Obesity and Recurrent Vascular Risk After a Recent Ischemic Stroke

The effect of body mass index on stroke prognosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 32 cohort studies with 330,353 patients

BACKGROUND

Many studies have explored the impact of body mass index (BMI) on stroke prognosis, yet findings remain inconsistent.

AIMS

The aims of this study were to conduct a systematic review and meta-analyses to summarize the existing evidence on BMI and stroke outcomes.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang Database, and VIP Database were systematically searched from inception to 1 January 2023. Cohort studies were included if they reported on a population of patients with stroke, evaluated BMI on stroke outcomes (mortality/recurrence/score of modified Rankin scale (mRs)), and reported original data. Data extraction and quality assessment were independently undertaken by two reviewers. Stata 16.0 software was used for meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Thirty-two studies involving 330,353 patients (5 Chinese language articles) were included in the analysis. The proportion of underweight, overweight, and obese patients was 1.85%, 18.2%, and 15.6%, respectively. Compared with normal weight, being underweight was associated with an increased risk of mortality (relative risk (RR) = 1.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.60-1.96), poor functional outcomes defined as modified Rankin scale ⩾ 3 (RR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.22-1.45), and stroke recurrence (RR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.04-1.37). Being overweight but not obese was associated with reduced mortality (RR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.74-0.89) and better functional outcomes (RR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.89-0.96), but did not alter the risk of stroke recurrence (RR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.90-1.17). Obesity was associated with lower risk of mortality (RR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.72-0.81) and better functional outcomes (RR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.84-0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that in patients with stroke, being underweight is associated with an increased risk of mortality, poor functional outcomes, and stroke recurrence. In contrast, being overweight but not obese, or being obese, was associated with a decreased risk of mortality and better functional outcomes. This is consistent with the obesity paradox in stroke, whereby obesity increases stroke risk in the general population but is associated with improved outcome in patients suffering stroke.

Examining the influence of global smoking prevalence on stroke mortality: insights from 27 countries across income strata

BACKGROUND

This study investigates the influence of Global Smoking Prevalence (GSP) on Stroke Death Rates (SDR) across 27 countries categorized into High-Income Countries (HIC), Upper Middle-Income Countries (UMIC), Lower Middle-Income Countries (LMIC), and Low-Income Countries (LIC).

METHODS

Analysing data from two distinct periods (1990-1999 and 2010-2019), countries exhibiting an increased SDR were selected. The study uses a polynomial regression model, treating income groups as cross-sectional and years as time series data.

RESULTS

Results from the regression model reveal that 17 countries observed a significant impact of GSP on SDR, with only Turkey, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste resulting in negative values. However, the study emphasises that out of all 27 countries, the highest occurrence of the impact of GSP on SDR has been reported in the LMIC stratum for the period under review.

CONCLUSION

It is evident that GSP affects the risk of incidence of stroke death, specifically in the LMIC stratum. Furthermore, it has been identified that GSP is a major preventable risk factor affecting global mortality. To mitigate the risk of stroke death attributable to smoking prevalence, necessary preventive steps should be adopted to encourage smoking cessation, and essential policies should be implemented to reduce the burden of SDR.

Dyslipidemia versus obesity as predictors of ischemic stroke prognosis: a multi-center study in China

BACKGROUND

This multicenter observational study aimed to determine whether dyslipidemia or obesity contributes more significantly to unfavorable clinical outcomes in patients experiencing a first-ever ischemic stroke (IS).

METHODS

The study employed a machine learning predictive model to investigate associations among body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BFP), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) with adverse outcomes in IS patients. Extensive real-world clinical data was utilized, and risk factors significantly linked to adverse outcomes were identified through multivariate analysis, propensity score matching (PSM), and regression discontinuity design (RDD) techniques. Furthermore, these findings were validated via a nationwide multicenter prospective cohort study.

RESULTS

In the derived cohort, a total of 45,162 patients diagnosed with IS were assessed, with 522 experiencing adverse outcomes. A multifactorial analysis incorporating PSM and RDD methods identified TG (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.110; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.041-1.183; P <  0.01) and TC (adjusted OR = 1.139; 95%CI: 1.039-1.248; P <  0.01) as risk factors. However, BMI, BFP, and HDL showed no significant effect. In the validation cohort, 1410 controls and 941 patients were enrolled, confirming that lipid levels are more strongly correlated with the prognosis of IS patients compared to obesity (TC, OR = 1.369; 95%CI: 1.069-1.754; P <  0.05; TG, OR = 1.332; 95%CI: 1.097-1.618; P <  0.01).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that dyslipidemia has a more substantial impact on the prognosis of IS patients compared to obesity. This highlights the importance of prioritizing dyslipidemia management in the treatment and prevention of adverse outcomes in IS patients.

Effect of body mass index on survival after spinal cord injury

Introduction

Increased mortality after acute and chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a challenge and mandates a better understanding of the factors contributing to survival in these patients. This study investigated whether body mass index (BMI) measured after acute traumatic SCI is associated with a change in mortality.

Methods

A prospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted with 742 patients who were admitted to the Acute Spine Unit of the Vancouver General Hospital between 2004 and 2016 with a traumatic SCI. An investigation of the association between BMI on admission and long-term mortality was conducted using classification and regression tree (CART) and generalized additive models (spline curves) from acute care up to 7.7 years after SCI (chronic phase). Multivariable models were adjusted for (i) demographic factors (e.g., age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index) and (ii) injury characteristics (e.g., neurological level and severity and Injury Severity Score).

Results

After the exclusion of incomplete datasets (n = 602), 643 patients were analyzed, of whom 102 (18.5%) died during a period up to 7.7 years after SCI. CART identified three distinct mortality risk groups: (i) BMI: > 30.5 kg/m2, (ii) 17.5-30.5 kg/m2, and (iii) < 17.5 kg/m2. Mortality was lowest in the high BMI group (BMI > 30.5 kg/m2), followed by the middle-weight group (17.5-30.5 kg/m2), and was highest in the underweight group (BMI < 17.5 kg/m2). High BMI had a mild protective effect against mortality after SCI (hazard ratio 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09-0.88, p = 0.029), concordant with a modest "obesity paradox". Moreover, being underweight at admission was a significant risk factor for mortality up to 7.7 years after SCI (hazard ratio 5.5, 95% CI: 2.34-13.17, p < 0.001).

Discussion

Mortality risk (1 month to 7.7 years after SCI) was associated with differences in BMI at admission. Further research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms. Given an established association of BMI with metabolic determinants, these results may suggest unknown neuro-metabolic pathways that are crucial for patient survival.

Obesity in acute ischaemic stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis therapy

OBJECTIVES

This article aimed to analyze the relationship between obesity and the efficacy of acute ischaemic stroke patients treated with IVT.

BACKGROUND

Stroke causes morbidity and mortality in large numbers of individuals annually. Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT)with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) is currently the only approved by the FDA for treatment of acute ischaemic stroke. Researchers have focused on studying the mechanisms associated with ischaemic stroke. Obesity is an established vascular risk factor with increasing prevalence and a huge impact on public health worldwide. It is an independent predictor for ischaemic stroke with a 4% risk increase for each unit augmentation in body mass index (BMI). Therefore, obese patients will constitute an increasing subgroup of candidates for IVT. However, its impact on prognosis in acute ischaemic stroke patients with intravenous thrombolysis did not reach a consensus conclusion.

METHODS

Systematic literature search of PUBMED databases published before August 2020, was performed to identify studies addressing the role of obesity in acute ischaemic stroke patients treated with IVT. Studies included randomized clinical trials, observational studies, guideline statements, and review articles.

CONCLUSIONS

Obesity may be related to long-term prognosis of large group of AIS patients treated with IVT. It depends on the scale of clinical study samples, follow-up time, and evaluation criteria.

Body mass index and waist circumference as predictors of recurrent vascular events after a recent ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVES

Although elevated body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for stroke, it appears to protect against recurrent vascular events. We tried to evaluate BMI and waist circumference (WC) as predictors of recurrent stroke and vascular events in a cohort of stroke survivors who were followed for 12 months.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analyzed the stroke registry database of 6 hospitals and recruited patients with a first-ever stroke who were admitted from January 2011 to November 2019 and had their BMI and WC measured. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare risks of recurrent stroke and major vascular events (a composite of stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death) between different BMI and WC quintiles. Reference categories were patients in the lowest quintiles.

RESULTS

A total of 14 781 patients were analyzed. Patients in the second quintile of BMI had the lowest risk of recurrent stroke (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.72; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58-0.91); patients in the highest quintile had the lowest risk or a major vascular event (adjusted HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.58-0.86). Patients in the fourth quintile of WC had the lowest risk of recurrent stroke (adjusted HR 0.73; 95% CI 0.59-0.91) and a major vascular event (adjusted HR 0.72; 95 % CI 0.60-0.86).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show favorable effects of excess body weight and intra-abdominal fat on avoidance of vascular events after stroke and a favorable effect of intra-abdominal fat on avoidance of recurrent stroke.

Blood pressure reduction cut-points for orthostatic hypotension in stroke survivors using a sit-up test: a multicentre cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

The sit-up test is used to assess orthostatic hypotension in stroke survivors who cannot stand independently without using a tilt table. However, no study has identified the optimal cut-points for orthostatic hypotension using the test. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the decrease in SBP and DBP during the sit-up test to detect orthostatic hypotension in individuals with stroke.

METHODS

Thirty-eight individuals with stroke, recruited from three convalescent rehabilitation hospitals, underwent the sit-up and head-up tilt tests. Systolic and diastolic orthostatic hypotension was defined as a decrease of at least 20 and 10 mmHg in the SBP and DBP, respectively, during the head-up tilt test. The receiver operator characteristic curve with the Youden Index was used to identify the optimal cut-points.

RESULTS

Eight and three participants showed systolic and diastolic orthostatic hypotension, respectively. The optimal cut-points for orthostatic hypotension using the sit-up test were a decrease of 10 mmHg in SBP [sensitivity = 87.5% (95% confidence interval: 47.4-99.7), specificity = 96.7% (82.8-99.9)] and 5 mmHg in DBP [sensitivity = 100.0% (29.2-100.0), specificity = 88.6% (73.3-96.8)].

CONCLUSION

Compared with the conventional cut-points, smaller cut-points of a decrease in SBP and DBP may be better to identify orthostatic hypotension in individuals with stroke using the sit-up test. The findings of this study may provide valuable information for the clinical application of the sit-up test.

Baseline Characteristics Associated with Good Collateral Status Using Hypoperfusion Index as an Outcome

Up to 30% of ischemic stroke cases are due to large vessel occlusion (LVO), causing significant morbidity. Studies have shown that the collateral circulation of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) secondary to LVO can predict their clinical and radiological outcomes. The aim of this study is to identify baseline patient characteristics that can help predict the collateral status of these patients for improved triage. In this IRB approved retrospective study, consecutive patients presenting with AIS secondary to anterior circulation LVO were identified between September 2019 and August 2021. The baseline patient characteristics, laboratory values, imaging features and outcomes were collected using a manual chart review. From the 181 consecutive patients initially reviewed, 54 were confirmed with a clinical diagnosis of AIS and anterior circulation LVO. In patients with poor collateral status, the body mass index (BMI) was found to be significantly lower compared to those with good collateral status (26.4 ± 5.6 vs. 31.7 ± 12.3; p = 0.045). BMI of >35 kg/m2 was found to predict the presence of good collateral status. Age was found to be significantly higher (70.5 ± 9.6 vs. 58.9 ± 15.6; p = 0.034) in patients with poor collateral status and M1 strokes associated with older age and BMI.

A Scoping Review of Non-Pharmacological, Non-Surgical Secondary Prevention Strategies in Ischaemic Stroke and TIA in National Stroke Guidelines and Clinical Audit Documents

The Stroke Action Plan for Europe (2018–2030) calls for national-level secondary prevention plans that address lifestyle, in addition to prevention medications and surgical interventions. This scoping review examines national stroke care guideline and audit documents across WHO regions to identify non-pharmacological, non-surgical stroke secondary prevention recommendations and associated performance indicators. Using a snowballing methodology, 27 guideline documents met the inclusion criteria. Sixteen (59%) detailed, non-pharmacological, non-surgical stroke secondary prevention-addressing known, modifiable population attributable risk factors, of physical inactivity (N = 11), smoking (N = 11), unsafe alcohol consumption (N = 10), diet (N = 8), weight (N = 5), stress (N = 4) and depression (N = 2). Strategies recommended to address these risk factors were: assessment of stroke risk/risk factors (N = 4); provision of advice and information on reducing lifestyle related risk (N = 16); education and counselling for lifestyle behaviour change (N = 8) and onward referral for specialist management of risk (N = 4). Of the nine stroke audits/registries identified, only three (33%) included non-pharmacological, non-surgical quality indicators of documented provision of advice or information on the following: general lifestyle (N = 2); smoking cessation for current smokers (N = 2); reduction in alcohol consumption, where relevant (N = 1), exercise participation (N = 1) and diet (N = 1). Preventive quality indicators addressing the management of weight, stress or depression were absent. This review highlights current gaps in optimal stroke secondary prevention recommendations and their implementation.

Hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype: Association with initial neurological severity and etiologic subtypes in patients with acute ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVE

To explore the relationship of hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype (HTWP) with initial neurological severity and etiologic subtypes in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

METHODS

The data for this study were collected from hospitalized patients within 72 h of acute ischemic stroke onset at the Department of Neurology of the Affiliated Hospital of Beihua University from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2022. The initial neurological severity was assessed by the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) on the day of admission: NIHSS <6 was defined as mild stroke, and NIHSS ≥6 as moderate to severe stroke. HTWP was defined by fasting serum triglycerides ≥1.7 mmol/L and waist circumference ≥90 cm in men and ≥80 cm in women. Differentiation of etiologic subtypes was based on the method reported in the Trial of Org 10 172 in Acute Stroke Treatment. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association of HTWP with initial neurological severity and etiologic subtypes.

RESULTS

The study included 431 patients. Compared with the normal waist-normal blood triglyceride group, patients with HTWP had reduced risks of moderate to severe stroke [odds ratio (OR): 0.384, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.170-0.869; P = 0.022]. In addition, the risk of small-artery occlusion stroke was 2.318 times higher in the HTWP group than in the normal triglyceride-normal waist (NWNT) group (OR: 2.318, 95% CI: 1.244-4.319; P = 0.008).

CONCLUSION

Initial neurological severity was less severe in patients with HTWP, and HTWP was associated with an increased risk of small-artery occlusion stroke.

The Effects of Body Mass Index on In-hospital mortality following first ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke events: Does the "obesity paradox" apply?

Background

While it is widely held that obesity is a risk factor for stroke, its role in mortality after stroke is less understood. We aim to examine effects of Body Mass Index (BMI) on in-hospital mortality after non-subarachnoid, subarachnoid, and ischemic stroke.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study. Patients aged ≥18 years, who were hospitalized in Florida hospitals between 2008 and 2012 with a diagnosis of first-time stroke as reported by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). The main independent variable was BMI category, which was divided into non-overweight/non-obese, obese, and morbidly obese. The primary outcome was the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for in-hospital mortality for subarachnoid and non-subarachnoid hemorrhagic stroke, and ischemic stroke. Logistic regression modeling was utilized to examine the association between each BMI category and in-hospital mortality, while controlling for several potential confounders. This study was reported in line with the STROCSS criteria.

Results

Of the 333,367 patients included in the database, 150,153 (45.0%) patients met inclusion criteria. After adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity and other possible confounders, obese patients were 21% less likely to die during their hospitalization following a first ischemic stroke (0.79 aOR, 0.69–0.92, 95% CI, p = 0.002), and 32% less likely following a first non-subarachnoid hemorrhage (0.68 aOR, 0.57–0.82, 95% CI, p = 0.0001) compared to non-overweight/non-obese counterparts.

Conclusion

Obese patients are less likely to die during hospitalization following first-time non-subarachnoid hemorrhage and ischemic stroke than non-overweight/non-obese patients. These findings support the “obesity paradox” concept, though more research is needed for recurrent stroke patients.

•

Obese patients were less likely to die in the hospital after first-time ischemic stroke and non-subarachnoid hemorrhage compared to non-overweight/non-obese patients.

•

Future studies should further Investigate the “obesity paradox” in relation to BMI classifications and hemorrhagic stroke.

A narrative review of biopsychosocial factors which impact overweight and obesity for individuals with acquired brain injury

Primary Objective: To discuss the biopsychosocial factors that affect being overweight or obese after acquired brain injury (ABI)Research Design: Narrative reviewMethods and Procedures: Based on the biopsychosocial model, we discuss the unique injury-specific factors that can affect bring overweight or obese among individuals with ABI including: (1) biological, (2) psychological and (3) social/ecological factors.Main Outcomes and Results: Injury-specific factors that impact being overweight or obese following ABI include endocrine dysfunction, pain, bowel and bladder incontinence, balance problems and motor impairment, medications, sleep quality and fatigue, alcohol and tobacco use, psychological disorders and symptoms, cognitive changes, social support, isolation, participation, transportation, independence, and knowledge. These factors may also compound general factors impacting weight management, making it difficult for individuals with ABI to maintain a healthy lifestyle.Conclusions: It is important to recognize the biopsychosocial factors that impact weight-loss and lifestyle change after ABI so that interventions can be tailored to meet individuals' unique needs. Empirical research is needed to better understand how biopsychosocial factors interact and impact overweight/ obesity after ABI.

Higher BMI Confers a Long-Term Functional Status Advantage in Elderly New Zealand European Stroke Patients

OBJECTIVE

Obesity is a risk factor for ischaemic stroke but provides a survival advantage. The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and long-term function is less clear. The presence of an obesity paradox can inform clinical care and identify vulnerable patients who need additional support post-stroke.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study used linked health administrative data of a population based cohort of adult patients who experienced an ischaemic stroke between 2012 and 2017 in New Zealand. Patient demographics were obtained from the National Minimum Dataset (NMDS). BMI and Activities of Daily Living scores (ADLs) for the same patients were obtained from the International Resident Assessment Instrument (InterRAI™).

RESULTS

Linked data was obtained for 3731 patients. Ninety-five percent of the cohort were aged 65 or older and the average age of stroke was 84.5 years. The majority of patients (55%) identified as New Zealand European. Beta regression indicated BMI and European ethnicity were negatively associated with ADL score. Univariate analysis confirmed patients with underweight stroke had significantly higher ADL scores than other BMI categories (p<0.001), however functional status for patients with overweight and obesity were comparable. Further, Asian and Pacific Peoples had higher ADL scores than Europeans (p<0.05). A higher BMI was advantageous to all ADL subscores.

CONCLUSION

An abridged obesity paradox was evident in our cohort of stroke patients where a BMI in the overweight, but not obese range conferred a long-term functional status advantage. Collectively these results suggest underweight and non-European patients may require additional supportive clinical care post-stroke.

Obesity paradox and stroke: a narrative review

BACKGROUND

Despite obesity is an established risk factor for stroke, several studies reported a better outcome after stroke in obese and overweight patients. This counterintuitive finding, which was described in the whole spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, is known as obesity paradox.

OBJECTIVE

This is a narrative overview on the obesity paradox and stroke.

METHODS

We used as sources MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from inception to 2019, and selected papers that discussed the association of obesity with outcome and mortality after stroke.

RESULTS

The majority of studies reported lower mortality rates and better functional outcome after stroke in obese and overweight patients compared with normal weight and underweight patients, suggesting the existence of an obesity paradox in stroke. However, available studies are limited by several major methodological concerns including absence of randomized trials, retrospective nature of most studies, assessment of obesity with body mass index (BMI), non-linear relationship between BMI and outcome, short follow-up period, and differences in co-morbid conditions and stroke characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

The existence of an obesity paradox in stroke is still controversial and further higher quality evidence is needed to clarify the relationship between obesity and stroke outcome.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V, narrative review.

The Role of Resolvins: EPA and DHA Derivatives Can Be Useful in the Prevention and Treatment of Ischemic Stroke

INTRODUCTION

Most ischemic strokes develop as a result of atherosclerosis, in which inflammation plays a key role. The synthesis cascade of proinflammatory mediators participates in the process induced in the vascular endothelium and platelets. Resolvins are anti-inflammatory mediators originating from eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which may improve the prognosis related to atherosclerosis by inhibiting the production of proinflammatory cytokines, limiting neutrophil migration, or positively influencing phagocytosis. Although clinical trials with resolvin in humans after stroke have not been realized, they may soon find application.

AIM

The aim of the study was to review the available literature on the scope of the possibilities of the prevention and treatment of stroke with the use of resolvins, EPA and DHA derivatives.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The review features articles published until 31 January 2020. The search for adequate literature was conducted using the keywords: stroke and resolvins. Over 150 articles were found. Studies not written in English, letters to the editor, conference abstracts, and duplicate information were excluded.

RESULTS

In several studies using the animal model, the supplementation of resolvin D2 decreased brain damage caused by myocardial infarction, and it reversed the neurological dysfunction of the brain. A decrease in the concentration of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, Il-6, and Il-1β, was also observed, as well as a decrease in the scope of brain damage. In the context of stroke in animals, the treatment with resolvin D2 (RvD2) (injection) has a better effect than supplementation with DHA.

CONCLUSIONS

Resolvins are characterised by strong anti-inflammatory properties. Resolvins improve prognosis and decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, consequently lowering the risk of stroke, and may find application in the treatment of stroke.

Association of obesity with recurrent stroke and cardiovascular events

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The relation between obesity and stroke recurrence is still under debate. In this study, we investigated whether initial obesity was associated with recurrent stroke and major cardiovascular events over a long period of time.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Five-years follow-up data of the Ege Stroke Registry for stroke recurrence and cardiovascular events related to obesity were analyzed. Data include age, gender, stroke severity, neuroimaging studies, cardiovascular risk factors. Within the inclusion period, all of the included patients were followed until censoring (10th of December 2011) or readmission because of recurrent stroke, cardiovascular event or death, whichever came first. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Cox proportional hazard model was applied to identify predictors of stroke and all major vascular events.

RESULTS

Of 9285 eligible patients for evaluation, 5158 (56%) were male and 3068 (33%) with a prior stroke were obese at baseline. Among 2198 patients with recurrent stroke, 843 (38%) had obesity while 2229 (62%) had no obesity (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.23-1.50; P<0.001). Overall major vascular events (recurrent stroke, cardiovascular events, and death) occurred in 1464 obese patients (48%) and in 2182 non-obese patients (35%) (HR, 1.69; 95%CI, 1.55-1.84). Cox hazard model showed that being obese was associated with increased recurrent stroke risk compared with those without obesity (HR, 0.85; 95%CI, 0.76-0.94; P<0.001), being obese was not associated with cardiovascular events (HR, 1.09; 95%CI, 0.95-1.26; P=0.22).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed that obesity is a significant risk factor for recurrent stroke, although obesity was not associated significantly with myocardial infarction and death after 5-years of first stroke. Further clinical goal-directed weight reduction outcome trials in this area will be critical to validate the most effective approaches and, ultimately, to guide policy is certainly needed.

Predictors of Recurrent Ischemic Stroke in Obese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Population-based Study

BACKGROUND

Diabetes and obesity are established risk factors for stroke. The current study aimed to assess risk factors of ischemic stroke recurrence in diabetic patients based on their body mass index (BMI).

METHODS

A total of 4005 diabetic patients who had a history of ischemic stroke were identified in a retrospective cross-sectional dataset from the Malaysian National Neurology Registry. Patients were classified based on BMI, and multivariable regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between risk factors and recurrent ischemic stroke.

RESULTS

Among obese patients, those with ischemic heart disease (aOR, 1.873; 95% CI, 1.131-3.103), received formal education (aOR, 2.236; 95% CI, 1.306-3.830), and received anti-diabetic medication (aOR, 1.788; 95% CI, 1.180-2.708) had a higher stroke recurrence risk, while receiving angiotensin receptors blockers (aOR, 0.261; 95% CI, 0.126-0.543) lowered the odds of recurrence. Overweight patients with hypertension (aOR, 1.011; 95% CI, 1.002-1.019) for over 10 years (aOR, 3.385; 95% CI, 1.088-10.532) and diabetes prior to the first stroke (aOR, 1.823; 95% CI, 1.020-3.259) as well as those received formal education (aOR, 2.403; 95% CI, 1.126-5.129) had higher odds of stroke recurrence, while receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (aOR, 0.244; 95% CI, 0.111-0.538) lowered the recurrence risk. Normal weight East Malaysians (aOR, 0.351; 95% CI, 0.164-0.750) receiving beta-blockers (aOR, 0.410; 95% CI, 0.174-0.966) had lower odds of stroke recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Ischemic heart disease, hypertension, receiving anti-hypertensive agents, and educational level were independent predictors of recurrent stroke in obese patients. Managing the modifiable risk factors can decrease the odds of stroke recurrence.

The Influence of Gayatri Mantra and Emotional Freedom Technique on Quality of Life of Post-Stroke Patients

PURPOSE

The quality of life in stroke patients is vital for survival. Nowadays, studies that show a decrease in quality of life in post-stroke patients are increasing. Various non-pharmacological modalities were explored in the past to improve rehabilitation. However, the study about the effects of religious mantra and its combination with the modern technique was lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to analyse the effects of Gayatri Mantra and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) on quality of life (QOL) of post-stroke patients.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental with pretest and posttest with the control group design was conducted. Forty-six post-stroke subjects with reduced quality of life based on Stroke Specific Quality of Life were consecutively recruited and divided into controls and intervention groups. The intervention group received additional treatment with Gayatri Mantra and EFT. In contrast, the control group attends and adheres only to the standard hospital rehabilitation program.

RESULTS

All indicators and the overall score of QOL in the intervention group showed significant improvement after treatment (p<0.05) compared with no improvement in the control group. Overall, a higher QOL score was observed in the intervention group at the end of the study. Mann-Whitney test shows significant differences between the final QOL score in intervention and control groups (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Gayatri Mantra and EFT are significantly increasing the quality of life of post-stroke patients.

Factors Associated with Changes in Functional Independence after Six Months of Ischemic Stroke

The aim of this study is to investigate the changes in functional independence and their associated factors during the first 6 months to 1 year after stroke onset. This study is the interim results of the Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation. A total of 1,011 participants were included and classified into 3 subgroups according to changes in the Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) scores that occurred between 6 months to 1 year after stroke onset: the improved group (IG), with scores that increased 5 points or more; the stationary group (SG), with the K-MBI score changes ranging from -4 to +4 points; and the declined group (DG), with the K-MBI scores that decreased 5 points or more. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were used to assess the factors influencing changes in the K-MBI score. Among 1,011 patient, 436 patients (43.1%), 398 patients (39.4%) and 117 patients (17.5%) were classified into the IG, SG, and DG, respectively. Obesity and Geriatric Depression Scale score were significant influencing factors for changes in the K-MBI scores. Obesity showed a positive influence on the K-MBI score, while depression showed a negative influence.

Sex influence in ischemic stroke severity and outcome among metabolically unhealthy overweight patients

INTRODUCTION

The role of metabolically unhealthy (MU) overweight in influencing stroke prognosis has not been fully assessed and conclusive data about the impact of sex are lacking. Aim of this study was to evaluate the possible correlations among MU overweight, sex and ischemic stroke severity and outcome.

METHODS

All consecutive patients with acute non-lacunar ischemic stroke observed over a one-year period were considered. MU subjects were selected and classified according to the body mass index (BMI) values. The relationships among sex, BMI and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at admission and modified Rankin scale (mRS) score at discharge were analysed with multivariate models.

RESULTS

180 patients were included. A significantly increasing trend in the NIHSS (p = .030) and in the mRS (p = .001) scores along with the increase of the BMI category was detected in women. Men showed a significantly decreasing trend in the NIHSS (p = .040) and a non-significant decreasing trend in the mRS (p = .290) scores with increasing BMI category.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show that sex can influence stroke severity and outcome among MU patients. The worse outcome observed in women suggest the need of considering differential sex-based clinical approaches in stroke overweight patients.

Association between body mass index and stroke severity in acute ischaemic stroke with non-valvular atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and both initial stroke severity at presentation and functional outcomes after acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).

METHODS

Patients were categorized on the basis of their BMI into underweight (BMI <18.5, n = 111), normal (18.5 ≤ BMI <25, n = 1036) and overweight to obese (BMI ≥25, n = 472) groups. Initial stroke severity was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and functional outcomes were assessed using the modified Rankin Scale score at discharge. The differences in stroke severity and functional outcomes were compared between groups using robust log-linear regression with a Poisson distribution and binary logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 1619 AIS patients with NVAF from six hospitals were included. Compared with the NIHSS scores [median 5, interquartile range (IQR) 2-14] of normal-weight patients, the NIHSS scores (median 9, IQR 4-19) of underweight patients were more likely to be higher, whereas those of overweight to obese patients were lower (median 4, IQR 1-12) (P < 0.001). In terms of functional outcomes after stroke, underweight patients had a higher risk of poor functional outcomes (odds ratio 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.09-2.56, P = 0.01) but overweight to obese patients had no significant difference in functional outcomes compared with normal-weight patients.

CONCLUSION

An inverse association was found between BMI and stroke severity in AIS patients with NVAF. This suggests the presence of an obesity paradox for short-term outcomes in patients with NVAF.

Dietary habits, lifestyle factors and neurodegenerative diseases

Worldwide stroke is increasing in parallel with modernization, changes in lifestyle, and the growing elderly population. Our review is focused on the link between diet, as part of 'modern lifestyle', and health in the context of genetic predisposition of individuals to 'unhealthy' metabolic pathway activity. It is concluded that lifestyle including high sugar diets, alcohol and tobacco addiction or high fat diets as well as ageing, brain injury, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, negatively influence the onset, severity and duration of neurodegenerative diseases. Fortunately, there are several healthy dietary components such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and the anti-oxidants curcumin, resveratrol, blueberry polyphenols, sulphoraphane, salvionic acid as well as caloric restriction and physical activity, which may counteract ageing and associated neurodegenerative diseases via increased autophagy or increased neurogenesis in the adult brain.

The Effect of Body Mass Index on Outcome after Endovascular Treatment in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients: A Post Hoc Analysis of the MR CLEAN Trial

BACKGROUND

Though obesity is a well-known risk factor for vascular disease, the impact of obesity on stroke outcome has been disputed. Several studies have shown that obesity is associated with better functional outcome after stroke. Whether obesity influences the benefit of endovascular treatment (EVT) in stroke patients is unknown. We evaluated the association between body mass index (BMI) and outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel -occlusion (LVO), and assessed whether BMI affects the -benefit of EVT.

METHODS

This is a post hoc analysis of the Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands trial (-ISRCTN10888758). BMI was used as a continuous and categorical variable, distinguishing underweight and normal weight (BMI <25), overweight (BMI 25-30), and obesity (BMI ≥30). We used multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis to estimate the association of BMI with functional outcome (shift analysis), assessed with modified Rankin Scale (mRs) at 90 days. The impact of BMI on EVT effect was tested by the use of a multiplicative interaction term.

RESULTS

Of 366 patients, 160 (44%) were underweight or normal weight, 145 (40%) overweight, and 61 (17%) were obese. In multivariable analysis with BMI as a continuous variable, we found a shift toward better functional outcome with higher BMI (mRS adjusted common OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.0-1.09), and mortality was inversely related to BMI (aOR 0.92; 95% CI 0.85-0.99). Safety analysis showed that higher BMI was associated with lower risk of stroke progression (aOR 0.92, 95% CI 0.87-0.99). Additional analysis showed no interaction between BMI and EVT effect on functional outcome, mortality, and other safety outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Our study confirms the effect of obesity on outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients with LVO, meaning better functional outcome, lower mortality, and lower risk of stroke progression for patients with higher BMI. As we found no interaction between BMI and EVT effect, all BMI classes may expect the same benefit from EVT.

Neuroprotection Induced by Energy and Protein-Energy Undernutrition Is Phase-Dependent After Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Mice

Malnutrition predisposes to poor stroke outcome. In animal models, undernutrition protected against ischemic injury in some, but not in other studies. In view of diverse stroke models and food restriction paradigms, the consequences of undernutrition are poorly understood. Herein, we exposed mice to energy-reduced and protein-energy-reduced diets for 7–30 days and subsequently induced intraluminal middle cerebral artery occlusion. Undernutrition phase dependently influenced ischemic injury. Short-lasting 7 days of protein-energy undernutrition, but not energy undernutrition, decreased post-ischemic brain leukocyte infiltration and microglial activation and reduced brain Il-1β mRNA, but did not protect against ischemic injury. Fourteen days of energy and protein-energy undernutrition, on the other hand, reduced ischemic injury despite absence of anti-inflammatory effects. Anti-oxidant genes (Sod-1, Sod-2, and Cat mRNAs) were regulated in the liver and, to a lesser extent, the ischemic brain, indicating an adapted, compensated stage. Conversely, 30 days of energy and protein-energy undernutrition caused progressive animal exhaustion associated with post-ischemic hypoperfusion, rise of metabolic markers (Sirt-1 and Glut-1 mRNAs, Sirt-1 protein) in the ischemic brain, and reregulation of pro- and anti-oxidant markers (now also Nox-4 and Gpx-3 mRNAs) in the liver. In the latter condition, no neuroprotection was noted. Our study suggests an adaptation of metabolic systems that provides neuroprotection in a circumscribed time window.

Self-Reported Body Weight Changes, Perceptions, and Weight Loss Techniques among Stroke Survivors

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the body weight goals and trends of stroke survivors, despite evidence that overweight and obesity can negatively influence poststroke rehabilitation outcomes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify self-reported body weight trends over time in stroke survivors and nonstroke controls (>50 years old) and describe the methods used to attempt to achieve body weight goals.

METHODS

Self-reported body weight 1) at age 25 years, 2) 10 years prior to the current assessment, 3) 1 year prior to the current assessment, 4) current weight, and 5) age of heaviest body weight were collected from adults self-reporting a stroke in the 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (stroke: N = 387 and nonstroke: N = 5085). Questionnaires were used to assess body weight goals and weight loss techniques during the previous year.

RESULTS

Of the stroke survivors, 54% reported that their heaviest weight occurred after their stroke. Approximately 70% of stroke and nonstroke were overweight or obese. Only 24% of stroke survivors reported trying to lose weight compared with 35% of nonstroke, with only 10%-15% successful (≥5% body weight loss), during the past year. Popular weight loss methods in both groups included eating less, exercising, and eating more fruits/vegetables. The majority of stroke survivors report their heaviest weight after their stroke and a desire to weigh less; however, few report successful weight loss.

CONCLUSIONS

Future research is needed to identify optimal body weight and ways to incorporate preferred methods of lifestyle modification, including diet and exercise, to promote weight management in stroke survivors.

Less Than Ideal: Trends in Cardiovascular Health Among US Stroke Survivors

Background and Purpose- The American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 (LS7) defines ideal cardiovascular health by 7 metrics: not smoking, regular physical activity, normal body mass index, blood pressure, plasma glucose, and total cholesterol levels, and a healthy diet. We assessed prevalence and predictors of ideal LS7 among US stroke survivors. Methods- Among 67 514 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 1988 to 1994 and 1999 to 2014, 1597 adults (≥18 years) had self-reported history of stroke. LS7 metrics were categorized as poor, intermediate, and ideal; ideal LS7 scores were calculated (1 point for each ideal metric met). Trends in poor, intermediate, and ideal cardiovascular health were assessed. Odds of low (0-1) versus high (≥4) ideal LS7 scores were assessed according to sex, race, poverty income ratio, and education level, before and after adjusting for covariates. Results- Only 1 participant met all ideal LS7 metrics. The proportion with low LS7 score increased from 17.9% in 1988 to 1994 to 35.4% in 2011 to 2014 (P<0.001). Over that time frame, prevalence of poor blood pressure (≥140/90 mm Hg) and poor cholesterol (≥240 mg/dL) decreased (45.2%-26.5% and 37.2%-10.3%), whereas prevalence of poor body mass index (≥30 kg/m2), poor diet (healthy eating index score <50), and poor physical activity (0 minutes moderate/vigorous activity per week) increased (26.9%-39.0%; 14.2%-50.6%; 44.6%-70.9%; all P<0.05). After adjustment, black race (odds ratio, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.17-4.48), poverty income ratio ≤200% (odds ratio, 2.20, 95% CI, 1.11-4.36), and ≤12th grade education (odds ratio, 4.50; 95% CI, 2.27-8.92) were associated with low ideal LS7 scores. Conclusions- Over the past 3 decades, blood pressure and cholesterol control among stroke survivors improved, but rates of obesity, poor diet, and physical inactivity increased. Stroke survivors who are black, poor, or less educated are less likely to have ideal cardiovascular health.

Determining the Joint Effect of Obesity and Diabetes on All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular-Related Mortality following an Ischemic Stroke

Although obesity and diabetes mellitus, or diabetes, are independently associated with mortality-related events (e.g., all-cause mortality and cardiovascular-related mortality) following an ischemic stroke, little is known about the joint effect of obesity and diabetes on mortality-related events following an ischemic stroke. The aim of this study is to evaluate the joint effect of obesity and diabetes on mortality-related events in subjects with a recent ischemic stroke. Data from the multicenter Prevention Regimen for Effectively Avoiding Second Strokes (PRoFESS) trial was analyzed for this study. The joint effect of obesity and diabetes on mortality-related events was estimated via Cox proportional hazards regression models. No difference in the hazard of all-cause mortality following an ischemic stroke was observed between obese subjects with diabetes and underweight/normal-weight subjects without diabetes. In contrast, obese subjects with diabetes had an increased hazard of cardiovascular-related mortality following an ischemic stroke compared with underweight/normal-weight subjects without diabetes. Additionally, there was evidence of an attributable proportion due to interaction as well as evidence of a highly statistically significant interaction on the multiplicative scale for cardiovascular-related mortality. In this clinical trial cohort of ischemic stroke survivors, obesity and diabetes synergistically interacted to increase the hazard of cardiovascular-related mortality.

The role of obesity in carotid plaque instability: interaction with age, gender, and cardiovascular risk factors

BACKGROUND

In the last decade, several studies have reported an unexpected and seemingly paradoxical inverse correlation between BMI and incidence of cardiovascular diseases. This so called "obesity paradox effect" has been mainly investigated through imaging methods instead of histologic evaluation, which is still the best method to study the instability of carotid plaque. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to evaluate by histology the role of obesity in destabilization of carotid plaques and the interaction with age, gender and other major cerebrovascular risk factors.

METHODS

A total of 390 carotid plaques from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients submitted to endarterectomy, for whom complete clinical and laboratory assessment of major cardiovascular risk factors was available, were studied by histology. Patients with a BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2 were considered as obese. Data were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression and for each variable in the equation the estimated odds ratio (OR) was calculated.

RESULTS

Unstable carotid plaque OR for obese patients with age < 70 years was 5.91 (95% CI 1.17-29.80), thus being the highest OR compared to that of other risk factors. Unstable carotid plaque OR decreased to 4.61 (95% CI 0.54-39.19) in males ≥ 70 years, being only 0.93 (95% CI 0.25-3.52) among women. When obesity featured among metabolic syndrome risk factors, the OR for plaque destabilization was 3.97 (95% CI 1.81-6.22), a significantly higher value compared to OR in non-obese individuals with metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.48; 95% CI 0.86-2.31). Similar results were obtained when assessing the occurrence of acute cerebrovascular symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Results from our study appear to do not confirm any paradoxical effect of obesity on the carotid artery district. Conversely, obesity is confirmed to be an independent risk factor for carotid plaque destabilization, particularly in males aged < 70 years, significantly increasing such risk among patients with metabolic syndrome.

Post-stroke diastolic blood pressure and risk of recurrent vascular events

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent clinical trials and expert consensus guidelines have typically focused on the issue of systolic blood pressure (SBP) targets for reducing vascular risk. However, little is known about the relationship of the diastolic BP (DBP) level with vascular outcomes after a stroke.

METHODS

A multicenter trial dataset involving 3680 recent (<4 months) non-cardioembolic stroke patients followed for 2 years was analyzed. Subjects were categorized per mean DBP level (mmHg) during follow-up: low-normal (<70), normal (70 to <80), high-normal (80-89) and high (≥90). Pulse pressure (PP) was prespecified by three categories of <60, 60 to <70, and ≥70 mmHg. Independent associations of mean DBP level with major vascular events (MVEs) and ischaemic stroke were assessed.

RESULTS

Major vascular events occurred in 20.7% of the low-normal, 15.1% of the normal, 16.9% of the high-normal and 19.2% of the high DBP groups, whilst stroke occurred in 9.9%, 6.8%, 8.5% and 10.8%, respectively. Compared with the normal DBP group, risk of MVEs was higher in the low-normal DBP group (adjusted hazard ratio 1.33; 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.71). Amongst those with SBP 120 to <140 mmHg, risk of MVEs (1.89; 1.13-3.15) and stroke (2.87; 1.48-5.53) was higher in subjects with PP ≥70 (mean DBP 62.4 ± 3.8) than those with the lowest PP (mean DBP 78.0 ± 5.9) whilst, amongst those with SBP <120 mmHg, PP 60 to <70 (mean DBP 52.7 ± 2.5) was associated with increased risk of stroke (5.85; 1.25-27.5).

CONCLUSION

Diastolic BP levels in the low-normal range, particularly accompanied by an increased PP of >60, confer increased risk of MVEs and stroke amongst patients after recent non-cardioembolic stroke.

Overweight, Obesity, and Survival After Stroke in the Framingham Heart Study

Background

We investigated how body weight affects survival after stroke, leveraging the availability of multiple prestroke body mass index (BMI) measurements and using a nested case‐control design in a community‐based sample.

Methods and Results

We compared all‐cause mortality in participants stratified by prestroke weight. Separate analyses were performed for ischemic stroke and all stroke and for age‐, sex‐, and BMI category‐matched stroke‐free controls. Participants were grouped into BMI categories and followed for up to 10 years. Differences in survival were tested for interaction by case status. In sensitivity analysis, to exclude those with prestroke weight loss, we restricted the reference group to participants with 2 consistently normal BMI measurements within 10 years before stroke/matching. There were 782 stroke cases (age 71±9, 51% female participants, 87% ischemic stroke) and 2346 controls (age 72±9, 51% female participants). Overweight participants with ischemic stroke had a lower mortality compared with those with normal weight (hazard ratio [HR]=0.70, 95%CI 0.55‐0.90, P=0.005). The association of reduced mortality with BMI ≥25, compared with normal‐weight BMI 18.5 to <25, was pronounced among ischemic stroke cases but diminished with inclusion of hemorrhagic strokes (case‐control interaction P=0.051 and P=0.130, respectively). Compared with participants with stable normal weight, moderately increased weight was protective after ischemic stroke (overweight HR=0.72, 95%CI 0.53‐0.99, P=0.041).

Conclusions

Overweight and mildly obese participants had better 10‐year survival after ischemic stroke compared with normal‐weight participants, even after excluding persons with recent prestroke weight loss. There may be unknown protective factors associated with a moderately increased body weight before stroke.

Obesity paradox in heart failure patients - Female gender characteristics-KAMC-single center experience

Background/Introduction

The correlation between low body mass index (BMI) and congestive heart failure (obesity paradox) has been described in the literature; However, the association between BMI and clinical outcome measures is not well characterized. Little is known about CHF in the Middle Eastern female population; most of the gender-specific information on heart failure comes from higher income “Western” countries.

Objectives

We aimed to identify the correlation between heart failure patients especially those with low BMI and clinical/safety outcome measures with focusing on female patients subgroup characteristics.

Methods

We performed group comparisons of statistically relevant variables using prospectively collected data of HFrEF patients hospitalized over a 12 month period.

Results

The 167 patients (Group I) enrolled by this study with mean age of 59.64 ± 12.9 years, an EF score of 23.96 ± 10.14, 62.9% had ischemic etiology, 12.5% were smoker, 18% had AF, 31.1% had received ICD/CRT-D and an estimated 8.85 ± 9.5 days length of stay (LOS). The low BMI group of patients (Group II) had means age of 58.7 ± 14.5 years, a significant lower EF score of 20.32 ± 8.58, significantly higher 30, 90 days readmission rates and in-house mortality (22%, 36.6% and 17.1% vs 10.2%, 20.4% and 6.6% respectively) and higher rates of CVA, TIA and unexplained syncope (19.5% vs 7.2%). Similarly, female patients with low BMI (Group IV) had lower EF score of 22.0 ± 53, higher 30,90 days readmission rates and in-house mortality (34.4%,43.8% and 25% vs 13.5%,21.6% and 5.4% respectively) and higher rates of CVA, TIA and unexplained syncope(10% vs 0%).

Conclusion

Our findings showed that heart failure patients with low BMI had poor adverse clinical outcome measures (poor EF, recurrent readmission, mortality and composite rates of CVA, TIA and unexplained syncope) which reflect the effect of obesity paradox in those patients with HFrEF. Female patient subgroup showed similar characteristic findings which also might reflect the value of gender-specific BMI related clinical outcomes.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor links obesity and thrombotic cerebrovascular diseases: The roles of PAI-1 and obesity on stroke

One of the global socioeconomic phenomena occurred during the last decades is the increased prevalence of obesity, with direct consequence on the risk of developing thrombotic disorders. As the physiological inhibitor of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is well known for its role in fibrinolysis. More and more evidences have shown that PAI-1 involves in physiopathologic mechanisms of many diseases and metabolic disorder. Increased serum level of PAI-1 has been observed in obesity and it also contributes to the development of adipose tissue and then has effects on obesity. Meantime, obesity affects also the PAI-1 levels. These evidences indicate the complicated interaction between PAI-1 and obesity. Many clinic studies have confirmed that obesity relates to the stroke outcome although there are many contradictory results. Simultaneously, correlation is found between plasma PAI-1 and thrombotic cerebrovascular diseases. This article reviews contemporary knowledge regarding the complex interplay of obesity, PAI-1 and stroke.

Association of Optimal Combination Drug Treatment with Obesity Status among Recent Ischemic Stroke Patients: Results of the Vitamin Intervention for Stroke Prevention (VISP) Trial

Background and Purpose

One explanation for the ‘obesity paradox’, where obese patients seem to have better cardiovascular outcomes than lean patients, is that obese patients display an identifiable high cardiovascular risk phenotype that may lead to receiving or seeking earlier/more aggressive treatment.

Methods

We analyzed a clinical trial dataset comprising 3643 recent (<120 days) ischemic stroke patients followed up for 2 years. Subjects were categorized as lean (body mass index [BMI], <25 kg/m², n=1,006), overweight (25-29.9 kg/m², n=1,493), or obese (≥30 kg/m², n=1,144). Subjects were classified as level 0 to III depending on the number of secondary prevention prescriptions divided by the number of potentially indicated drugs (0=none of the indicated medications and III=all indicated medications as optimal combination drug treatment [OCT]). Independent associations between each BMI category and stroke/myocardial infarction/vascular death (major vascular events [MVEs]) and all-cause death were assessed.

Results

MVEs occurred in 17.4% of lean, 16.1% of overweight, and 17.1% of obese patients; death occurred in 7.3%, 5.5%, and 5.1%, respectively. Individuals with a higher BMI status received more OCT (45.8%, 51.7%, and 55.3%, respectively; P<0.001). In the lean patient group, multivariable adjusted Cox analyses, showed that compared with levels 0-I, level II and level III were linked to lower risk of MVEs (hazard ratio [HR] 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.32–0.95 and HR 0.48; 95% CI: 0.28−0.83, respectively) and death (0.44; 0.21–0.96 and 0.23; 0.10−0.54, respectively).

Conclusions

OCT for secondary prevention after an ischemic stroke is less frequent in lean (vs. obese) subjects, but when implemented is related to significantly better clinical outcomes.

Obesity paradox in stroke - Myth or reality? A systematic review

Background and purpose

Both stroke and obesity show an increasing incidence worldwide. While obesity is an established risk factor for stroke, its influence on outcome in ischemic stroke is less clear. Many studies suggest a better prognosis in obese patients after stroke (“obesity paradox”). This review aims at assessing the clinical outcomes of obese patients after stroke by performing a systematic literature search.

Methods

The reviewers searched MEDLINE from inception to December 2015. Studies were eligible if they included outcome comparisons in stroke patients with allocation to body weight.

Results

Twenty-five studies (299’750 patients) were included and none was randomised. Ten of 12 studies (162’921 patients) reported significantly less mortality rates in stroke patients with higher BMI values. Seven of 9 studies (92’718 patients) ascertained a favorable effect of excess body weight on non-fatal outcomes (good clinical outcome, recurrence of vascular events). Six studies (85’042 patients) indicated contradictory results after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), however. Several methodological limitations were observed in major part of studies (observational study design, inaccuracy of BMI in reflecting obesity, lacking body weight measurement, selection bias, survival bias).

Conclusion

Most observational data indicate a survival benefit of obese patients after stroke, but a number of methodological concerns exist. No obesity paradox was observed in patients after IVT. There is a need for well-designed randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of weight reduction on stroke risk in obese patients.

Cerebrovascular Disease: Consequences of Obesity-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction

Despite the well-known global impact of overweight and obesity in the incidence of cerebrovascular disease, many aspects of this association are still inconsistently defined. In this chapter we aim to present a critical review on the links between obesity and both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and discuss its influence on functional outcomes, survival, and current treatments to acute and chronic stroke. The role of cerebrovascular endothelial function and respective modulation is also described as well as its laboratory and clinical assessment. In this context, the major contributing mechanisms underlying obesity-induced cerebral endothelial function (adipokine secretion, insulin resistance, inflammation, and hypertension) are discussed. A special emphasis is given to the participation of adipokines in the pathophysiology of stroke, namely adiponectin, leptin, resistin, apelin, and visfatin.

Low baseline urine creatinine excretion rate predicts poor outcomes among critically ill acute stroke patients

Urinary creatinine excretion rate (CER) is an established marker of muscle mass. Low CER has been linked to poor coronary artery disease outcomes, but a link between CER and acute stroke prognosis has not been previously explored. We prospectively collected data from patients with acute stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) within 24 hours from symptom onset in a Neurological and Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit in Taiwan. Baseline CER (mg/d) was calculated by urine creatinine concentration in morning spot urine multiplies 24-hour urine volume on the second day of admission. Patients were divided into 3 tertiles with highest, middle, and lowest CER. Primary endpoint was poor outcome defined as modified Rankin Scale 3-6 at 6 months. Among 156 critically ill acute stroke patients meeting study entry criteria, average age was 67.9 years, and 83 (53.2%) patients had ischemic stroke. Patients with lowest CER (vs. highest CER) had a high risk of poor outcome at 6-month after adjustment (odds ratio 4.96, 95% confidence interval 1.22 to 20.15, p value = 0.025). In conclusion, low baseline CER, a marker of muscle mass, was independently associated with poor 6-month outcome among critically ill acute stroke patients. We speculate that preservation of muscle mass through exercise or protein-energy supplement might be helpful for improving prognosis in severe stroke patients.

Effect of obesity on functional outcomes at 6 months post-stroke among elderly Koreans: a prospective multicentre study

OBJECTIVES

We examined whether obesity based on body mass index (BMI) was a predictor of functional independence measure (FIM) at 6 months after ischaemic stroke onset while adjusting for stroke risk factors and covariates and stratifying by age group.

DESIGN

This is an interim report of the Korean Stroke Cohort for Functioning and Rehabilitation that was designed as a nested case study within a nationwide hospital-based cohort.

SETTING

We identified all patients who were admitted to nine representative hospitals in Korea from 2012 until 2014 under a diagnosis of acute first-ever ischaemic stroke. The hospitals were selected from the metropolitan district, mid-sized cities and a small-sized city.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample included 2057 patients with acute ischaemic stroke who were at least 18 years old.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

We divided participants into two age levels (<65 and ≥ 65 years). Participants were classified into five groups according to their baseline BMI at admission: underweight (BMI<18.5), normal (18.5 ≤ BMI<23), overweight (23 ≤ BMI<25), obese (25 ≤ BMI<30) and extremely obese (30 ≤ BMI).

RESULTS

The proportion of patients who were aged ≥ 65 years was 55.0%. The proportions of underweight, normal, overweight, obese and extremely obese patients were 2.6%, 24.3%, 29.6%, 37.2% and 6.3%, respectively, in the <65 years group and 5.5%, 34.5%, 27.9%, 28.8% and 3.3%, respectively, in the ≥ 65 years group. In a multiple linear regression, the 6-month FIM after stroke in the elderly group was significantly associated with being extremely obese (7.95, p<0.05) after adjusting for confounding variables. In the <65 years group, the 6-month FIM was not associated with any weight category.

CONCLUSIONS

This nationwide hospital-based cohort study showed that extreme obesity is a predictor of a good 6-month FIM, especially in patients with ischaemic stroke who are at least 65 years of age.

Neuroinflammation and comorbidities are frequently ignored factors in CNS pathology

Virtually all drug interventions that have been successful pre-clinically in experimental stroke have failed to prove their efficacy in a clinical setting. This could be partly explained by the complexity and heterogeneity of human diseases as well as the associated co-morbidities which may render neuroprotective drugs less efficacious in clinical practice. One aspect of crucial importance in the physiopathology of stroke which is not completely understood is neuroinflammation. At the present time, it is becoming evident that subtle, but continuous neuroinflammation can provide the ground for disorders such as cerebral small vessel disease. Moreover, advanced aging and a number of highly prevalent risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes and atherosclerosis could act as "silent contributors" promoting a chronic proinflammatory state. This could aggravate the outcome of various pathological entities and can contribute to a number of subsequent post-stroke complications such as dementia, depression and neurodegeneration creating a pathological vicious cycle. Moreover, recent data suggests that the inflammatory process might be closely linked with multiple neurodegenerative pathways related to depression. In addition, pro-inflammatory cytokines could play a central role in the pathophysiology of both depression and dementia.

The obesity paradox in stroke: lower mortality and lower risk of readmission for recurrent stroke in obese stroke patients

BACKGROUND

Although associated with excess mortality and morbidity, obesity is associated with lower mortality after stroke. The association between obesity and risk of recurrent stroke is unclear.

AIMS

The study aims to investigate the association in stroke patients between body mass index and risk of death and readmission for recurrent stroke.

METHODS

An administrative Danish quality-control registry designed to collect a predefined dataset on all hospitalized stroke patients in Denmark 2000–2010 includes 45 615 acute first-ever stroke patients with information on body mass index in 29 326. Data include age, gender, civil status, stroke severity, computed tomography, and cardiovascular risk factors. Patients were followed up to 9·8 years (median 2·6 years). We used Cox regression models to compare risk of death and readmission for recurrent stroke in the four body mass index groups: underweight (body mass index < 18·5), normal weight (body mass index 18·5–24·9), overweight (body mass index 25·0–29·9), obese (body mass index ≥ 30·0).

RESULTS

Mean age 72·3 years, 48% women. Mean body mass index 23·0. Within follow-up, 7902 (26·9%) patients had died; 2437 (8·3%) were readmitted because of recurrent stroke. Mortality was significantly lower in overweight (hazard ratio 0·72; confidence interval 0·68–0·78) and obese (hazard ratio 0·80; confidence interval 0·73–0·88) patients while significantly higher in underweight patients (hazard ratio 1·66; confidence interval 1·49–1·84) compared with normal weight patients. Risk of readmission for recurrent stroke was significantly lower in obese than in normal weight patients (hazard ratio 0·84; confidence interval 0·72–0·92).

CONCLUSIONS

Obesity was not only associated with reduced mortality relative to normal weight patients. Compared with normal weight, risk of readmission for recurrent stroke was also lower in obese stroke patients.

Blood pressure control and risk profile in poststroke survivors: a comparison with the general population

OBJECTIVE

Recurrent strokes are associated with higher mortality, greater disability, and increased healthcare costs compared with first-ever stroke. Lifestyle measures and drug treatment in secondary prevention decrease the risk of recurrence while improving the quality of life of patients. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors in stroke survivors and population controls.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 424 poststroke survivors (aged 66.0 ± 10.4 years) were examined 6-36 months after their first ischemic stroke. Controls of similar age and from the same geographic region were selected from the database of the Czech post-Multinational MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease Study. Hypertension was found to be the most prevalent risk factor affecting 91.5% of stroke survivors and 71.8% of controls. Use of antihypertensive drugs was reported in 79.5% of stroke survivors and 56.7% of controls. However, blood pressure lower than 140/90 mmHg was achieved in only 49.5% of hypertensive stroke survivors. More than 60% of stroke survivors used statins but low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol lower than 2.5 mmol/l was achieved in only 47.4 and 37% of male and female poststroke survivors, respectively. About a third of poststroke patients continue to smoke, and obesity is a major problem, particularly in women (prevalence 47%), who also have a high prevalence of diabetes.

CONCLUSION

We found a high prevalence and poor control of major cardiovascular risk factors in patients surviving their first-ever ischemic stroke, thus showing poor implementation of guidelines for secondary prevention in clinical practice.

Obesity-stroke paradox and initial neurological severity

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

An obesity paradox in patients with stroke has been documented. However, although the initial neurological severity (INS) is generally the most important prognostic factor, the impact of this paradox has not been considered in most previous studies. We sought to investigate the impact of obesity on INS in patients with ischaemic stroke and to investigate whether it is a significant risk factor for short-term outcomes.

METHODS

A total of 2670 patients from Seoul National University Hospital with ischaemic stroke were enrolled from October 2002 to May 2013. Baseline information, including body mass index (BMI) and INS, was collected at admission. Associations between obesity and INS were analysed. In addition, we evaluated the effect of BMI on modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 3 months after stroke onset.

RESULTS

Among the 2670 patients, patients whose BMI levels were higher than the chosen reference level had reduced risks of moderate to severe INS (Q2: OR, 0.65; 95% CI 0.49 to 0.87; Q3: OR, 0.48; 95% CI 0.35 to 0.65; Q4: OR, 0.39; 95% CI 0.28 to 0.54; and Q5: 0.31; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.44). In addition, of the 703 patients with available 3-month mRS patients with higher BMI levels seem to have had more favourable outcomes. Such associations disappeared after adjusting for INS.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, although obesity was associated with better short-term functional outcomes, INS might be a more important prognostic factor. Therefore, initial status should also be considered when considering an 'obesity paradox' in chronic diseases.

Life style, Perfusion deficits and Co-morbidities Precipitate Inflammation and Cerebrovascular Disorders in Aged Subjects

Cerebrovascular diseases represent 2nd leading cause of death worldwide. Understanding how genetic predispositions and their interaction with environmental factors affect cerebrovascular diseases is fundamental for prevention, diagnosis and for the development of safe and efficient therapies. Cerebrovascular diseases have not only a very high mortality rate, but also results in debilitating neurological impairments or permanent disability in survivors associated with huge economic losses. Among the women and men individuals with a low-risk lifestyle (smoking, exercising daily, consuming a prudent diet including moderate alcohol and having a healthy weight during mid-life) had a significantly lower risk of stroke than individuals without a low-risk lifestyle. Current review focuses on determining the relationship between diet, as an important component of ‘life style’, aging and cerebrovascular diseases.This review may help to unravel biological mechanisms linking lifestyle, diet-induced, metabolic inflammation, aging and cerebral hypoperfusion to development of cerebrovascular diseases, a prerequisite for development of science-based preventive strategies needed to combat the major public health challenges like obesity and stroke.