scholarly journals Stroke Prevention

Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (7) ◽  
pp. 2255-2262
Author(s):  
J. David Spence
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Stroke Prevention ◽  
Genetic Research ◽  
Egg Yolk ◽  
B Vitamins ◽  
Intestinal Microbiome ◽  
Plaque Burden ◽  
Black Patients ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
Total Homocysteine

In 44 years of practicing stroke prevention, I have learned many lessons; in this article, I hope to impart some of them. Three areas of my research are discussed. Controlling resistant hypertension is markedly improved by physiologically individualized therapy based on renin/aldosterone phenotyping; this is particularly important in black patients. Measurement of carotid plaque burden strongly predicts cardiovascular risk and is useful for genetic research and for a process called treating arteries instead of risk factors. Doing so in high-risk patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis was associated with a >80% reduction in the 2-year risk of stroke and myocardial infarction. It also permitted the identification of extremes of atherosclerosis that are useful for studying both the genetics and the biology of atherosclerosis. Patients with very high plaque burden despite low levels of risk factors have an unexplained phenotype; those with little or no plaque despite high levels of risk factors are protected. Patients with unexplained atherosclerosis have higher plasma levels of toxic metabolites produced by the intestinal microbiome largely from egg yolk, red meat, and protein, and those metabolites are renally excreted. This has important dietary implications for stroke prevention. Lowering of plasma total homocysteine with B vitamins significantly reduces the risk of stroke. That was not apparent in early studies because harm from cyanocobalamin among participants with renal failure obscured the benefit among those with good renal function. We should be using B vitamins to prevent stroke but should use methylcobalamin or oxocobalamin instead of cyanocobalamin.

scholarly journals Stroke Prevention in Older Adults

Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 3770-3777
Author(s):  
J. David Spence ◽  
M. Reza Azarpazhooh ◽  
Susanna C. Larsson ◽  
Chrysi Bogiatzi ◽  
Graeme J. Hankey
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Carotid Stenosis ◽  
Stroke Prevention ◽  
B Vitamins ◽  
Intestinal Microbiome ◽  
Lipid Lowering ◽  
Lipid Lowering Therapy ◽  
Old Patients ◽  
Lowering Therapy

The risks of stroke and dementia increase steeply with age, and both are preventable. At present, the best way to preserve cognitive function is to prevent stroke. Therapeutic nihilism based on age is common and unwarranted. We address recent advances in stroke prevention that could contribute greatly to prevention of stroke and dementia at a time when the aging of the population threatens to markedly increase the incidence of both. Issues discussed: (1) old patients benefit even more from lipid-lowering therapy than do younger patients; (2) patients with stiff arteries are at risk from a target systolic blood pressure <120 mm Hg; (3) the interaction of the intestinal microbiome, age, and renal function has important dietary implications for older adults; (4) anticoagulation with direct-acting oral anticoagulants should be prescribed more to old patients with atrial fibrillation; (5) B vitamins to lower homocysteine prevent stroke; and (6) most old patients in whom intervention is warranted for carotid stenosis would benefit more from endarterectomy than from stenting. An 80-year-old person has much to lose from a stroke and should not have effective therapy withheld on account of age. Lipid-lowering therapy, a more plant-based diet, appropriate anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy, appropriate blood pressure control, B vitamins to lower homocysteine, and judicious intervention for carotid stenosis could do much to reduce the growing burden of stroke and dementia.

scholarly journals Recent advances in pathogenesis, assessment, and treatment of atherosclerosis

F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 1880 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. David Spence
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Therapy ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Egg Yolk ◽  
3D Ultrasound ◽  
Red Meat ◽  
Intestinal Microbiome ◽  
Intraplaque Hemorrhage ◽  
Plaque Burden ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Cerebrovascular Reserve

In recent years, there have been a number of advances in the pathogenesis and treatment of atherosclerosis and in assessing prognosis in carotid atherosclerosis. Risk stratification to improve vascular prevention by identifying patients most likely to benefit from intensive therapy is much improved by measuring carotid plaque burden. In patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis, a number of modalities can be used to identify the 10-15% who could benefit from endarterectomy or stenting. Transcranial Doppler embolus detection, echolucency and ulceration on 3D ultrasound, intraplaque hemorrhage on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and reduced cerebrovascular reserve are useful already; new approaches including plaque texture on ultrasound and imaging of plaque inflammation and early calcification on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) are in development. The discovery that the intestinal microbiome produces vasculotoxic metabolites from dietary constituents such as carnitine in meat (particularly red meat) and phosphatidylcholine from egg yolk and other sources has revolutionized nutritional aspects of vascular prevention. Because many of these vasculotoxic metabolites are removed by the kidney, it is particularly important in patients with renal failure to limit their intake of red meat and egg yolk. A new approach to lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by blocking the action of an enzyme that destroys LDL receptors promises to revolutionize vascular prevention once less costly treatments are developed, and a new approach to vascular prevention—“treating arteries instead of risk factors”—shows promise but requires randomized trials. These advances all promise to help in the quest to prevent strokes in high-risk patients.

Controlling Hypertension and Stroke Prevention – From Guideline to Clinical Practice

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Anding Xu ◽  
Zefeng Tan ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Stroke Prevention ◽  
Modifiable Risk Factors ◽  
Cerebrovascular Events

Hypertension is the most important of the prevalent and modifiable risk factors for stroke. Based on evidence, blood pressure (BP) lowering is recommended in guidelines for the prevention of stroke. However, there are still some uncertainties in the guidelines for controlling BP and preventing stroke in patients with previous cerebrovascular events, such as the goal BP, who to treat and which class of BP-lowering drugs to use. This article discusses these questions by reviewing guidelines and corresponding clinical trials, with the aim of reducing the gap between guidelines and clinical practice.

Behavioral Emergencies and Crises

2010 ◽  
pp. 739-762
Author(s):  
Phillip M. Kleespies ◽  
Justin M. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
High Risk Patients ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Behavioral Emergencies ◽  
And Training

This chapter illustrates the mental health clinician’s relationship with behavioral emergencies. The chapter begins by distinguishing the terms behavioral emergency and behavioral crisis, and underlying themes among all behavioral emergencies are identified. Given that most clinicians will face a behavioral emergency in their careers, the importance of enhancing the process of educating and training practitioners for such situations far beyond the minimal training that currently exists is highlighted. The chapter continues by exploring various aspects of evaluating and managing high-risk patients (i.e., those who exhibit violent tendencies toward themselves or others, and those at risk for victimization). It includes a discussion of the benefits and limitations to estimating life-threatening risk factors and specific protective factors. The chapter concludes by discussing the emotional impact that working with high-risk patients has on clinicians, and an emphasis is placed on the importance of creating a supportive work environment.

scholarly journals Changes in lifestyle, biological risk factors and total homocysteine in relation to MTHFR C677T genotype: a 5-year follow-up study

2009 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 1233-1240 ◽  
Author(s):  
L L N Husemoen ◽  
A Linneberg ◽  
M Fenger ◽  
B H Thuesen ◽  
T Jørgensen
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Mthfr C677t ◽  
Biological Risk ◽  
Follow Up Study ◽  
Total Homocysteine ◽  
Genotype A

scholarly journals Problem-Orientated Antenatal Notekeeping: A Useful Primary Health Care Tool

Curationis ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
J.V. Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Antenatal Screening ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Risk Patients

It has recently been demonstrated that about 56 percent of patients delivering in a rural obstetric unit had significant risk factors, and that 85 percent of these could have been detected by meticulous antenatal screening before the onset of labour. These figures show that the average rural obstetric unit in South Africa is dealing with a large percentage of high risk patients. In this work, it is hampered by: 1. Communications problems: i.e. bad roads, long distances. and unpredictable telephones. 2. A serious shortage of medical staff resulting in primary obstetric care being delivered by midwives with minimal medical supervision.

scholarly journals Stroke prediction in patients presenting with isolated dizziness in the emergency department

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
June-sung Kim ◽  
Hong Jun Bae ◽  
Muyeol Kim ◽  
Shin Ahn ◽  
Chang Hwan Sohn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Cerebrovascular Injury ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
History Of ◽  
Independent Risk Factors ◽  
Record Review

AbstractDiagnosing stroke in patients experiencing dizziness without neurological deficits is challenging for physicians. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of acute stroke in patients who presented with isolated dizziness without neurological deficits at the emergency department (ED), and determine the relevant stroke predictors in this population. This was an observational, retrospective record review of consecutive 2215 adult patients presenting with dizziness at the ED between August 2019 and February 2020. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors for acute stroke. 1239 patients were enrolled and analyzed. Acute stroke was identified in 55 of 1239 patients (4.5%); most cases (96.3%) presented as ischemic stroke with frequent involvement (29.1%) of the cerebellum. In the multivariate analysis, the history of cerebrovascular injury (odds ratio [OR] 3.08 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.24 to 7.67]) and an age of > 65 years (OR 3.01 [95% CI 1.33 to 6.83]) were the independent risk factors for predicting acute stroke. The combination of these two risks showed a higher specificity (94.26%) than that of each factor alone. High-risk patients, such as those aged over 65 years or with a history of cerebrovascular injury, may require further neuroimaging workup in the ED to rule out stroke.

scholarly journals Prevention of Hypotension following Spinal Anaesthesia in Caesarean Section - then and now

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 415-419
Author(s):  
J K Mitra
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Spinal Anaesthesia ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
First Line ◽  
High Risk Patients ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
Poor Efficacy

Hypotension during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section remains a common scenario in our clinical practice. Certain risk factors play a role in altering the incidence of hypotension. Aortocaval compression counteraction does not help to prevent hypotension. Intravenous crystalloid prehydration has poor efficacy; thus, the focus has changed toward co-hydration and use of colloids. Phenylephrine is established as a first- line vasopressor, although there are limited data from high-risk patients. Ephedrine crosses the placenta more than phenylephrine and cause possible alterations in the foetal physiology.http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/kumj.v8i4.6242 Kathmandu Univ Med J 2010;8(4):415-19   

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