The Task Force for the management of atrial fibrillation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)  

Developed with the special contribution of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) of the ESC  

Endorsed by the European Stroke Organisation (ESO)

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2016 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation developed in collaboration with EACTS

Methods We randomly assigned eligible patients to either intraarterial treatment plus usual care or usual care alone. Eligible patients had a proximal arterial occlusion in the anterior cerebral circulation that was confirmed on vessel imaging and that could be treated intraarterially within 6 hours after symptom onset. The primary outcome was the modified Rankin scale score at 90 days; this categorical scale measures functional outcome, with scores ranging from 0 (no symptoms) to 6 (death). The treatment effect was estimated with ordinal logistic regression as a common odds ratio, adjusted for prespecified prognostic factors. The adjusted common odds ratio measured the likelihood that intraarterial treatment would lead to lower modified Rankin scores, as compared with usual care alone (shift analysis). Results We enrolled 500 patients at 16 medical centers in the Netherlands (233 assigned to intraarterial treatment and 267 to usual care alone). The mean age was 65 years (range, 23 to 96), and 445 patients (89.0%) were treated with intravenous alteplase before randomization. Retrievable stents were used in 190 of the 233 patients (81.5%) assigned to intraarterial treatment. The adjusted common odds ratio was 1.67 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21 to 2.30). There was an absolute difference of 13.5 percentage points (95% CI, 5.9 to 21.2) in the rate of functional independence (modified Rankin score, 0 to 2) in favor of the intervention (32.6% vs. 19.1%). There were no significant differences in mortality or the occurrence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. Conclusions In patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by a proximal intracranial occlusion of the anterior circulation, intraarterial treatment administered within 6 hours after stroke onset was effective and safe. (Funded by the Dutch Heart Foundation and others; MR CLEAN Netherlands Trial Registry number, NTR1804, and Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN10888758.)

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A Randomized Trial of Intraarterial Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke

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2016 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation developed in collaboration with EACTS: The Task Force for the management of atrial fibrillation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Developed with the special contribution of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) of the ESC. Endorsed by the European Stroke Organisation (ESO)

The aim of this updated guideline is to provide comprehensive and timely evidence-based recommendations on the prevention of future stroke among survivors of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. The guideline is addressed to all clinicians who manage secondary prevention for these patients. Evidence-based recommendations are provided for control of risk factors, intervention for vascular obstruction, antithrombotic therapy for cardioembolism, and antiplatelet therapy for noncardioembolic stroke. Recommendations are also provided for the prevention of recurrent stroke in a variety of specific circumstances, including aortic arch atherosclerosis, arterial dissection, patent foramen ovale, hyperhomocysteinemia, hypercoagulable states, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, sickle cell disease, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, and pregnancy. Special sections address use of antithrombotic and anticoagulation therapy after an intracranial hemorrhage and implementation of guidelines.

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Guidelines for the prevention of stroke in patients with stroke and transient ischemic attack: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association

Background and Purpose- The purpose of these guidelines is to provide an up-to-date comprehensive set of recommendations in a single document for clinicians caring for adult patients with acute arterial ischemic stroke. The intended audiences are prehospital care providers, physicians, allied health professionals, and hospital administrators. These guidelines supersede the 2013 Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) Guidelines and are an update of the 2018 AIS Guidelines. Methods- Members of the writing group were appointed by the American Heart Association (AHA) Stroke Council's Scientific Statements Oversight Committee, representing various areas of medical expertise. Members were not allowed to participate in discussions or to vote on topics relevant to their relations with industry. An update of the 2013 AIS Guidelines was originally published in January 2018. This guideline was approved by the AHA Science Advisory and Coordinating Committee and the AHA Executive Committee. In April 2018, a revision to these guidelines, deleting some recommendations, was published online by the AHA. The writing group was asked review the original document and revise if appropriate. In June 2018, the writing group submitted a document with minor changes and with inclusion of important newly published randomized controlled trials with >100 participants and clinical outcomes at least 90 days after AIS. The document was sent to 14 peer reviewers. The writing group evaluated the peer reviewers' comments and revised when appropriate. The current final document was approved by all members of the writing group except when relationships with industry precluded members from voting and by the governing bodies of the AHA. These guidelines use the American College of Cardiology/AHA 2015 Class of Recommendations and Level of Evidence and the new AHA guidelines format. Results- These guidelines detail prehospital care, urgent and emergency evaluation and treatment with intravenous and intra-arterial therapies, and in-hospital management, including secondary prevention measures that are appropriately instituted within the first 2 weeks. The guidelines support the overarching concept of stroke systems of care in both the prehospital and hospital settings. Conclusions- These guidelines provide general recommendations based on the currently available evidence to guide clinicians caring for adult patients with acute arterial ischemic stroke. In many instances, however, only limited data exist demonstrating the urgent need for continued research on treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

Guidelines for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke: 2019 Update to the 2018 Guidelines for the Early Management of Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Guideline for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

The etiology of ischemic stroke affects prognosis, outcome, and management. Trials of therapies for patients with acute stroke should include measurements of responses as influenced by subtype of ischemic stroke. A system for categorization of subtypes of ischemic stroke mainly based on etiology has been developed for the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST). A classification of subtypes was prepared using clinical features and the results of ancillary diagnostic studies. "Possible" and "probable" diagnoses can be made based on the physician9s certainty of diagnosis. The usefulness and interrater agreement of the classification were tested by two neurologists who had not participated in the writing of the criteria. The neurologists independently used the TOAST classification system in their bedside evaluation of 20 patients, first based only on clinical features and then after reviewing the results of diagnostic tests. The TOAST classification denotes five subtypes of ischemic stroke: 1) large-artery atherosclerosis, 2) cardioembolism, 3) small-vessel occlusion, 4) stroke of other determined etiology, and 5) stroke of undetermined etiology. Using this rating system, interphysician agreement was very high. The two physicians disagreed in only one patient. They were both able to reach a specific etiologic diagnosis in 11 patients, whereas the cause of stroke was not determined in nine. The TOAST stroke subtype classification system is easy to use and has good interobserver agreement. This system should allow investigators to report responses to treatment among important subgroups of patients with ischemic stroke. Clinical trials testing treatments for acute ischemic stroke should include similar methods to diagnose subtypes of stroke.

Classification of subtype of acute ischemic stroke. Definitions for use in a multicenter clinical trial. TOAST. Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment

Objectives: To describe the likely causes of ischemic stroke in a population of young adults and to report the influence of strict algorithms on the diagnosis of the likely cause of stroke in this cohort. Design: Between July 1, 1977, and January 1, 1993, we registered 329 young adults with ischemic stroke in our registry. Diagnostic studies were selected on a case-by-case basis. Presumed causes of stroke were determined using clinical information and the results of diagnostic tests. In each case, a second causative diagnosis was made using the criteria developed for a large clinical trial. Setting: Patients referred to the Division of Cerebrovascular Diseases in the Department of Neurology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, by physicians in Iowa and adjacent states. Patients: Three hundred twenty-nine young adults (182 men and 147 women) aged 15 to 45 years with ischemic stroke; 102 persons, 48 men and 54 women, were aged 30 years or younger. Results: Cerebral arteriography was performed in 227 cases, and the findings were abnormal in 146. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed abnormalities in 82 of 221 patients examined. We identified approximately 60 different disorders that were presumed to be the cause of stroke. There were no major changes in the frequency of subtype diagnoses between the first 144 patients and the subsequent 185. Use of strict diagnostic criteria increased the number of cases of stroke of undetermined etiology (from 45 to 113), and the number attributed to large artery atherosclerosis declined from 71 to 32. Conclusions: The causes of ischemic stroke in young adults are numerous. Because treatment options in this group are influenced by a presumed cause, an evaluation on a case-by-case basis is warranted. Our experience suggests that a likely cause will be detected in most cases and that a regimented battery of tests may not be required. If strict diagnostic criteria are used, the diagnosis of stroke of undetermined etiology considerably increases. While such strict criteria are important in clinical trials that test new interventions, the value of the application of such methodologies to an unusual population, such as stroke in young adults, needs clarification. In particular, the usefulness of categorizing a stroke as undetermined when two or more possible causes are identified needs to be explored.

Ischemic Stroke in Young Adults: Experience in 329 Patients Enrolled in the Iowa Registry of Stroke in Young Adults

Diabetes and stroke

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of coronary artery disease and coronary events during follow-up in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis, transient ischemic attacks, or small strokes. We prospectively studied 60 consecutive patients with thallium-201 scintigraphy followed by coronary arteriography according to an established protocol. The 201Tl testing was abnormal in seven of 15 patients (47%) with asymptomatic carotid stenosis and in 19 of 44 patients (43%) with transient ischemic attacks or small strokes (p greater than 0.05). In 33 patients with no history of coronary artery disease, 11 (33%) had reversible 201Tl defects. In 26 patients with a history of coronary artery disease, 15 (58%) had reversible and/or fixed defects (p = 0.054 compared with patients with no history). A history of peripheral vascular disease was the only risk factor significantly associated with an abnormal 201Tl test (p = 0.032). Coronary artery stenosis of greater than 50% was identified in one or more vessels in 14 of 15 patients undergoing coronary arteriography. Over a mean follow-up period of 311 days, four patients (7%) developed new onset of angina. There were four coronary events among 14 patients (29%) with both a reversible area on the 201Tl and abnormal coronary arteriography. In comparison, there were only four coronary events among 46 patients (9%) without reversible defects on the 201Tl studies (p = 0.055). Our study demonstrates that one third of patients with no history of coronary artery disease had an abnormal 201Tl test and that nearly one half of patients with either symptomatic or asymptomatic cerebrovascular disease had abnormal 201Tl tests. Patients with a reversible 201Tl defect and significant stenosis by coronary arteriography were at higher risk for subsequent cardiac events. These findings demonstrate the utility of screening patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic cerebrovascular disease for cardiac disease.

Betsy B. Love

Papers

Classification of subtype of acute ischemic stroke. Definitions for use in a multicenter clinical trial. TOAST. Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment

Ischemic Stroke in Young Adults: Experience in 329 Patients Enrolled in the Iowa Registry of Stroke in Young Adults

Diabetes and stroke

Coronary artery disease and cardiac events with asymptomatic and symptomatic cerebrovascular disease.

Design of the trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment (TOAST)