enrollment, the rates of any ischemic stroke in the qualifying artery territory were 0.4% and 7.5%, respectively, and revascularization of the qualifying artery occurred in 1.2% and 8.3%, respectively. The rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in the balloon angioplasty and medical management groups was 1.2% and 0.4%, respectively. In the balloon angioplasty group, procedural complications occurred in 17.4% of patients and arterial dissection occurred in 14.5% of patients., Conclusions and Relevance: In patients with sICAS, balloon angioplasty plus aggressive medical management, compared with aggressive medical management alone, statistically significantly lowered the risk of a composite outcome of any stroke or death within 30 days or an ischemic stroke or revascularization of the qualifying artery after 30 days through 12 months. The findings suggest that balloon angioplasty plus aggressive medical management may be an effective treatment for sICAS, although the risk of stroke or death within 30 days of balloon angioplasty should be considered in clinical practice., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03703635.

Background and Purpose: Residual inflammatory risk (RIR) can predict the unfavourable outcomes in patients with minor ischaemic stroke. However, the impact of preprocedural RIR on long-term outcomes in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (sICAS) who underwent stenting remains understudied., Methods: This retrospective, single-centre cohort study evaluated consecutive patients with severe sICAS who underwent intracranial stenting. Patients were categorised into four groups based on preprocedural high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C): residual cholesterol inflammatory risk (RCIR, hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), RIR (hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L), residual cholesterol risk (RCR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L) and no residual risk (NRR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L). The long-term clinical outcomes included recurrent ischaemic stroke and death. The long-term imaging outcomes consisted of in-stent restenosis (ISR) and symptomatic ISR (sISR) after stenting., Results: In this study, 952 patients were included, with 751 (78.9%) being male. Forty-six cases were categorised into the RCIR group, 211 into the RIR group, 107 into the RCR group and 588 into the NRR group. Patients with RCIR (adjusted HR 6.163; 95% CI 2.603 to 14.589; p<0.001) and RIR (adjusted HR 2.205; 95% CI 1.294 to 3.757; p=0.004) had higher risks of recurrent ischaemic stroke than those with NRR during the 54 months of median follow-up time. Patients with RCIR (adjusted HR 3.604; 95% CI 1.431 to 9.072; p=0.007) were more likely to occur ISR, and patients in the RIR group showed a significant increase in the risk of sISR (adjusted HR 2.402; 95% CI 1.078 to 5.351; p=0.032) compared with those in the NRR group with a median follow-up time of 11.9 months., Conclusions: In patients with sICAS, preprocedural RIR may predict long-term recurrent ischaemic stroke, ISR and sISR following intracranial stenting., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The influence of burden of atherosclerosis in the brain supplying arteries on mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack is poorly known. We assessed whether total burden of atherosclerosis within cervicocerebral arteries is associated with long-term mortality., Methods and Results: A total of 406 patients (median age, 71.8 years; 57.9% male) with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were included and their cervicocerebral arteries imaged with computed tomography angiography. The presence of atherosclerotic findings was scored for 25 artery segments and points were summed as a Cervicocerebral Atherosclerosis Burden (CAB) score, analyzed as quartiles. Data on all-cause mortality came from Statistics Finland. After a median follow-up of 7.3 years, 147 (33.5%) patients had died. Compared with surviving patients, those who died had a higher median CAB score (5, interquartile range 2-10 versus 11, 7-16; P <0.001). Cumulative mortality increased from 8.9% (95% CI, 7.0-10.8) in the lowest to 61.4% (95% CI, 55.4-67.4) in the highest quartile of CAB score. Adjusted for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, secondary preventive medication, and admission National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score, every CAB score point increased probability of death by 3%. Analyzed in quartiles, the highest CAB quartile was associated with a 2.5-fold likelihood of all-cause mortality., Conclusions: The main findings of our study were the increasing mortality with the total burden of computed tomography angiography-defined atherosclerosis in the brain supplying arteries after ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack and that the CAB score-integrating this pathology-independently increased all-cause mortality.

Background: Intracranial artery atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) is a major cause of stroke, especially in Asian countries. Current treatment options, including balloon-mounted stent (BMS) and balloon angioplasty (BA), lack sufficient evidence to determine a preferred approach. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of BMS and BA in treating ICAS., Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive search in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus up to December 1, 2023. Eligible studies compared BMS with BA in patients diagnosed with ICAS. Primary outcomes included the success rate and occurrence of stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic). Secondary outcomes were perforator occlusion, in-stent thrombosis, death, and restenosis. Statistical analysis was conducted using R software version 4.3.1, employing a random-effects model., Results: Five high-quality studies involving 707 patients (515 males, 192 females) were included. BMS had a significantly higher success rate compared to BA (Risk Ratio [RR]: 1.13; CI: 1.03 to 1.24, p < 0.01; I 2 = 14 %). The overall risk for stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic) was significantly higher in BMS (RR: 2.97; CI: 1.32 to 6.67, p < 0.01; I 2 = 0 %). However, no significant difference was found between BMS and BA regarding ischemic stroke (RR: 2.33; CI: 0.80 to 6.74, p = 0.12; I 2 = 0 %). Additionally, no significant differences were observed in terms of perforator occlusion, in-stent thrombosis, dissection, minor and major strokes, and mortality rates. BMS was associated with a lower risk of restenosis (RR: 0.31; 95 % CI: 0.12 to 0.83, p = 0.02; I 2 = 0 %)., Conclusion: Our results indicate that BMS might be associated with higher success and lower restenosis rates than BA in the treatment of ICAS but with an increased overall risk of stroke. No significant differences were observed in ischemic stroke, perforator occlusion, in-stent thrombosis, dissection, minor and major strokes, and mortality rates. The choice of treatment should consider these findings, alongside the technical challenges and desired angiographic outcomes. Future randomized controlled trials are necessary to further elucidate these results., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Importance: Prior randomized trials have generally shown harm or no benefit of stenting added to medical therapy for patients with symptomatic severe intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis, but it remains uncertain as to whether refined patient selection and more experienced surgeons might result in improved outcomes., Objective: To compare stenting plus medical therapy vs medical therapy alone in patients with symptomatic severe intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis., Design, Setting, and Participants: Multicenter, open-label, randomized, outcome assessor-blinded trial conducted at 8 centers in China. A total of 380 patients with transient ischemic attack or nondisabling, nonperforator (defined as nonbrainstem or non-basal ganglia end artery) territory ischemic stroke attributed to severe intracranial stenosis (70%-99%) and beyond a duration of 3 weeks from the latest ischemic symptom onset were recruited between March 5, 2014, and November 10, 2016, and followed up for 3 years (final follow-up: November 10, 2019)., Interventions: Medical therapy plus stenting (n = 176) or medical therapy alone (n = 182). Medical therapy included dual-antiplatelet therapy for 90 days (single antiplatelet therapy thereafter) and stroke risk factor control., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was a composite of stroke or death within 30 days or stroke in the qualifying artery territory beyond 30 days through 1 year. There were 5 secondary outcomes, including stroke in the qualifying artery territory at 2 years and 3 years as well as mortality at 3 years., Results: Among 380 patients who were randomized, 358 were confirmed eligible (mean age, 56.3 years; 263 male [73.5%]) and 343 (95.8%) completed the trial. For the stenting plus medical therapy group vs medical therapy alone, no significant difference was found for the primary outcome of risk of stroke or death (8.0% [14/176] vs 7.2% [13/181]; difference, 0.4% [95% CI, -5.0% to 5.9%]; hazard ratio, 1.10 [95% CI, 0.52-2.35]; P = .82). Of the 5 prespecified secondary end points, none showed a significant difference including stroke in the qualifying artery territory at 2 years (9.9% [17/171] vs 9.0% [16/178]; difference, 0.7% [95% CI, -5.4% to 6.7%]; hazard ratio, 1.10 [95% CI, 0.56-2.16]; P = .80) and 3 years (11.3% [19/168] vs 11.2% [19/170]; difference, -0.2% [95% CI, -7.0% to 6.5%]; hazard ratio, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.53-1.90]; P > .99). Mortality at 3 years was 4.4% (7/160) in the stenting plus medical therapy group vs 1.3% (2/159) in the medical therapy alone group (difference, 3.2% [95% CI, -0.5% to 6.9%]; hazard ratio, 3.75 [95% CI, 0.77-18.13]; P = .08)., Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke due to symptomatic severe intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis, the addition of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting to medical therapy, compared with medical therapy alone, resulted in no significant difference in the risk of stroke or death within 30 days or stroke in the qualifying artery territory beyond 30 days through 1 year. The findings do not support the addition of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting to medical therapy for the treatment of patients with symptomatic severe intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01763320.

Purpose: Intracranial angioplasty and/or stenting implantation is an important rescue treatment for the management of intracranial atherosclerosis-related occlusion (ICAS-O) after mechanical thrombectomy failure, but its safety and efficacy remain unclear. We investigated the safety and efficacy of rescue intracranial angioplasty and/or stenting for emergent large artery occlusion (LAO) with underlying ICAS., Methods: We searched for relevant full-text articles in EMBASE, PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to March 1, 2020. We calculated the odds ratios (ORs) using random-effects models for symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), mortality, recanalization rate and favorable clinical outcome at 90 days between ICAS-O group treated by rescue therapy and Non ICAS-O group. RStudio software 1.3.959 was used to perform this meta-analysis., Results: Ten studies were included with a total of 1639 patients, of which 450 (27.5 %) were in the ICAS-O group treated with intracranial angioplasty and/or stenting, and 1189 (72.5 %) were in the Non ICAS-O group. Overall, intracranial angioplasty and/or stenting did not improve the recanalization rate (OR, 0.67 [0.26-1.76]; p = 0.419) or favorable functional outcome (OR, 1.01 [0.64-1.58]; p = 0.97) in patients with underlying ICAS-O, and the risk of sICH (OR, 0.99 [0.59-1.68]; p = 0.983) and mortality (OR, 1.26 [0.87-1.83]; p = 0.225) did not significantly differ between ICAS-O and Non ICAS-O., Conclusions: From these observational study results, rescue intracranial angioplasty and/or stenting seems safe in patients with emergent LAO after attempted thrombectomy, but further rigorous studies are warranted to confirm its efficacy., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Prior studies evaluating the Wingspan stent for treatment of symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease have included patients with a spectrum of both on-label and off-label indications for the stent. The WEAVE trial assessed 152 patients stented with the Wingspan stent strictly by its current on-label indication and found a 2.6% periprocedural stroke and death rate., Objective: This WOVEN study assesses the 1-year follow-up from this cohort., Methods: Twelve of the original 24 sites enrolling patients in the WEAVE trial performed follow-up chart review and imaging analysis up to 1 year after stenting. Assessment of delayed stroke and death was made in 129 patients, as well as vascular imaging follow-up to assess for in-stent re-stenosis., Results: In the 1-year follow-up period, seven patients had a stroke (six minor, one major). Subsequent to the periprocedural period, no deaths were recorded in the cohort. Including the four patients who had periprocedural events in the WEAVE study, there were 11 strokes or deaths of the 129 patients (8.5%) at the 1-year follow-up., Conclusions: The WOVEN study provides the 1-year follow-up on a cohort of 129 patients who were stented according to the current on-label use. It provides a more homogeneous patient group for analysis than prior studies, and demonstrates a relatively low 8.5% 1-year stroke and death rate in stented patients., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MJA, AZ, RG, AEH, BWB, RCC and WY are scientific consultants for Stryker Neurovascular. No industry compensation was provided for this research or the production of this manuscript to any of the investigators., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Analysis of the pathogenesis of coronavirus infection caused SARS-CoV-2 indicates a significant impact of hemorheological disorders on its course and outcomes. It is known that chronic cardiovascular diseases are associated with the risk of severe course and lethal outcomes both in COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Therefore, in each case it is necessary to study the interaction and mutual influence of different components of the treatment program prescribed to such patients.The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of coagulation activity on the course of a novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and to justify the management of comorbid patients having been received novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in previously selected doses according to indications in concomitant somatic diseases., Material and Methods: Total 76 cases of confirmed coronavirus infection in patients who had been received initial therapy on an outpatient basis were analyzed. 26 patients who received NOACs (rivaroxaban, apixaban, dabigatran) made up the main group and 50 - the comparison (control) group in which patients had not been administered any drugs that affect blood clotting until the episode of COVID-19. All patients have been prescribed therapy following the Provisional guidelines «Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus infection (COVID-19)» (https://static-0.minzdrav.gov.ru/system/attachments/attaches/)., Results and Discussion: The number of hospitalizations was significantly fewer in the group of patients who had been received NOACs (19 vs. 66% in the control group). No deaths or cases of severe respiratory and/or renal failure were observed in the main group, while adverse outcomes were noted in 14% of patients who had not been administered these drugs., Conclusion: Taking NOACs reduces the probability of severe course and adverse outcomes in the development of coronavirus infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, which indicates a significant contribution of coagulation mechanisms to the pathogenesis in COVID-19. There were no indications for drug replacement and correction of anticoagulant therapy regimens in patients who received adequate therapy with oral anticoagulants for treating a non-severe form of coronavirus infection in ambulatory patient settings.

Objectives: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has revolutionized stroke care for large vessel occlusions (LVOs). However, over half treated remain functionally disabled or die. Patients with tandem lesions, or severe stenosis/occlusion of the cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) with intracranial LVO, may have technical EVT challenges and worse outcomes. We sought to compare treatments and outcomes for patients with anterior circulation tandem lesions versus isolated LVOs., Materials and Methods: Consecutive tandem lesion and isolated intracranial LVO patients were identified at a single center. Demographics, medical history, presentations, treatments, and outcomes were collected and analyzed., Results: From 381 EVT patients, 62 had tandem lesions related to atherosclerosis (74%) or dissection (26%). Compared to isolated intracranial LVOs, they were younger (63 vs 70, p = 0.003), had less atrial fibrillation (13% vs 40%, p < 0.0001), less adequate reperfusion (TICI 2b-3, 58% vs 82%, p < 0.0001), more intracranial hemorrhage (ICH, 13% vs 5%, p = 0.037), but similar 90-day functional independence (mRS 0-2, 34% vs 43%, p = 0.181). The cervical ICA was treated before intracranial EVT (57%), after (13%), not acutely (22%), or was inaccessible (8%). Acute cervical ICA treatments were stenting (57%) or angioplasty alone (13%). Neither acute stenting nor order of treatment was associated with outcomes (TICI 2b-3, ICH, or 90-day mRS 0-2). Among acutely stented, neither alteplase nor antiplatelets were associated with outcomes or stent patency., Conclusions: Tandem lesions were associated with less reperfusion, more ICH, but similar 90-day functional independence. No treatment approach was associated with outcomes. These data illustrate the technical challenges of tandem lesion treatment and underscore the importance of developing new approaches., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None, (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The optimal treatment strategy for residual stenosis in patients with acute intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis related occlusion (ICAS-O) after endovascular treatment (EVT) is unknown. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low-dose tirofiban in patients with residual stenosis after EVT due to acute ICAS-O., Methods: Retrospective analysis of prospectively enrolled consecutive patients with residual stenosis after EVT due to acute ICAS-O from March 2015 to May 2019. Patients were divided into EVT alone group or EVT plus tirofiban group. The primary endpoint was the favorable functional outcome (defined as modified Rankin scale score of 0-2) at 90 days. The secondary endpoints were the proportions of reocclusion of recanalized arteries within 72 hours after EVT, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), any ICH, and mortality at 90 days. Logistic regression for predictors of reocclusion and functional outcomes were performed., Results: A total of 98 patients, 50 treated with tirofiban and 48 without tirofiban, were enrolled in this study. Compared with patients in EVT alone group, patients in EVT plus tirofiban group had higher favorable functional outcome rate, lower mortality, and a lower reocclusion rate (56.3% versus 30.4%; P = .014, 8.3% versus 28.3%; P = .016, and 10.4% versus 32.6%; P = .011, respectively). The rates of any ICH and sICH were similar between the 2 groups. The use of tirofiban was associated with the favorable functional outcome (odds ratio [OR], 3.417; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.149-10.163; P = .027) and lower reocclusion rate (OR, 0.145; 95% CI, 0.038-0.546; P = .004) on multivariate logistic regression analysis., Conclusions: In patients with residual stenosis after EVT due to acute ICAS-O, a low-dose of tirofiban is associated with favorable functional outcome and reduced incidence of reocclusion without increasing any ICH and sICH., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors do not have any conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: There are limited data on predictors of 30-day stroke or death in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis (sICAS) undergoing stenting. We aim to determine the factors associated with stroke or death at 30 days in the stenting arm of the SAMMPRIS trial., Methods: This is a post-hoc analysis of the SAMMPRIS trial including patients who underwent angioplasty/stenting. We compared patient-specific variables, lesion-specific variables, procedure-specific variables, and FDA-approved indications between patients with and without the primary outcome (stroke or death at 30 days). Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations with the primary outcome., Results: We identified 213 patients, 30 of whom (14.1%) met the primary outcome. Smoking status and lesion length were associated with the primary outcome: the odds of stroke or death for non-smokers versus smokers (adjusted OR 4.46, 95% CI 1.79 to 11.1, p=0.001) and for increasing lesion length in millimeters (adjusted OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.39, p=0.029). These had a modest predictive value: absence of smoking history (sensitivity 66.7%, specificity 65.4%) and lesion length (area under curve 0.606). Furthermore, event rates were not significantly different between patients with and without the FDA-approved indication for stenting (15.9% vs 12%, p=0.437)., Conclusion: In SAMMPRIS patients who underwent angioplasty/stenting, neither clinical and neuroimaging variables nor the FDA indication for stenting reliably predicted the primary outcome. Further work in identifying reliable biomarkers of stroke/death in patients with sICAS is needed before considering new clinical trials of stenting., Trial Registration Number: SAMMPRIS NCT00576693; Results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

This review highlights the recent evolution of the imaging, medical management, surgical options and endovascular therapies for symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). Recent imaging developments including optical coherence tomography and other modalities to assess the intracranial arteries for symptomatic ICAD are reviewed, not only to diagnose ICAD but to determine if ICAD plaques have any high-risk features for treatment. Potential future developments in the treatment of ICAD are discussed, including the development of trackable drug-coated balloons for the cerebral circulation to treat primary or restenotic arteries, new iterations of self-expanding intracranial stents with easier delivery systems, and the re-examination of indirect surgical bypass techniques for revascularisation. In addition to these important technological developments, however, is the evolving evidence regarding the best treatment window for these techniques and additional factors in medical management which can improve patient outcomes in this devastating pathology., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MJA is a consultant for Stryker Neurovascular, manufacturer of the Wingspan Stent, which is discussed in the manuscript., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background and Purpose- Stroke at midlife has a disproportionately large impact on disability-adjusted life-years lost. Ischemic stroke incidence may be increasing at this age. We investigated long-term trends in ischemic stroke incidence and changes in stroke risk factors in a community sample stratified by stroke onset at middle and older age. Methods- In the Framingham Study, surveillance for incident stroke is ongoing since 1948. We examined age-adjusted and sex-adjusted 10-year incidence of ischemic stroke using Cox models in persons aged 35 to 54 and ≥55 years at start of follow-up. Tests for linear trend were performed over 4 epochs, controlling for the distance in time between intervals. Further, we calculated the mean 10-year risk of stroke at each epoch and for both age groups, based on vascular risk factors from the Framingham Stroke Risk Profile. Results- There were 153, 197, 176, and 165 incident ischemic strokes within each epoch beginning in 1962 (n=3966), 1971 (n=5779), 1987 (n=5133), and 1998 (n=6964). Most ischemic strokes at midlife (n=71) were because of atherosclerotic brain infarction (n=50) or cardioembolism (n=19). Using the risk in the 1962 epoch as the reference, the risk of ischemic stroke at midlife did not significantly decline (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.74-1.02; P trend =0.09). Incidence of ischemic stroke declined in the older group (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.77-0.88; P trend <0.001). Between epochs 1 and 4, the average 10-year risk of stroke, as estimated by the Framingham Stroke Risk Profile, declined by 0.7% at midlife and 1.1% at older age. Conclusions- Long-term rates of ischemic stroke declined in our community sample; the decline was greater in older as compared with younger adults. Early prevention, focused on modification of cardiovascular risk factors, is important to see sustained declines in stroke incidence and mortality at midlife.

Introduction: The objective of this single-center pilot study was to assess if symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) ultrasound features change through the 2 years after acute ischemic stroke or TIA, being ICAD a relevant cause of acute ischemic stroke or TIA, linked to high rates of recurrent stroke., Methods: We consecutively enrolled 48 patients with acute ischemic stroke or TIA with symptomatic ICAD detected by transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS) and confirmed by MR-angiography and/or CT-angiography. We set a neurosonological and clinical follow-up at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months (T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4)., Results: We observed that the hemodynamic effect of the stenosis changed during the 2-year follow-up, as revealed by the modifications of Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV) (Friedman-ANOVA test, p < 0.001). The pairwise post-hoc analysis showed a statistically significant difference between PSV at T0 and PSV at T3 (p = 0.005) and between PSV at T0 and PSV at T4 (p < 0.001) being PSV at T3 and T4 lower than PSV at T0. Seven patients had a new event in the first 12 months., Conclusions: The high rate of recurrent stroke or death among ICAD patients seems to be independent of progressive arterial narrowing. A wide multicenter follow-up study is needed in order to identify the factors that, alongside the hemodynamic features, contribute to the high risk of recurrent stroke among patient with symptomatic ICAD.

Background and Aims: Intracranial (IAD) and extracranial atherosclerotic diseases (EAD) have been mostly investigated using imaging methods. Autopsy studies allow for a direct and complete evaluation of the atherosclerotic disease. We aimed to investigate the frequency of IAD and EAD, their association, and related risk profiles in a large cross-sectional autopsy study., Methods: We measured the intima-media thickness and stenosis of the common (CCA) and internal carotid arteries (ICA), using morphometric measurements. The main outcome was stenosis (≥50%) in the artery with the largest obstruction among the 12 cerebral arteries. We used multivariable logistic regression models to investigate the association between EAD and IAD., Results: In 661 participants (mean age = 71.3 ± 11.7 y, 51% male), stenosis was more common in IAD than in EAD (59% vs. 51%). EAD was associated with Caucasian race, hypertension, and smoking, while IAD was associated with older age, less years of education, hypertension, diabetes, and a previous history of stroke. Stenosis in CCA and ICA was associated with more than two times the odds of having stenosis in the intracranial arteries (CCA: OR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.64; 3.28; ICA: OR = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.76; 3.57)., Conclusions: In this population-based autopsy study, IAD was common, even more common than EAD, but correlated with EAD., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: In the previous prospective observational study, we found that cerebral atherosclerosis is an independent predictor of acute stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, it is unknown whether intracranial cerebral atherosclerosis (ICAS) is important as much as extracranial cerebral atherosclerosis (ECAS) in estimating the risk of post-CABG adverse events. Extending the previous study, we aimed to investigate the immediate and long-term prognostic value of the location of cerebral atherosclerosis in CABG patients., Methods: This follow-up study of previously reported prospective cohort included 1,367 consecutive patients who received CABG between 2004 and 2007. All patients underwent preoperative magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to assess intracranial and ECAS, both defined by significant steno-occlusion (≥50%). Participants were classified into 4 groups according to the location of cerebral atherosclerosis: no cerebral atherosclerosis, ECAS only, ICAS only, and ECAS + ICAS. Post-CABG stroke within 14 days (immediate outcome) and mortality (long-term outcome) following CABG were compared between the groups. Survival data for all participants through June 2016 were obtained from the Korean National Registry of Vital Statistics. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of post-CABG stroke and mortality; patients lacking cerebral atherosclerosis were defined as the reference group., Results: The median follow-up duration after CABG was 9.2 years (interquartile range 8.4-10.2 years). Of the participants, 278 (20.3%) patients had ICAS only, while 269 (19.7%) and 347 (25.4%) showed ECAS only and ECAS + ICAS, respectively, in their preoperative MRA. Having ICAS only (HR 5.07; 95% CI 1.37-18.75; p = 0.015) and having ECAS + ICAS (HR 8.43; 95% CI, 2.48-28.61; p = 0.001) independently predicted the immediate stroke, whereas being with ECAS only did not (HR 1.71; 95% CI 0.35-8.50; p = 0.509). Conversely, ICAS-only status was not independently associated with long-term mortality (HR 1.22; 95% CI 0.90-1.65; p = 0.207), whereas ECAS-only status (HR 1.42; 95% CI 1.05-1.90; p = 0.021) and ECAS + ICAS status (HR 1.58; 95% CI 1.20-2.07; p = 0.001) showed independent associations., Conclusions: Over 10 years of follow-up, cerebral atherosclerosis significantly associated with the development of adverse outcomes after CABG. The prognostic value of ICAS might be different from that of ECAS; immediate post-CABG stroke was more closely associated with ICAS, whereas there was a closer association between long-term post-CABG mortality and ECAS., (© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the impact of carotid or intracranial atherosclerosis on perioperative stroke in patients undergoing open aortic arch surgery., Methods: Between 2008 and 2015, 200 consecutive patients underwent elective aortic arch surgery with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion and moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest. Nonselective screening for carotid or intracranial atherosclerosis was performed using carotid ultrasonography or magnetic resonance angiography. Carotid or intracranial atherosclerosis was classified as below moderate (0%-49% stenosis), moderate (50%-69%), or severe (70%-100%). In patients with moderate or severe stenosis, cerebral hemodynamics were evaluated using single-photon emission computed tomography with acetazolamide., Results: None of the 37 patients undergoing preoperative single-photon emission computed tomography with acetazolamide had impaired cerebral hemodynamics. In-hospital mortality rate was 3.5% (7/200). Postoperative neurologic morbidity included permanent stroke in 8 patients (4.0%) and transient neurologic deficits in 27 patients (14%). Permanent stroke occurred in 3 of 159 patients (1.9%) with below moderate stenosis and 5 of 41 patients (12.2%) with moderate or severe stenosis (P = .008). Seven of 8 patients (87.5%) with stroke experienced multiple atherothrombotic embolizations, and 1 patient experienced a stroke of unknown cause. In multivariate analysis, previous cerebrovascular accident (odds ratio, 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 2.07-12.42; P = .0004) and shaggy aorta (odds ratio, 4.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.58-10.98; P = .0045) were significant determinants of neurologic morbidity., Conclusions: Embolism was the major cause of permanent stroke in our patient population. Preoperative craniocervical and aortic screening may aid in modifying the operative strategy to reduce the occurrence of stroke., (Copyright © 2017 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: Intracranial carotid artery calcification (ICAC) is a surrogate marker of intracranial arteriosclerosis, which may impact the revascularization and clinical outcome of acute stroke patients who undergo mechanical thrombectomy., Methods: We included 194 patients admitted to our Stroke Unit between January 2009 and September 2015 who underwent mechanical thrombectomy for an anterior circulation occlusion. ICAC was quantified in both intracranial carotid arteries on the nonenhanced computed tomographic scan that was acquired before thrombectomy. Complete arterial revascularization was defined as a Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction ≥2b on the final angiographic examination. Poor functional outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of >2 at 90 days. We assessed the independent effect of ICAC volume on complete arterial revascularization, functional outcome, and mortality using logistic regression models adjusted for relevant confounders., Results: ICAC was present in 164 (84.5%) patients, with a median volume of 87.1 mm 3 (25th-75th quartile: 18.9-254.6 mm 3 ). We found that larger ICAC volumes were associated with incomplete arterial revascularization (adjusted odds ratio per unit increase in ln-transformed ICAC volume 0.73 [95% confidence interval, 0.57-0.93]) and with poorer functional outcome (adjusted odds ratio per unit increase in ln-transformed ICAC volume 1.31 [95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.66])., Conclusions: A larger amount of ICAC before mechanical thrombectomy in acute stroke patients is an indicator of worse postprocedural arterial revascularization and poorer functional outcome., (© 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Objective: Our objective is to investigate the safety and long-term efficacy of the Wingspan stent (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA, USA) for treating severe atherosclerotic stenosis of the middle cerebral artery (MCA)., Methods: A total of 278 consecutive patients from our stroke database with clinical symptoms within the prior 90 days and intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis of 70% or above of the MCA were enrolled in this study between September 2012 and November 2014, and these patients were followed until the end of June 2015. The endpoint events included any stroke or death within 30 days after stenting and any subsequent ipsilateral ischemic stroke., Results: Among the 278 enrolled patients, 277 patients (99.6%) successfully underwent stenting. The mean rate of stenosis decreased from 82.5 ± 7.9% to 9.0 ± 3.2% following treatment. Within 30 days after stenting, 12 patients (4.3%) experienced endpoint events, including 8 cases (2.9%) of hemorrhagic stroke and 4 cases (1.4%) of ischemic stroke; 2 perioperative deaths occurred. During 8-33 months of follow-up, 19 patients developed endpoint events. The 1- and 2-year endpoint event rates were 5.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.0%-15.7%) and 7.2% (95% CI, 4.3%-10.1%), respectively., Conclusions: From this study, we can conclude that the treatment of severe symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis of the MCA using the Wingspan stent was safe and effective and that the long-term stroke recurrence rate after stenting was low., (Copyright © 2016 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: On the basis of the high 1-month stroke and/or death (14.7%) rates associated with stent placement in the Stenting versus Aggressive Medical Management for Preventing Recurrent Stroke in Intracranial Stenosis trial, modifications in patient selection and procedural aspects for intracranial stent placement have been recommended. We performed a multicenter prospective single-arm trial to determine whether such modifications would result in lower rates of periprocedural stroke and/or death., Materials and Methods: The study enrolled patients with recent transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke (excluding perforator ischemic events) related to high-grade (70%-99% in severity) stenosis of a major intracranial artery. Patients were treated by using angioplasty and self-expanding stents 3 weeks after the index ischemic event at 1 of the 10 high-volume centers in China. An independent neurologist ascertained the occurrence of any stroke and/or death within 1 month after the procedure., Results: A total of 100 consecutive patients were recruited. The target lesions were located in the middle cerebral artery (M1) (n = 38, 38%), intracranial internal carotid artery (n = 17, 17%), intradural vertebral artery (n = 18, 18%), and basilar artery (n = 27, 27%). The technical success rate of stent deployment with residual stenosis of <50% was 100%. The overall 1-month stroke and/or death rate was 2% (95% confidence interval, 0.2%-7.0%). Two ischemic strokes occurred in the pontine region (perforator distribution) in patients following angioplasty and stent placement for basilar artery stenosis., Conclusions: The results of this prospective multicenter study demonstrated that modifications in patient selection and procedural aspects can substantially reduce the 1-month stroke and/or death rate following intracranial stent placement., (© 2016 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

Objective: Even though statin pretreatment is associated with better functional outcomes and lower risk of mortality in acute ischemic stroke, there are limited data evaluating this association in acute ischemic stroke due to large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), which carries the highest risk of early stroke recurrence., Methods: Consecutive patients with acute LAA were prospectively evaluated from 7 tertiary-care stroke centers during a 3-year period. Statin pretreatment, demographics, vascular risk factors, and admission and discharge stroke severity were recorded. The outcome events of interest were neurologic improvement during hospitalization (quantified as the relative decrease in NIH Stroke Scale score at discharge in comparison to hospital admission), favorable functional outcome (FFO) (defined as modified Rankin Scale score of 0-1), recurrent stroke, and death at 1 month. Statistical analyses were performed using univariable and multivariable Cox regression models adjusting for potential confounders. All analyses were repeated following propensity score matching., Results: Statin pretreatment was documented in 192 (37.2%) of 516 consecutive patients with LAA (mean age: 65 ± 13 years; 60.8% men; median NIH Stroke Scale score: 9 points, interquartile range: 5-18). Statin pretreatment was associated with greater neurologic improvement during hospitalization and higher rates of 30-day FFO in unmatched and matched (odds ratio for FFO: 2.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-5.53) analyses. It was also related to lower risk of 1-month mortality and stroke recurrence in unmatched and matched analyses (hazard ratio for recurrent stroke: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.02-0.46; hazard ratio for death: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.08-0.75)., Conclusion: Statin pretreatment in patients with acute LAA appears to be associated with better early outcomes regarding neurologic improvement, disability, survival, and stroke recurrence., (© 2016 American Academy of Neurology.)

Background: Leukoaraiosis (LA) is an indicator of small vessel disease, but little is known about the relationship between the severity of LA and etiologic subtype of ischemic stroke. Our study aimed to investigate the factors associated with the severity of LA and the relationship between the severity of LA and etiologic subtype of ischemic stroke., Methods: A total of 791 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke within 7 days were enrolled in our study. We evaluated cranial magnetic resonance imagings including severity of LA in periventricular and deep white matter, severity of silent lacunar infarcts (SLIs), etiologic subtype of ischemic stroke, and topographic patterns of acute cerebral infarcts. Severity of LA was graded as grade 0 when Fazekas scores = 0, grade 1 when Fazekas scores ranged from 1 to 2, and grade 2 when Fazekas scores were greater than or equal to 3. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression was used to analyze the factors associated with the severity of LA., Results: A total of 748 patients (94.6%) had LA, the numbers and proportions of grade 0, grade 1, and grade 2 LA were 43 patients (5.4%), 413 patients (52.2%), and 335 patients (42.4%), respectively. In multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis, increasing age, higher diastolic blood pressure, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores less than or equal to 3, presence of SLIs, and small artery occlusion (SAO) subtype of ischemic stroke were found to be independently associated with higher grade of LA., Conclusions: LA is prevalent in first-ever ischemic stroke patients. Severe LA is more frequently associated with higher grades of SLIs and ischemic stroke due to SAO., (Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate differences in risk factors, lipid profiles, mortality, and poor functional outcome in the long term in patients who had stroke associated with intracranial and/or extracranial atherosclerotic stenosis., Methods: We consecutively and prospectively enrolled patients admitted to our hospital with acute ischemic stroke. Included patients were classified into 4 groups based on stroke subtype: noncerebral artery stenosis (NCAS), intracranial stenosis (IS), extracranial stenosis (ES), and combined intracranial and extracranial stenosis (IES). Risk factors, lipid profiles, mortality, and poor functional outcome in the long term were compared among the stenosis subtypes., Results: In total, 1196 patients were included in the analysis. Independent IS markers were found to be diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR] 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-1.80, P = .01) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) of 2.6 mmol/L or more at admission (OR 3.48, 95% CI 2.69-4.50, P < .01). Factors that increased risk for ES and IES were male gender (ES, OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.29-3.98, P < .01; IES, OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.08-2.53, P = .02), older age (ES, OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05, P = .02; IES, OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.04, P < .01), and LDL of 2.6 mmol/L or more (ES, OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.05-2.88, P = .03; IES, OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.36-3.18, P < .01). Poor functional outcome and mortality were significantly more frequent in the IS and IES groups than in the NCAS group at 3 months and 1 year after discharge., Conclusions: Patients with IS and IES were at higher risk of poor functional outcome and mortality than were patients with NCAS. Risk factors and lipid profiles differed among the stenosis subtypes. Thus, targeted strategies may need to take these differences into account to prevent or manage poor functional outcomes and mortality., (Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (sICAD) have an increased risk of stroke and vascular death. The aim of the study was to evaluate the natural history and outcome of patients with sICAD treated medically., Methods: The study population was first-ever transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke patients presenting to our institute who on vascular imaging had isolated intracranial atherosclerosis as cause of their symptoms and have a follow-up of 90 days. Unfavorable outcome was defined as occurrence of TIA, stroke, acute coronary event, and/or vascular death., Results: Fifty-three (11.8%) of the 449 ischemic stroke patients had sICAD. The risk of stroke in sICAD was 8.9%, 11.1%, 13.3%, and 15.6% in first 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, and 1 year, respectively. Five (11.1%) had cardiovascular events and accounted for 50% of mortality. The predictors of unfavorable outcome were presented as limb weakness (85.7% versus 58.8%, hazard ratio 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], .05-.9; P = .04), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score 8 at admission (50% versus 5.9%, hazard ratio 8.5; 95% CI, .007-.5; P = .02), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with multiple diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesions (65.4% versus 26.7%; 95% CI, .04-.7; P = .01), and angiography suggestive of diffuse atherosclerosis (50% versus 11.8%; 95% CI, odds ratio .02-.7; P = .009). On stepwise multiple regression, variables for unfavorable outcome were NIHSS score of 8 or more at admission (P = .001), multiple DWI lesion on MRI (P = .04), and diffuse atherosclerosis on angiography (P = .006)., Conclusion: The patients with sICAD have a high risk of stroke and cardiac events even on aggressive medical treatment. Clinical and imaging features can identify this high-risk group., (Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: A high rate of postprocedure complications in the Stenting versus Aggressive Medical Therapy for Intracranial Arterial Stenosis (SAMMPRIS) trial has raised concerns whether such results are representative of intracranial stent placement in actual routine practice., Methods: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2008 to 2010, patients with cerebral ischemic events treated with intracranial stent as part of a clinical trial or outside the trial were identified. The composite end point (postoperative stroke, cardiac complications, and mortality) was reported., Results: Of the 3447 patients who underwent intracranial stent placement, 223 patients (6.5%) were enrolled in a clinical trial. The rate of composite end point was higher in patients treated outside clinical trials compared with those treated within clinical trials (14.2% versus 4.5%; P=0.1). The proportion of patients discharged to home was higher in those treated in clinical trials (76.8% versus 49.6%; P=0.001)., Conclusions: Intracranial stent placement procedures outside a clinical trial have higher rates of postoperative stroke, cardiac complication, and mortality.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) has recently become a noteworthy treatment option for significant stenosis involving the vertebral artery (VA) in selected patients. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the efficacy, safety and mid-term follow up results of 206 cases received PTA with or without stent implant to treat their symptomatic atherosclerotic VA stenosis in all segments (V1-V4). In a prospective mono-arm trial from October 2008 to July 2012 in a single center, 239 lesions affecting the intra or extracranial VA (171 in V1, 17 in V2, 14 in V3, 21 in V4 and 16 in combined segments) were treated by PTA with or without stent implant. Non-disabling stroke patients who had failed conservative medical treatment and had angiographic evidence of >50% stenosis in the dominant VA with clinical signs and symptoms of VB stenosis were included in this study. They were mean followed for 13.15±5.24 months after treatment. Overall, 206 patients underwent the procedure. A stent was implemented in 199 patients (96.6%). The periprocedural complication rate was 7.2%. The procedural (technical) success rate was 97.6%. Of the total 239 lesions, 223 were treated with stent implant. Clinical success was achieved in all 206 symptomatic patients after the procedure. Restenosis occurred in 15.9% after a mean 10.8 (6-24) months. Of those, 63.1% and 34.2% had mild and moderate stenosis that was treated medically, whereas one case (2.6%) with severe restenosis underwent balloon angioplasty. No deaths occurred during the follow-up period. The follow-up complication rate was 6.3%. TIA occurred in 4.4%, a minor stroke in 1.4% and a major stroke in one patient. The overall patient event-free survival was 92.4%. These results demonstrate the safety and feasibility of PTA with or without stent implant, with a high technical success rate, a low complication rate, a low restenosis rate and durable clinical success in patients with symptomatic VA stenosis. This approach seems to improve patients' immediate and mid-term clinical results. Randomized controlled trials are necessary to further validate this treatment option.

Background and Purpose: To demonstrate the safety and efficacy of balloon-expandable intracranial stents in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic lesions (>70% stenosis) who were symptomatic despite being on optimum medical therapy., Methods: Between April 2004 and May 2012, 182 patients underwent intracranial stenting in our institution. All patients had symptoms despite being on optimum medical therapy. Clinical follow-up was done at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Angiographic follow-up was done at 1 year in 121 patients., Results: Technical success was achieved in 97.44% of the cases. The incidence of all strokes at 1 month after procedure was 11 (5.64%), of which 2 (1.02%) were major, both related to stent thrombosis not responding to tirofiban, and 9 (4.61%) were minor. Periprocedural minor stroke was seen in 9 patients. There were 2 deaths in our study (mortality=1.09%)., Conclusions: Treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic disease with balloon-expandable intracranial stents is a safe and effective method with acceptable adverse events, especially in patients who failed medical therapy and were symptomatic despite being on optimum medical therapy.

Background: Intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis is a major cause of stroke and yet there are currently no proven effective treatments for it. The SAMMPRIS trial, comparing aggressive medical management alone with aggressive medical management combined with intracranial angioplasty and stenting, was prematurely halted when an unexpectedly high rate of periprocedural events was found in the endovascular arm. The goal of our study is to report the immediate and long-term outcomes of patients with ≥ 70 % symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis treated with balloon angioplasty and stent placement in a single centre., Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective review of 37 consecutive patients with 42 procedures of ballon angioplasty and stenting for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (≥ 70 % stenosis) treated between 1999 and 2012. Technical success (residual stenosis ≤ 50 %), periprocedural success (no vascular complications within 72 hours), and long-term outcomes are reported., Results: Technical and periprocedural success was achieved in 90.5 % of patients. The within 72 hours periprocedural stroke/death rate was 7.1 % (4.8 % intracranial haemorrhage), and the 30-day stroke/death rate was 9.5 %. Thirty patients (81 %) had clinical follow-up at ≥ 6 months. During follow-up, 5 patients developed 6 ischemic events; 5 of them (17 %) were ipsilateral. The restenosis rate was 27 %, and the retreatment rate was 12 %., Conclusions: Our outcomes of the balloon angioplasty/stent placement for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis are better than those in the SAMMPRIS study and compare favourably with those in large registries and observational studies.

Background: Enrollment in the stenting and aggressive medical management for the prevention of stroke in intracranial stenosis (SAMMPRIS) trial was halted owing to higher-than-expected 30-day stroke rates in the stenting arm. Improvement in periprocedural stroke rates from angioplasty and stenting for intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) requires an understanding of the mechanisms of these events., Objective: To identify the types and mechanisms of periprocedural stroke after angioplasty and stenting for ICAD., Methods: Patients who experienced a hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke or a cerebral infarct with temporary signs within 30 days of attempted angioplasty and stenting in SAMMPRIS were identified. Study records, including case report forms, procedure notes, and imaging were reviewed. Strokes were categorized as ischemic or hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes were categorized as perforator territory, distal embolic, or delayed stent thrombosis. Hemorrhagic strokes were categorized as subarachnoid or intraparenchymal. Causes of hemorrhage (wire perforation, vessel rupture) were recorded., Results: Three patients had an ischemic stroke after diagnostic angiography. Two of these strokes were unrelated to the procedure. Twenty-one patients had an ischemic stroke (n = 19) or cerebral infarct with temporary signs (n = 2) within 30 days of angioplasty and stenting. Most (n = 15) were perforator territory and many of these occurred after angiographically successful angioplasty and stenting of the basilar artery (n = 8). Six patients experienced a subarachnoid hemorrhage (3 from wire perforation) and 7 had a delayed intraparenchymal hemorrhage., Conclusion: Efforts at reducing complications from angioplasty and stenting for ICAD must focus on reducing the risks of regional perforator infarction, delayed intraparenchymal hemorrhage, and wire perforation.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate neuropeptides in patients presenting with symptoms of acute cerebrovascular disease., Background: The precursor neuropeptides proenkephalin A (PENK-A) and protachykinin (PTA) are markers of blood-brain barrier integrity and have been recently discussed in vascular dementia and neuroinflammatory disorders., Methods: In a prospective observational study, we measured plasma PENK-A and PTA concentrations in 189 consecutive patients who were admitted with symptoms of acute stroke. Plasma concentrations were determined by sandwich immunoassay; lower detection limits were 15.6 pmol/l (PENK-A) and 22 pmol/l (PTA). Clinical outcome was assessed at 3 months for mortality, major adverse cerebro/cardiovascular events, and functional outcome (modified Rankin scale)., Results: PENK-A was significantly elevated in patients with ischemic stroke (n = 124; 65.6%) compared to patients with transient ischemic attack (n = 16; 8.5%) and to patients with nonischemic events (n = 49; 25.9%): median (interquartile range), stroke 123.8 pmol/l (93 to 160.5); transient ischemic attack 114.5 pmol/l (85.3 to 138.8); and nonischemic event 102.8 pmol/l (76.4 to 137.6; both groups vs. stroke p < 0.05). High concentrations of PENK-A, but not PTA, were related to severity of stroke as assessed by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS [r = 0.225; p = 0.002]) and to advanced functional disability (modified Rankin Scale score 3 to 6 vs. 0 to 2: 135.1 pmol/l [99.2 to 174.1] vs. 108.9 pmol/l [88.6 to 139.5]; p = 0.014). After adjusting for age, NIHSS, and brain lesion size (computed tomography), PENK-A predicted mortality (hazard ratio [HR] for log-10 PENK-A in pmol/l: 4.52; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1 to 19.0; p < 0.05) and major adverse cerebro/cardiovascular events (HR: 6.65; 95% CI: 1.8 to 24.9; p < 0.05). Patients in the highest quartile of PENK-A (cutoff >153 pmol/l) had an increased risk of mortality (HR: 2.40; 95% CI: 1.02 to 5.40; p < 0.05) and of major adverse cerebro/cardiovascular events (HR: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.10 to 4.54; p < 0.05)., Conclusions: PENK-A is a prognostic biomarker in the acute phase of ischemic stroke. Elevated PENK-A concentrations are associated with ischemic stroke, severity of cerebral injury, and may have prognostic value for fatal and nonfatal events., (Copyright © 2012 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Current "best" medical therapy with anti-platelet and/or anti-thrombotic agents for symptomatic atherosclerotic intracranial (IC) disease is associated with high recurrence. IC catheter-based therapy (CBT) using balloon angioplasty with or without stent placement is an option for patients who have failed medical therapy. We sought to examine the outcomes of CBT for patients with symptomatic IC arterial disease managed by experienced interventional cardiologists., Methods: We retrospectively studied 89 consecutive symptomatic patients with 99 significant (≥70% diameter) IC arterial stenoses who underwent CBT. CBT was performed by experienced interventional cardiologists with the consultative support of a neurovascular team. The primary endpoint was stroke and vascular death., Results: Procedure success was achieved in 96/99 (97%) lesions and percent diameter stenosis was reduced from 91% ± 7.5% preprocedure to 19% ± 15% postprocedure (P < 0.001). The rate of in-hospital periprocedural stroke and all death was 3%. The primary endpoint of stroke and vascular death rate at 1 year was 5.7% (5/88) and at 2 years was 13.5% (11/81). The 2-year all-cause mortality was 11.3% (10/88)., Conclusions: For patients with symptomatic IC arterial stenosis who have failed medical therapy or are considered very high risk for stroke, CBT performed by experienced interventional cardiologists is safe and offers both high procedural success rates and excellent clinical outcomes at 1 year. CBT is an attractive option for this high-risk patient population considering the expected 12-15% rate of recurrent stroke at 1 year., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Patients with recent ischemic stroke may have higher risk of atherothrombosis than stable patients with established vascular events. Our aims were to investigate 1-year atherothrombotic vascular event rates and to assess the risk factors for recurrent ischemic stroke in this population., Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted between January 2007 and July 2009 at 313 hospitals in Japan. Outpatients who were at least 45 years of age and who had received oral antiplatelet therapy were enrolled within 2 weeks to 6 months from the last onset of noncardioembolic ischemic stroke. At 12 ± 3 months after enrollment, data on presence/absence of atherothrombotic vascular events were collected. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of fatal or nonfatal ischemic stroke., Results: A total of 3452 patients were enrolled, and 3411 patients who had baseline data were included in the analysis. The 1-year event rate was 3.81% (95% confidence interval 3.15-4.48%) for fatal or nonfatal ischemic stroke and 0.84% (95% confidence interval 0.52-1.15%) for all-cause mortality. The annual rate of recurrent ischemic stroke was significantly higher in patients who had ischemic stroke at least twice than in patients who had first-ever ischemic stroke (5.02% vs 3.59%; P = .0313). In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, recurrent ischemic stroke was significantly associated with age (P = .0033), the presence of diabetes (P = .0129), and waist circumference ≥80 cm (P = .0056)., Conclusions: Patients with recent ischemic stroke have a higher risk of stroke recurrence than stable patients enrolled in the REduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health (REACH) registry even though they received antiplatelet therapy. The rigorous management of risk factors is needed., (Copyright © 2012 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The results of prematurely terminated stenting and aggressive medical management for preventing recurrent stroke in intracranial stenosis (SAMMPRIS) due to excessively high rate of stroke and death in patients randomized to intracranial stent placement is expected to affect the practice of endovascular therapy for intracranial atherosclerotic disease. The purpose of this report is to review the components of the designs and methods SAMMPRIS trial and to describe the influence of those components on the interpretation of trial results., Methods: A critical review of the patient population included in SAMMPRIS is conducted with emphasis on "generalizability of results" and "bias due to cherry picking phenomenon." The technical aspects of endovascular treatment protocol consisting of intracranial angioplasty and stent placement using the Gateway balloon and Wingspan self-expanding nitinol stent and credentialing criteria of trial interventionalists are reviewed. The influence of each component is estimated based on previous literature including multicenter clinical trials reporting on intracranial angioplasty and stent placement., Results: The inclusion criteria used in the trial ensured that patients with adverse clinical or angiographic characteristics were excluded. Self-expanding stent as the sole stent, technique of prestent angioplasty, periprocedural antiplatelet treatment, and intraprocedural anticoagulation are unlikely to adversely influence the results of intracranial stent placement. A more permissive policy toward primary angioplasty as an acceptable treatment option may have reduced the overall periprocedural complication rates by providing a safer option in technically challenging lesions. The expected impact of a more rigorous credentialing process on periprocedural stroke and/or death rate following intracranial stent placement in SAMMPRIS such as the one used in carotid revascularization endarterectomy versus stenting trial remains unknown., Conclusion: The need for developing new and effective treatments for patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis cannot be undermined. The data support modification but not discontinuation of our approach to intracranial angioplasty and/or stent placement for intracranial stenosis. There are potential patients in whom angioplasty and/or stent placement might be the best approach, and a new trial with appropriate modifications in patient selection and design may be warranted., (Copyright © 2012 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.)

Background: Short- and medium-term mortality after acute stroke is related to the severity of the index event and the patient's age. However, recent studies have reassessed the prognostic value of the systemic atherothrombotic burden in these patients, not only in the long term. This post hoc analysis of the findings of the SIRIO trial (Stroke in Italy and Related Impact on Outcome) examined the prognostic impact of systemic atherothrombosis., Methods: SIRIO was a multicenter observational study enrolling patients during the acute phase of stroke of both ischemic and hemorrhagic origin. The present analysis, however, only covered patients with ischemic stroke. At baseline, the main personal and clinical details were recorded and patients were classified as having either polyvascular disease or single arterial disease on the basis of whether they had symptomatic atherothrombotic disease in other sites besides the cerebrovascular location. For all patients we calculated the Essen Stroke Risk Score (ESRS), dividing them into groups with scores of less than 3 or 3 and more. We recorded total mortality and nonfatal vascular events 12 months after enrolment. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to select predictors of medium-term mortality and nonfatal cardiovascular events. There were 2,561 patients with ischemic stroke, 823 of them classified as having polyvascular disease; 940 (out of 2,485) had an ESRS of less than 3 and 1,545 had a score of 3 or more., Results: The combined endpoint 'death (all causes) and nonfatal cardiovascular events within 12 months of hospital discharge' was significantly dependent on the following factors: ESRS, Rankin scale and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores, and polyvascular disease. Polyvascular disease status significantly affected mortality and nonfatal cardio- and cerebrovascular events after discharge (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.10-1.88). Age was also confirmed as a significant predictor of the combined endpoint., Conclusions: Besides age and the clinical severity of the index event, symptomatic involvement of several vascular districts was also an important predictor of mortality and nonfatal cardiovascular events in the medium term in patients with ischemic stroke., (Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objectives: To analyze the effect of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on prognosis of ischemic stroke secondary to intracranial stenosis in Chinese patients., Methods: A prospective cohort of 701 patients with ischemic stroke, caused by intracranial stenosis, were followed at 3-month intervals for 1 year to monitor development of recurrent stroke or death. Imaging was performed using magnetic resonance angiography. MetS was defined using International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria., Results: MetS was identified in 26.0% of the cohort of stroke patients. Patients with MetS were more likely to be female, nonsmokers, and more likely to have a prior history of diabetes mellitus, high blood glucose and a family history of stroke than patients without MetS. During 1-year follow-up, patients with MetS had a non-significantly higher rate of stroke recurrence (7.1%) than patients without MetS (3.9%; P = 0.07). There was no difference in mortality (3.3% versus 3.5%, respectively). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis (adjusting for gender, BMI, smoking, diabetes, and LDL-C) identified an association between that 1-year stroke recurrence and the presence of MetS (hazard ratio 2.30; 95% CI: 1.01-5.22) and large waist circumference (hazard ratio: 2.39; 95% CI: 1.05-5.42). However, multivariable analysis adjusting for the individual components of MetS found no significant associations between MetS and stroke recurrence. There were no associations between these parameters and mortality., Conclusions: Chinese patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis who have MetS, are at higher risk of recurrent stroke than those without MetS. However, MetS was not predictive of stroke recurrence beyond its individual components and one-year mortality.

Background and Purpose: MCA is a common location of intracranial stenosis. It is relatively more peripherally located and of a smaller caliber, and could therefore be a site technically more challenging and risky for angioplasty and stenting. The study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcome, restenosis rate, and procedural safety of Wingspan stent placement for atherosclerosis in the MCA compared with stenosis in other arteries., Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent Wingspan stent placement for symptomatic intracranial stenosis of ≥70% (or stenosis of ≥50% for recurrent ischemia despite medical therapy) were recruited prospectively and allocated into a study group (MCA stenosis, n=35) and a control group (other stenosis, n=25). Primary end points were the following: 1) all stroke or death rate at 1 year, and 2) significant in-stent restenosis rate at 1 year. Secondary end points were the following: 1) periprocedural complications within 24 hours, rate of TIA during the procedure, all stroke or death rate within 30 days; and 2) the inability to complete the procedure due to technical problems., Results: Results of study group versus the control group were the following: degree of stenosis, 78.4 ± 10.9% versus 72.5 ± 11.2% (P value=.0456); diameter of stenosis, 0.6 ± 0.3 versus 1.0 ± 0.5 mm (P=.0017); all stroke or death rate at 1 year, 14.3% versus 12% (OR=1.22); in-stent restenosis rate at 1 year, 10% versus 10.5% (OR=1.05); periprocedural complication rate at 24 hours, 2.9% versus 4% (OR=0.70); TIA rate during the procedure, 8.6% versus 4% (OR=2.25); all stroke or death rate at 30 days, 5.7% versus 12% (OR=0.44); and technical failure rate, 2.9% versus 0%., Conclusions: In this study, there were no significant differences in procedural safety, patient outcome, and restenosis rates of stent placement between the group with MCA stenosis and the group with stenoses located at other sites.

Background: Gender is known to be one of the factors linked to differences in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, little information is available regarding gender differences in the risk factors for intracranial cerebral atherosclerosis (ICAS)., Objective: This study investigated the risk factors for ICAS separately by gender in an asymptomatic population., Methods: We collected data from a consecutive series of 935 subjects who had no history of stroke and who had undergone transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD). For each subject, their medical history was documented and tests for biochemical markers were performed. Multiple logistic regression analyses were separately conducted to assess the risk factors associated with ICAS by gender., Results: The risk factors for asymptomatic ICAS were determined for every 10-year increase in age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.23-2.46), diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR = 3.45, 95% CI = 1.49-7.95), smoking (OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.01-4.32), and hypercholesterolemia (OR = 3.31, 95% CI = 1.15-9.50) for male subjects; risk factors female subjects included hypertension (OR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.40-3.15) and DM (OR = 2.45, 95% CI = 1.11-5.44). An additional stratified analysis indicated that there was no significant risk factor for male subjects aged <50 years, whereas hypertension (OR = 2.90, 95% CI = 1.57-5.37) was the significant risk factor for female subjects aged <50 years. For male subjects aged ≥50 years, DM (OR = 6.00, 95% CI = 1.87-19.20), hypercholesterolemia (OR = 4.72, 95% CI = 1.05-21.19), and every 10-year increase in age (OR = 4.33, 95% CI = 2.02-9.28) were significant risk factors for asymptomatic ICAS, whereas DM (OR = 2.93, 95% CI = 1.14-7.48) was significant for female subjects aged ≥50 years., Conclusions: The findings suggest that the risk factors for asymptomatic ICAS differ between sexes, indicating a possible role of sex hormones in the development of ICAS., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study was designed to compare the clinical and angiographic outcomes of patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic middle cerebral artery stenosis treated with balloon-mounted stents (BMS) and self-expandable Wingspan system (SES). We reviewed the 69 consecutive stent placement procedures for symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis (≥70) in M1 segment of middle cerebral artery in 67 patients in 3 years. According to the stent types, the patients were classed as BMS and SES groups. The demographic characteristics, conventional risk factors of ischemic stroke, degree of stenosis, periprocedural complications, stent types, and clinical and angiographic outcomes were analyzed. There were 39 patients in the BMS group and 28 patients in the SES group. The demographic characteristics, conventional risk factors, and periprocedural complications were similar but different in residual stenosis after stenting in both groups (5.9% ± 9.9% vs. 14.4% ± 14.6%; P = 0.01). For the overall cohort, the rate of stroke or death and restenosis was 10.9% (7/66) and 24.5% (14/57), respectively. The frequency of restenosis was higher in the SES group than in the BMS group (log-rank, P = 0.04; crude hazard ratio = 3.03; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-9.15; P = 0.049; and adjusted hazard ratio = 3.61; 95% CI, 1.06-12.27; P = 0.04); however, there was no difference in clinical outcomes (log-rank, P = 0.51; crude hazard ratio = 1.66; 95% CI, 0.36-7.61; P = 0.51; and adjusted hazard ratio = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.04-7.89; P = 0.69). The corrected degree of restenosis was higher in the SES than the BMS group. The prevalence of restenosis was higher in the SES than the BMS group, but the perioperative complications and follow-up clinical outcomes had no significant difference.

Background and Purpose: whether stenting is superior to angioplasty in the treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic disease is unknown. Dissections, vessel rupture, and lesion recoil observed with primary angioplasty using balloon catheters designed for coronary arteries have undermined the role of primary angioplasty as a preferred treatment for intracranial atherosclerotic disease. The goal of this study is to report the immediate and 3-month outcomes of treating patients with intracranial atherosclerotic disease with angioplasty balloon catheters in a multicenter study., Methods: this is a retrospective review of 74 patients from 4 institutions treated with primary angioplasty for intracranial atherosclerotic disease over a 6-year time period. Technical success (residual stenosis ≤ 50%), periprocedural success (no vascular complication within 72 hours), and 3-month outcomes are reported., Results: the mean degree of stenosis pretreatment was 79% ± 14% and reduced to 34% ± 18% after angioplasty. Technical success was achieved in 68 (92%; 95% CI, 83% to 97%) of the 74 patients. Periprocedural success was achieved in 65 (88%; 95% CI, 78% to 94%) of the 74 patients. There were 4 (5%; 95% CI, 1.5% to 13%) major procedure-related strokes, 2 of which resulted in death within 6 hours of the procedure. The 30-day stroke/death rate was 5% (4 of 74; CI, 1.5% to 13%). Three-month follow-up was available in 71 patients. In this interval, 2 patients had new stroke, 1 in the ipsilateral territory and the other in the contralateral territory. The 3-month stroke or death rate was 8.5% (6 of 71; CI, 3.1% to 17.5%); the retreatment rate was 2.8% (2 of 71; CI, 0.3% to 10%)., Conclusions: balloon angioplasty is a relatively safe alternative treatment for intracranial atherosclerotic disease. Its role in the long-term secondary prevention of recurrent stroke as compared with intracranial stenting and medical therapy remains to be determined, preferably in a randomized study.

The purpose of this investigation was to provide a detailed description of the angiographic results after stenting of high-grade intracranial stenosis using balloon-expandable stents. Forty consecutive patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic intracranial stenosis >50% received endovascular treatment by placement of balloon-expandable stents using the concept of slight underdilation and strict avoidance of overdilation. Intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography images before and after stenting in the same projection were reviewed for pre- and post-therapeutic measurement of the degree of stenosis and evaluation of morphologic criteria like plaque coverage, stent apposition, patency of side branches, and signs of dissection or vasospasm. Stenting decreased the mean percentage stenosis from 76.2 (WASID criteria) to 20.8%. Residual stenosis ranged from 0 to 55% with residual stenosis >50% in two of 40 cases. Technical success rate was 95%. There were no major vessel complications, but minor abnormalities like incomplete stent apposition (8/40) or plaque coverage (7/40), incomplete filling of side branches (13/40), and minor dissections after stenting (2/40) were seen. One case with incomplete stent apposition and two cases with side branch compromise were associated with clinical symptoms. In conclusion, intracranial stenting with slight underdilation avoided major vessel complication and created reliable luminal gain. Suboptimal recanalization results were frequently detected and may be the source of neurological complications in individual cases.

Background: There are limited data on the effectiveness of organized stroke care in different ischemic stroke subtypes in the real-world setting. We analyzed the effect of organized stroke care in all stroke subtypes in a longitudinal cohort study using data from the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network., Methods: Between July 2003 and September 2007, there were 6,223 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke subtype information by Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment criteria. Subtypes were categorized as large artery atherosclerotic disease, lacunar, cardioembolic, or other. The amount of organized stroke care was quantified using the previously published organized care index (OCI), graded 0-3 based on the presence or absence of occupational therapy or physiotherapy, stroke team assessment, and admission to a stroke unit., Results: Mortality at 30 days was associated with both stroke subtype and OCI. Higher OCI (defined as score 2-3 compared to 0-1) was strongly associated with lower odds of 30-day mortality in each ischemic stroke subtype (adjusted odds ratio estimates ranged from 0.16 to 0.43, p < 0.001, controlling for age, gender, stroke severity, and medical comorbidities by logistic regression). These estimates were essentially unchanged after excluding patients treated with palliative care. Numbers needed to treat, to prevent 1 death at 30 days, ranged from 4 to 9 across the subtypes., Conclusions: A strong association between higher OCI and lower 30-day mortality was apparent in each ischemic stroke subtype. These data suggest that organized stroke care should be provided to stroke patients regardless of stroke subtype.

Purpose: To assess the short-term prognosis of patients with recent symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease in the posterior circulation and evaluate differences in the outcome of patients receiving medical or endovascular treatment., Methods: The records of 50 consecutive patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease in the posterior circulation were reviewed to record the occurrence of transient ischemic attack, stroke, major bleeding, and/or death during the 12-month period following a neurological event. Twenty-five patients received medical treatment alone, 13 initially received medical treatment and subsequently were treated with angioplasty/stenting due to recurrent events (analyzed in both groups), and 12 patients received endovascular treatment initially. The crossover patients were considered as 1 treated patient in each group; thus, there were 38 subjects (33 men; mean age 68+/-9 years) receiving medical therapy compared with 25 patients (21 men; mean age 63+/-13 years) who underwent endovascular procedures., Results: During the 12-month period, subjects in the medically-treated group had a higher rate of events (37%, 14/38) than patients who received angioplasty/stenting (12%, 3/25; p = 0.042). Notably, there were 7 (18%) TIAs and 6 (16%) strokes in medically-treated patients versus no TIAs (0%, p = 0.035) and only 2 (8%, p = NS) strokes in the endovascular group, both of which occurred within 48 hours of the procedure. There were no deaths and only a single major bleeding event in each group., Conclusion: Endovascular treatment of patients with symptomatic intracranial disease of the posterior territory appears to be associated with a substantially better outcome.

Purpose: To compare the clinical and angiographic outcomes of endovascular treatment of symptomatic intracranial stenosis between octogenarian and younger patients., Methods: Data for 244 consecutive patients (173 men; mean age 61.6 years) who underwent angioplasty and/or stenting for intracranial atherosclerotic disease at 5 specialized centers were pooled. Baseline, 30-day, and follow-up clinical and angiographic information were collected. Rates of clinical and angiographic endpoints were compared between patients >or=80 years old versus those <80 years., Results: Patients >or=80 years (n = 15) were more likely to be hypertensive (87% versus 69%) and have underlying coronary artery disease (73% versus 36%, p<0.05) compared to younger patients (n = 229). The rate of periprocedural stroke and/or death was 3-fold higher among patients aged >or=80 years compared with those <80 years (20% versus 7%, p = 0.11). No recurrent stroke or death (excluding periprocedural events) was observed during follow-up in the octogenarian group. In patients who had follow-up angiography, a similar rate of >or=50% restenosis was observed among patients aged >or=80 years and those aged <80 years (25% versus 29%, p>0.1)., Conclusion: The 3-fold higher periprocedural death and/or stroke rate suggests cautious use of intracranial angioplasty and/or stent placement in octogenarians.

The concept of afferent therapy and prevention of morbidity is discussed in the context of integrative medicine in application to balneotherapeutics. It is maintained based on the results of neurophysiological investigations including exposure of the patients to natural and preformed physical factors that the concept in question provides a "neurophysiological clue" for the understanding of pathogenesis of many diseases and a rationale for the prescription of adequate therapeutic modalities to manage them.

Background and Purpose: Stenting is increasingly used as an adjunct to medical therapy in symptomatic intracranial stenoses. High periprocedural adverse event rates are one of the limitations of endovascular treatment. Data from the INTRASTENT multicentric registry should demonstrate in-hospital complications at the current stage of clinical development of the stent procedure., Methods: Participating centers entered the records of all their consecutive intracranial stent procedures into the database. To determine the clinical outcome in the acute phase, we distinguished transient ischemic attack/nondisabling stroke (modified Rankin Scale <2), disabling stroke, death, and intracranial hemorrhage as clinical complications and analyzed whether they were associated with patient- or stenosis-related risk factors., Results: Data from 372 patients with 388 stenoses proved 4.8% disabling strokes and 2.2% deaths. Transient or minor events were detected in 5.4% of the cases. Hemorrhagic events (3.5%) occurred more frequently after treatment of middle cerebral artery stenoses (P=0.004) and were associated with significantly higher morbidity and mortality rates. Ischemic strokes by compromise of perforating branches were detected mainly in the posterior circulation. However, the overall rate of severe adverse events was not dependent from location, degree, and morphology of the stenosis or from patient's age, gender, vascular risk factors, or type of qualifying event., Conclusions: The complication rates within the registry are within the limits of previously published data. Severe adverse events were equally distributed between potential risk groups with similar rates but different types of main complications in the anterior and posterior circulation.