Author response: The dimension of preventable stroke in a large representative patient cohort

We thank Dr. Goldstein for the valuable comment on our article.¹ Diabetes is a major risk factor for ischemic stroke and every fifth patient with diabetes dies of stroke.² Guidelines recommend target control for hypertension and use of statins, whereas the benefit of prophylactic antiplatelet therapy remains controversial.^3,4 In our cohort of ischemic stroke and TIA patients, 321 (18.6%) had diabetes and 60 of them were newly diagnosed (3.5% of all stroke/TIA patients). Among diabetic patients, 47.6% had undertreated hypertension, which is similar to the situation in patients without diabetes (45.3%). However, the proportion of patients not receiving adequate antithrombotic therapy—based on previous cardiovascular disease or carotid stenosis—was higher among diabetics (34.6% vs 7.3%, p < 0.001) as was the proportion of inadequately treated hypercholesterolemia (63.6% vs 51.1%, p = 0.002). Overall, risk factor control in diabetic patients was even worse than in non-diabetic patients—the proportions of patients with at least one untreated or inadequately treated risk condition at the time of the index event: 93.8% vs 76.2%, p < 0.001. Substantial improvement in primary prevention is one of the over-arching goals in the Action Plan for Stroke in Europe 2018–2030,⁵ and concerted actions are required to reduce the worrisome proportion of preventable strokes.

from Neurology recent issues https://ift.tt/33R6atl

Comments

Menopause Symptoms Reduced by Cold Water Swimming

Cold water swimming significantly eases menopausal symptoms. Surveying 1114 women, with 785 experiencing menopause, researchers found improvements in anxiety, mood swings, low mood, and hot flushes among participants. from Neuroscience News https://ift.tt/9AqHsEa

UPI: Kids with psych disorders most likely to take dangerous viral challenges

The “choking game” — and other clearly ill-advised and dangerous internet challenges — leave many parents wondering what drives teens to take the bait and participate. Now, a new study suggests that an underlying psychological disorder may be one reason why some kids jump at online dares such as the “Bird Box” challenge, where people walk around blindfolded, and the Tide Pod challenge, daring people to eat laundry detergent. (January 28, 2019) Read the full article here from Brain Health Daily http://bit.ly/2DIWHbD

The emerging influential role of microglia in neurology

In her most catchily titled book, The Angel and the Assassin , Donna Jackson Nakazawa highlighed nerve cells which have hitherto been very little acknowledged – microglia . Long ignored as bit players in the big league of the nervous system, Nakazawa colourfully illustrated what many neuroscientists are beginning to realise: the small size of microglia belies their huge influence ; m icroglia are, after all, the defence force of the nervous system, protecting the brain from microbial invaders . In keeping with their small size, their role is to surreptitiously present the antigens of invading bugs to T cells , the toffs who actually carry out the final hatchet job . It is therefore not surprising that any dysfunction of microglia will come with significant clinical consequences . By GerryShaw – Own work , CC BY-SA 3.0 , Link The most important clinical fallout of dysfunctional microglia appears to be the emergence of dementia. It is indeed spec...

NEURO

Search This Blog