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Background: As stroke endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) treatment indications expand, understanding population-based EVT eligibility becomes critical for resource planning. We aimed to project current and future population-based EVT eligibility in the United States., Methods: We conducted a post hoc analysis of the physician-adjudicated GCNKSS (Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Stroke Study; 2015 epoch), a population-based, cross sectional, observational study of stroke incidence, treatment, and outcomes across a 5-county region. All hospitalized patients ≥18 years of age with acute ischemic stroke were ascertained using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes 430-436 and Tenth Revision codes I60-I67 and G45-G46 and extrapolated to the US adult census 2020. We determined the rate of EVT eligibility within the GCNKSS population using time from last known well to presentation (0-5 versus 5-23 hours), presenting National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and prestroke modified Rankin Scale. Both conservative and liberal estimates of prevalence of large vessel occlusion and large core were then applied based on literature review (unavailable within the 2015 GCNKSS). This eligibility was then extrapolated to the 2020 US population., Results: Of the 1 057 183 adults within GCNKSS in 2015, 2741 had an ischemic stroke and 2176 had data available for analysis. We calculated that 8659 to 17 219 patients (conservative to liberal) meet the current guideline-recommended EVT criteria (nonlarge core, no prestroke disability, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥6) in the United States. Estimates (conservative to liberal) for expanded EVT eligibility subpopulations include (1) 5316 to 10 635 by large core; (2) 10 635 to 21 270 by mild presenting deficits with low National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score; (3) 13 572 to 27 089 by higher prestroke disability; and (4) 7039 to 14 180 by >1 criteria. These expanded eligibility subpopulations amount to 36 562 to 73 174 patients., Conclusions: An estimated 8659 to 17 219 adult patients in the United States met strict EVT eligibility criteria in 2020. A 4-fold increase in population-based EVT eligibility can be anticipated with incremental adoption of recent or future positive trials. US stroke systems need to be rapidly optimized to handle all EVT-eligible patients with stroke., Competing Interests: E.A. Mistry reports compensation from AbbVie for consultant services; compensation from RAPID AI for consultant services; compensation from the American Heart Association for consultant services; compensation from Translational Sciences for other services; grants from Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute; grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH); and compensation from Silver Creek Pharmaceuticals, Inc, for other services. Dr Khoury reports grants from the NIH. Dr Kissela reports service as Board of Directors, Member for American Academy of Neurology, and employment by the University of Cincinnati. K.S. Alwell reports grants from the NIH. Dr Ferioli reports employment by the University of Cincinnati. Dr De Los Rios La Rosa reports employment by The Neurology Group; compensation from AstraZeneca for other services; and employment by Baptist Health South Florida. Dr Walsh reports grants from Jan Medical, Inc; grants from Sense Diagnostics LLC; grants from NIH Clinical Center; and grants from the American Heart Association. Dr Slavin reports grants from the NIH. M. Haverbusch reports employment by the University of Cincinnati. Dr Mackey reports grants from the NIH. Dr Woo reports grants from NIH. Dr Heldner reports grants from the Swiss Heart Foundation; grants from SITEM Research Funds; and grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation. Dr Fischer reports compensation from Biogen for expert witness services; employment by Universität Basel; and compensation from Boehringer Ingelheim for expert witness services. Dr Jadhav reports employment by Barrow Brain and Spine; stock options in Gravity Medical Technology; compensation from Basking Biosciences for consultant services; a patent issued for Novel Stent Retriever device licensed to Basking Biosciences; and travel support from Johnson and Johnson. Dr Jovin reports grants from Stryker Corporation; stock options in Basking; stock options in Kandu; grants from Medtronic USA, Inc; stock options in Anaconda; compensation from Contego Medical, Inc, for consultant services; stock options in StataDx; stock options in Freeox Biotech; stock options in Gravity; stock options in Route92; stock options in Methinks; compensation from Johnson & Johnson Cerenovus for data and safety monitoring services; stock options in viz-AI; and stock options in Galaxy. Dr Albers reports compensation from Genentech for consultant services; stock holdings in iSchemaView; and compensation from iSchemaView for consultant services. Dr Nogueira reports compensation from RapidPulse for consultant services; compensation from Cerebrotech for consultant services; compensation from Phenox for consultant services; compensation from Medtronic USA, Inc, for consultant services; compensation from Vesalio for consultant services; compensation from Corindus Vascular Robotics for consultant services; compensation from Anaconda for consultant services; compensation from Genentech for consultant services; stock options in Ceretrieve; stock options in Viseon, Inc; compensation from Biogen, Inc, for consultant services; stock options in Truvic; compensation from Brainomix for consultant services; compensation from Prolong Pharmaceuticals for consultant services; compensation from Ceretrieve for consultant services; compensation from Cerenovus for consultant services; stock holdings in Piraeus Medical; compensation from viz-AI for consultant services; stock options in Corindus, Inc; grants from Cerenovus; stock options in Perfuze; compensation from Genentech for consultant services; compensation from Philips for consultant services; compensation from Ceretrieve for consultant services; stock options in viz-AI; compensation from Stryker Corporation for consultant services; stock holdings in Brain4Care; compensation from Perfuze for consultant services; compensation from Brainomix for consultant services; compensation from Cerenovus for consultant services; compensation from viz-AI for consultant services; grants from Stryker; stock options in viz-AI; compensation from Phenox, Inc, for consultant services; compensation from Hybernia for consultant services; compensation from Perfuze for consultant services; compensation from Anaconda Biomed for consultant services; compensation from Imperative Care, Inc, for consultant services; compensation from NeuroVasc Technologies, Inc, for consultant services; compensation from Shanghai Wallaby for consultant services; stock options in Reist/Q’Apel Medical; stock holdings in Quantanosis AI; compensation from Prolong Pharmaceuticals for consultant services; stock options in Vesalio; compensation from Biogen, Inc, for consultant services; compensation from Synchron for data and safety monitoring services; compensation from Stryker for consultant services; compensation from Medtronic USA, Inc, for consultant services; compensation from Imperative Care for consultant services; compensation from RapidPulse for consultant services; stock options in Cerebrotech; compensation from Corindus, Inc, for consultant services; compensation from Astrocyte for consultant services; stock options in Brainomix; and stock options in Perfuze. Dr Khatri reports compensation from Translational Sciences for other services; compensation from Lumosa for consultant services; grants from Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems, Inc; compensation from Basking Biosciences for consultant services; grants from NIH; compensation from Shionogi, Inc, for consultant services; and Online publication for Royalties from UptoDate, Inc, for online publication. The other authors report no conflicts.

Background: Outreach campaigns have sought to reduce the burden of stroke by improving knowledge of stroke risk factors (RF) and warning signs (WS). We describe trends in stroke knowledge from 1995 to 2021., Methods: From 1995 to 2021, 6 separate surveys were conducted in the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Region. Temporal trends in RF/WS knowledge were analyzed using logistic regression adjusting for Race, sex, age, and education., Results: In 1995, 28.6% of participants (537/1880) could name ≥2 WS, compared with 50.6% (983/1944) in 2021 (trend P <0.0001 after adjustment). In 1995, 44.5% of participants (836/1880) knew ≥2 RF, compared with 56.7% (1103/1944) in 2021 (trend P <0.0001 after adjustment). Although still improved compared with 1995, fewer participants could identify ≥2 RF in 2021 (1103/1944, 56.7%) when compared with 2011 (1287/2036, 63.2%, pairwise P <0.05). This decline in RF knowledge was disproportionately larger in women (odds ratio of 0.67 for knowledge in 2021 compared with 2011 in females, P =0.047 for the interaction between sex and study year)., Conclusions: Although stroke knowledge has overall improved since 1995, there is evidence for lost gains since 2011, particularly in women. Stroke outreach campaigns need ongoing evaluation., Competing Interests: Disclosures Dr Kissela reports service on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Neurology. The other authors report no conflicts.

Importance: For walking rehabilitation after stroke, training intensity and duration are critical dosing parameters that lack optimization., Objective: To assess the optimal training intensity (vigorous vs moderate) and minimum training duration (4, 8, or 12 weeks) needed to maximize immediate improvement in walking capacity in patients with chronic stroke., Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter randomized clinical trial using an intent-to-treat analysis was conducted from January 2019 to April 2022 at rehabilitation and exercise research laboratories. Survivors of a single stroke who were aged 40 to 80 years and had persistent walking limitations 6 months or more after the stroke were enrolled., Interventions: Participants were randomized 1:1 to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or moderate-intensity aerobic training (MAT), each involving 45 minutes of walking practice 3 times per week for 12 weeks. The HIIT protocol used repeated 30-second bursts of walking at maximum safe speed, alternated with 30- to 60-second rest periods, targeting a mean aerobic intensity above 60% of the heart rate reserve (HRR). The MAT protocol used continuous walking with speed adjusted to maintain an initial target of 40% of the HRR, progressing up to 60% of the HRR as tolerated., Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was 6-minute walk test distance. Outcomes were assessed by blinded raters after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of training., Results: Of 55 participants (mean [SD] age, 63 [10] years; 36 male [65.5%]), 27 were randomized to HIIT and 28 to MAT. The mean (SD) time since stroke was 2.5 (1.3) years, and mean (SD) 6-minute walk test distance at baseline was 239 (132) m. Participants attended 1675 of 1980 planned treatment visits (84.6%) and 197 of 220 planned testing visits (89.5%). No serious adverse events related to study procedures occurred. Groups had similar 6-minute walk test distance changes after 4 weeks (HIIT, 27 m [95% CI, 6-48 m]; MAT, 12 m [95% CI, -9 to 33 m]; mean difference, 15 m [95% CI, -13 to 42 m]; P = .28), but HIIT elicited greater gains after 8 weeks (58 m [95% CI, 39-76 m] vs 29 m [95% CI, 9-48 m]; mean difference, 29 m [95% CI, 5-54 m]; P = .02) and 12 weeks (71 m [95% CI, 49-94 m] vs 27 m [95% CI, 3-50 m]; mean difference, 44 m [95% CI, 14-74 m]; P = .005) of training; HIIT also showed greater improvements than MAT on some secondary measures of gait speed and fatigue., Conclusions and Relevance: These findings show proof of concept that vigorous training intensity is a critical dosing parameter for walking rehabilitation. In patients with chronic stroke, vigorous walking exercise produced significant and meaningful gains in walking capacity with only 4 weeks of training, but at least 12 weeks were needed to maximize immediate gains., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03760016.

Background: Clinical trial enrollment and completion is challenging, with nearly half of all trials not being completed or not completed on time. In 2014, the National Institutes of Health StrokeNet in collaboration with stroke epidemiologists from GCNKSS (Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study) began providing proposed clinical trials with formal trial feasibility assessments. Herein, we describe the process of prospective feasibility analyses using epidemiological data that can be used to improve enrollment and increase the likelihood a trial is completed., Methods: In 2014, DEFUSE 3 (Endovascular Therapy Following Imaging Evaluation for Ischemic Stroke 3) trialists, National Institutes of Health StrokeNet, and stroke epidemiologists from GCNKSS collaborated to evaluate the initial inclusion/exclusion criteria for the DEFUSE 3 study. Trial criteria were discussed and an assessment was completed to evaluate the percent of the stroke population that might be eligible for the study. The DEFUSE 3 trial was stopped early with the publication of DAWN (Thrombectomy 6 to 24 Hours After Stroke With a Mismatch Between Deficit and Infarct), and the Wilcoxon rank-sum statistic was used to analyze whether the trial would have been stopped had the proposed changes not been made, following the DEFUSE 3 statistical analysis plan., Results: After initial epidemiological analysis, 2.4% of patients with acute stroke in the GCNKSS population would have been predicted to be eligible for the study. After discussion with primary investigators and modifying 4 key exclusion criteria (upper limit of age increased to 90 years, baseline modified Rankin Scale broadened to 0-2, time since last well expanded to 16 hours, and decreased lower limit of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score to <6), the number predicted to be eligible for the trial increased to 4%. At the time of trial conclusion, 57% of the enrolled patients qualified only by the modified criteria, and the trial was stopped at an interim analysis that demonstrated efficacy. We estimated that the Wilcoxon rank-sum value for the unadjusted predicted enrollment would not have crossed the threshold for efficacy and the trial not stopped., Conclusions: Objectively assessing trial inclusion/exclusion criteria using a population-based resource in a collaborative and iterative process including epidemiologists can lead to improved recruitment and can increase the likelihood of successful trial completion.

Background: Though stroke risk factors such as substance use may vary with age, less is known about trends in substance use over time or about performance of toxicology screens in young adults with stroke., Methods: Using the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Stroke Study, a population-based study in a 5-county region comprising 1.3 million people, we reported the frequency of documented substance use (cocaine/marijuana/opiates/other) obtained from electronic medical record review, overall and by race/gender subgroups among physician-adjudicated stroke events (ischemic and hemorrhagic) in adults 20 to 54 years of age. Secondary analyses included heavy alcohol use and cigarette smoking. Data were reported for 5 one-year periods spanning 22 years (1993/1994-2015), and trends over time were tested. For 2015, to evaluate factors associated with performance of toxicology screens, multiple logistic regression was performed., Results: Overall, 2152 strokes were included: 74.5% were ischemic, mean age was 45.7±7.6, 50.0% were women, and 35.9% were Black. Substance use was documented in 4.4%, 10.4%, 19.2%, 24.0%, and 28.8% of cases in 1993/1994, 1999, 2005, 2010, and 2015, respectively ( P <0.001). Between 1993/1994 and 2015, documented substance use increased in all demographic subgroups. Adjusting for gender, comorbidities, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, predictors of toxicology screens included Black race (adjusted odds ratio, 1.58 [95% CI, 1.02-2.45]), younger age (adjusted odds ratio, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.53-0.91], per 10 years), current smoking (adjusted odds ratio, 1.62 [95% CI, 1.06-2.46]), and treatment at an academic hospital (adjusted odds ratio, 1.80 [95% CI, 1.14-2.84]). After adding chart-reported substance use to the model, only chart-reported substance abuse and age were significant.trend <0.001). Between 1993/1994 and 2015, documented substance use increased in all demographic subgroups. Adjusting for gender, comorbidities, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, predictors of toxicology screens included Black race (adjusted odds ratio, 1.58 [95% CI, 1.02-2.45]), younger age (adjusted odds ratio, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.53-0.91], per 10 years), current smoking (adjusted odds ratio, 1.62 [95% CI, 1.06-2.46]), and treatment at an academic hospital (adjusted odds ratio, 1.80 [95% CI, 1.14-2.84]). After adding chart-reported substance use to the model, only chart-reported substance abuse and age were significant., Conclusions: In a population-based study of young adults with stroke, documented substance use increased over time, and documentation of substance use was higher among Black compared with White individuals. Further work is needed to confirm race-based disparities and trends in substance use given the potential for bias in screening and documentation. Findings suggest a need for more standardized toxicology screening.

Purpose: We previously described the magnitude of rural-urban differences in the prevalence of stroke risk factors and stroke mortality. In this report, we sought to extend the understanding of rural-urban differences in the prevalence of stroke risk factors by using an enhanced definition of rural-urban status and assessing the impact of neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) on risk factor differences., Methods: This analysis included 28,242 participants without a history of stroke from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. Participants were categorized into the 6-level ordinal National Center for Health Statistics Urban-Rural Classification Scheme. The prevalence of stroke risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, smoking, atrial fibrillation, left ventricular hypertrophy, and heart disease) was assessed across the rural-urban scale with adjustment for demographic characteristics and further adjustment for nSES score., Findings: Hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease were more prevalent in rural than urban regions. Higher odds were observed for these risk factors in the most rural compared to the most urban areas (odds ratios [95% CI]: 1.25 [1.11-1.42] for hypertension, 1.15 [0.99-1.33] for diabetes, and 1.19 [1.02-1.39] for heart disease). Adjustment for nSES score partially attenuated the odds of hypertension and heart disease with rurality, completely attenuated the odds of diabetes, and unmasked an association of current smoking., Conclusions: Some of the higher stroke mortality in rural areas may be due to the higher burden of stroke risk factors in rural areas. Lower nSES contributed most notably to rural-urban differences for diabetes and smoking., (© 2021 National Rural Health Association.)

Background: The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs)., Methods: The American Heart Association, through its Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update. The 2022 Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. This year's edition includes data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population and an enhanced focus on social determinants of health, adverse pregnancy outcomes, vascular contributions to brain health, and the global burden of cardiovascular disease and healthy life expectancy., Results: Each of the chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics., Conclusions: The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policymakers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

Background: The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs)., Methods: The American Heart Association, through its Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update. The 2021 Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. This year's edition includes data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population, an enhanced focus on social determinants of health, adverse pregnancy outcomes, vascular contributions to brain health, the global burden of cardiovascular disease, and further evidence-based approaches to changing behaviors related to cardiovascular disease., Results: Each of the 27 chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics., Conclusions: The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policy makers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

Background and Purpose- Sex differences in stroke incidence over time were previously reported from the GCNKSS (Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study). We aimed to determine whether these differences continued through 2015 and whether they were driven by particular age groups. Methods- Within the GCNKSS population of 1.3 million, incident (first ever) strokes among residents ≥20 years of age were ascertained at all local hospitals during 5 periods: July 1993 to June 1994 and calendar years 1999, 2005, 2010, and 2015. Out-of-hospital cases were sampled. Sex-specific incidence rates per 100 000 were adjusted for age and race and standardized to the 2010 US Census. Trends over time by sex were compared (overall and age stratified). Sex-specific case fatality rates were also reported. Bonferroni corrections were applied for multiple comparisons. Results- Over the 5 study periods, there were 9733 incident strokes (56.3% women). For women, there were 229 (95% CI, 215-242) per 100 000 incident strokes in 1993/1994 and 174 (95% CI, 163-185) in 2015 ( P <0.05), compared with 282 (95% CI, 263-301) in 1993/1994 to 211 (95% CI, 198-225) in 2015 ( P <0.05) in men. Incidence rates decreased between the first and last study periods in both sexes for IS but not for intracerebral hemorrhage or subarachnoid hemorrhage. Significant decreases in stroke incidence occurred between the first and last study periods for both sexes in the 65- to 84-year age group and men only in the ≥85-year age group; stroke incidence increased for men only in the 20- to 44-year age group. Conclusions- Overall stroke incidence decreased from the early 1990s to 2015 for both sexes. Future studies should continue close surveillance of sex differences in the 20- to 44-year and ≥85-year age groups, and future stroke prevention strategies should target strokes in the young- and middle-age groups, as well as intracerebral hemorrhage.

Background: The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports on the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs)., Methods: The American Heart Association, through its Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update. The 2020 Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. This year's edition includes data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population, metrics to assess and monitor healthy diets, an enhanced focus on social determinants of health, a focus on the global burden of cardiovascular disease, and further evidence-based approaches to changing behaviors, implementation strategies, and implications of the American Heart Association's 2020 Impact Goals., Results: Each of the 26 chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics., Conclusions: The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policy makers, media professionals, clinicians, healthcare administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory biomarker used in vascular risk prediction, though with less data in people of color. Blacks have higher stroke incidence and also higher CRP than whites. We studied the association of CRP with ischemic stroke risk in blacks and whites., Methods: REGARDS, an observational cohort study, recruited and followed 30,239 black and white Americans 45 years and older for ischemic stroke. We calculated hazard ratios and 95% CIs of ischemic stroke by CRP category (<1, 1-3, 3-10, and ≥10 mg/L) adjusted for age, sex and stroke risk factors., Results: There were 292 incident ischemic strokes among blacks and 439 in whites over 6.9 years of follow-up. In whites, the risk was elevated for CRP in the range from 3 to 10 mg/L and even higher for CRP >10 mg/L, whereas in blacks, an association was only seen for CRP >10 mg/L. Considered as a continuous variable, the risk factor-adjusted hazard ratios per SD higher lnCRP were 1.18 (95% CI 1.09-1.28) overall, 1.14 (95% CI 1.00-1.29) in blacks, and 1.22 (95% CI 1.10-1.35) in whites. Spline regression analysis visually confirmed the race difference in the association., Conclusions: CRP may not be equally useful in stroke risk assessment in blacks and whites. Confirmation, similar study for coronary heart disease, and identification of reasons for these racial differences require further study., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Given temporal changes in diabetes prevalence and stroke incidence, this study investigated age, race, and sex differences in the diabetes-stroke association in a contemporary prospective cohort, the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study., Research Design and Methods: We included 23,002 non-Hispanic black and white U.S. adults aged ≥45 years without prevalent stroke at baseline (2003-2007). Diabetes was defined as fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL, random glucose ≥200 mg/dL, or use of glucose-lowering medication. Incident stroke events were expert adjudicated and available through September 2017., Results: The prevalence of diabetes was 19.1% at baseline. During follow-up, 1,018 stroke events occurred. Among adults aged <65 years, comparing those with diabetes to those without diabetes, the risk of stroke was increased for white women (hazard ratio [HR] 3.72 [95% CI 2.10-6.57]), black women (HR 1.88 [95% CI 1.22-2.90]), and white men (HR 2.01 [95% CI 1.27-3.27]) but not black men (HR 1.27 [95% CI 0.77-2.10]) after multivariable adjustment. Among those aged ≥65 years, diabetes increased the risk of stroke for white women and black men, but not black women (HR 1.05 [95% CI 0.74-1.48]) or white men (HR 0.86 [95% CI 0.62-1.21])., Conclusions: In this contemporary cohort, the diabetes-stroke association varied by age, race, and sex together, with a more pronounced effect observed among adults aged <65 years. With the recent increase in the burden of diabetes complications at younger ages in the U.S., additional efforts are needed earlier in life for stroke prevention among adults with diabetes., (© 2019 by the American Diabetes Association.)

Importance: Race-specific and sex-specific stroke risk varies across the lifespan, yet few reports describe sex differences in stroke risk separately in black individuals and white individuals., Objective: To examine incidence and risk factors for ischemic stroke by sex for black and white individuals., Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study included participants 45 years and older who were stroke-free from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort, enrolled from the continental United States 2003 through 2007 with follow-up through October 2016. Data were analyzed from March 2018 to September 2018., Exposures: Sex and race., Main Outcomes and Measures: Physician-adjudicated incident ischemic stroke, self-reported race/ethnicity, and measured and self-reported risk factors., Results: A total of 25 789 participants (14 170 women [54.9%]; 10 301 black individuals [39.9%]) were included. Over 222 120 person-years of follow-up, 939 ischemic strokes occurred: 159 (16.9%) in black men, 326 in white men (34.7%), 217 in black women (23.1%), and 237 in white women (25.2%). Between 45 and 64 years of age, white women had 32% lower stroke risk than white men (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.68 [95% CI, 0.49-0.94]), and black women had a 28% lower risk than black men (IRR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.52-0.99]). Lower stroke risk in women than men persisted at age 65 through 74 years in white individuals (IRR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.55-0.94]) but not in black individuals (IRR, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.68-1.30]); however, the race-sex interaction was not significant. At 75 years and older, there was no sex difference in stroke risk for either race. For white individuals, associations of systolic blood pressure (women: hazard ratio [HR], 1.13 [95% CI, 1.05-1.22]; men: 1.04 [95% CI, 0.97-1.11]; P = .099), diabetes (women: HR, 1.84 [95% CI, 1.35-2.52]; men: 1.13 [95% CI, 0.86-1.49]; P = .02), and heart disease (women: HR, 1.76 [95% CI, 1.30-2.39]; men, 1.26 [95% CI, 0.99-1.60]; P = .09) with stroke risk were larger for women than men, while antihypertensive medication use had a smaller association in women than men (women: HR, 1.17 [95% CI, 0.89-1.54]; men: 1.61 [95% CI, 1.29-2.03]; P = .08). In black individuals, there was no evidence of a sex difference for any risk factors., Conclusions and Relevance: For both races, at age 45 through 64 years, women were at lower stroke risk than men, and there was no sex difference at 75 years or older; however, the sex difference pattern may differ by race from age 65 through 74 years. The association of risk factors on stroke risk differed by race-sex groups. While the need for primordial prevention, optimal management, and control of risk factors is universal across all age, racial/ethnic, and sex groups, some demographic subgroups may require earlier and more aggressive strategies.

Background: Stroke survivors and family caregivers often have incongruent appraisals of survivor cognitive, physical, and psychosocial function. Partner incongruence contributes to poor outcomes for survivors and caregivers., Objectives: This study explored whether partner incongruence: (1) differs by function domain; (2) increases or decreases over time, and; (3) is associated with self-rated health, distress, stress, and depressive symptoms., Methods: Structured surveys were administered to 32 survivors and caregivers at approximately 3 (enrollment) and 7 months (follow-up) post-stroke. Paired t-tests were used to examine partners' ratings of survivor function at enrollment and follow-up, and changes in incongruence over time. Partial correlations were used to examine the association between incongruence at enrollment and outcomes at follow-up., Results: Survivors consistently rated their own memory and thinking as significantly better than caregivers rated their memory and thinking. At follow-up, survivors rated their own communication as significantly better than caregivers rated their communication. Incongruence about survivor memory and thinking was associated with survivor distress, as well as caregiver distress, stress, and depressive symptoms. Incongruence about survivor ADLs was associated with caregiver stress and depressive symptoms. Incongruence about survivor social participation was associated with caregiver distress., Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest that survivors and caregivers often have incongruent appraisals of survivor function, that incongruence does not improve naturally over time, and that incongruence may be detrimental for survivor and caregiver outcomes. Further research should be directed at the mitigation of incongruence and strategies to improve outcomes for both survivors and family caregivers.

Importance: Get With The Guidelines-Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) is an American Heart Association/American Stroke Association stroke-care quality-improvement program; however, to our knowledge, there has not been a direct comparison of the quality of care between patients hospitalized at participating hospitals and those at nonparticipating hospitals., Objective: To contrast quality of stroke care measures for patients admitted to hospitals participating and not participating in GWTG-Stroke., Design, Setting, and Participants: Subpopulation of 546 participants with ischemic stroke occurring during a 9-year follow-up of the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study, a population-based cohort study of 30 239 randomly selected black and white participants 45 years and older recruited between 2003 and 2007. Of those with stroke, 207 (36%) were treated in a hospital participating in GWTG-Stroke and 339 in a nonparticipating hospital. Data were analyzed between July 29, 2017, and April 17, 2018., Main Outcomes and Measures: Quality of care measures including use of tissue plasminogen activator, performance of swallowing evaluation, antithrombotic use in first 48 hours, lipid profile assessment, discharge receiving antithrombotic therapy, discharge receiving a statin, neurologist evaluation, providing weight loss and exercise counseling, education on stroke risk factors and warning signs, and assessment for rehabilitation., Results: Participants treated at participating hospitals had a mean (SD) age of 74 (8) years and 100 of 207 were men (48%), while those seen at nonparticipating hospitals had a mean (SD) age of 73 (9) years, and 161 of 339 were men (48%). Those seen in participating hospitals were more likely to receive 5 of 10 evidence-based interventions recommended for patients hospitalized with ischemic stroke, including receiving tissue plasminogen activator (RR, 3.74; 95% CI, 1.65-8.50), education on risk factors (RR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.16-2.05), having an evaluation for swallowing (RR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.04-1.50), a lipid evaluation (RR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.05-1.32), and an evaluation by a neurologist (RR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.05-1.20). Those seen in participating hospitals received a mean of 5.4 (95% CI, 5.2-5.6) interventions compared with 4.8 (95% CI, 4.6-5.0) in nonparticipating hospitals (P < .001)., Conclusions and Relevance: These data collected independently of the GWTG-Stroke program document improved stroke care for patients with ischemic stroke hospitalized at participating hospitals.

Background and Purpose: Patients with stroke can experience neurological deterioration in the prehospital setting. We evaluated patients with stroke to determine factors associated with prehospital neurological deterioration (PND)., Methods: Among the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region (population ~1.3 million), we screened all 15 local hospitals' admissions from 2010 for acute stroke and included patients aged ≥20. The GCS was compared between emergency medical services (EMS) arrival and hospital arrival, with decrease ≥2 points considered PND. Data obtained retrospectively included demographics, medical history and medication use, stroke subtype (eg, ischaemic stroke (IS), intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH)) and IS subtype (eg, small vessel, large vessel, cardioembolic), seizure at onset, time intervals between symptom onset, EMS arrival and hospital arrival, EMS level of training, and blood pressure and serum glucose on EMS arrival., Results: Of 2708 total patients who had a stroke, 1092 patients (median (IQR) age 74 (61-83) years; 56% women; 21% black) were analysed. PND occurred in 129 cases (12%), including 9% of IS, 24% of ICH and 16% of SAH. In multivariable analysis, black race, atrial fibrillation, haemorrhagic subtype and ALS level of transport were associated with PND., Conclusion: Haemorrhage and atrial fibrillation is associated with PND in stroke, and further investigation is needed to establish whether PND can be predicted. Further studies are also needed to assess whether preferential transport of patients with deterioration to hospitals equipped with higher levels of care is beneficial, identify why race is associated with deterioration and to test therapies targeting PND., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Background: The aim of the present study was to compare sex-specific associations between cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes mellitus (DM) among patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study (GCNKSS)., Methods: The GCNKSS ascertained AIS cases in 2005 and 2010 among adult (age ≥ 20 years) residents of a biracial population of 1.3 million. Past and current stroke risk factors were compared between those with and without DM using Chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression analysis to examine sex-specific profiles., Results: There were 3515 patients with incident AIS; 1919 (55%) were female, 697 (20%) were Black, and 1146 (33%) had DM. Among both women and men with DM, significantly more were obese and had hypertension, high cholesterol, and coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with those without DM. For women with AIS, multivariable sex-specific adjusted analyses revealed that older age was associated with decreased odds of having DM (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.80-0.98). For women with CAD, the odds of DM were increased (aOR 1.76, 95% CI 1.33-2.32). Age and CAD were not significant factors in differentiating the profiles of men with and without DM., Conclusions: Women with DM had strokes at a younger age, whereas no such age difference existed in men. Compared with men, women with DM were also more likely to have CAD than those without DM, suggesting a sex difference in the association between DM and vascular disease. These findings may suggest a need for more aggressive risk factor management in diabetic women., (© 2017 Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

We previously published rates of pediatric stroke using our population-based Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Stroke Study (GCNK) for periods July 1993-June 1994 and 1999. We report population-based rates from 2 additional study periods: 2005 and 2010. We identified all pediatric strokes for residents of the GCNK region that occurred in July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994, and calendar years 1999, 2005, and 2010. Stroke cases were ascertained by screening discharge ICD-9 codes, and verified by a physician. Pediatric stroke was defined as stroke in those <20 years of age. Stroke rates by study period, overall, by age and by race, were calculated. Eleven children died within 30 days, yielding an all-cause case fatality rate of 15.7% (95% confidence interval 1.1%, 26.4%) with 3 (27.3%) ischemic, 6 (54.5%) hemorrhagic, and 2 (18.2%) unknown stroke type. The pediatric stroke rate of 4.4 per 100 000 in the GCNK study region has not changed over 17 years.

Stroke has multiple etiologies, but the underlying genes and pathways are largely unknown. We conducted a multiancestry genome-wide-association meta-analysis in 521,612 individuals (67,162 cases and 454,450 controls) and discovered 22 new stroke risk loci, bringing the total to 32. We further found shared genetic variation with related vascular traits, including blood pressure, cardiac traits, and venous thromboembolism, at individual loci (n = 18), and using genetic risk scores and linkage-disequilibrium-score regression. Several loci exhibited distinct association and pleiotropy patterns for etiological stroke subtypes. Eleven new susceptibility loci indicate mechanisms not previously implicated in stroke pathophysiology, with prioritization of risk variants and genes accomplished through bioinformatics analyses using extensive functional datasets. Stroke risk loci were significantly enriched in drug targets for antithrombotic therapy.

Objective: 1) To develop a machine learning approach for detecting stroke cases and subtypes from hospitalization data, 2) to assess algorithm performance and predictors on real-world data collected by a large-scale epidemiology study in the US; and 3) to identify directions for future development of high-precision stroke phenotypic signatures., Materials and Methods: We utilized 8,131 hospitalization events (ICD-9 codes 430-438) collected from the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study in 2005 and 2010. Detailed information from patients' medical records was abstracted for each event by trained research nurses. By analyzing the broad list of demographic and clinical variables, the machine learning algorithms predicted whether an event was a stroke case and, if so, the stroke subtype. The performance was validated on gold-standard labels adjudicated by stroke physicians, and results were compared with stroke classifications based on ICD-9 discharge codes, as well as labels determined by study nurses., Results: The best performing machine learning algorithm achieved a performance of 88.57%/93.81%/92.80%/93.30%/89.84%/98.01% (accuracy/precision/recall/F-measure/area under ROC curve/area under precision-recall curve) on stroke case detection. For detecting stroke subtypes, the algorithm yielded an overall accuracy of 87.39% and greater than 85% precision on individual subtypes. The machine learning algorithms significantly outperformed the ICD-9 method on all measures (P value<0.001). Their performance was comparable to that of study nurses, with better tradeoff between precision and recall. The feature selection uncovered a subset of predictive variables that could facilitate future development of effective stroke phenotyping algorithms., Discussion and Conclusions: By analyzing a broad array of patient data, the machine learning technologies held promise for improving detection of stroke diagnosis, thus unlocking high statistical power for subsequent genetic and genomic studies.

Purpose of Review: Despite current rehabilitative strategies, stroke remains a leading cause of disability in the USA. There is a window of enhanced neuroplasticity early after stroke, during which the brain's dynamic response to injury is heightened and rehabilitation might be particularly effective. This review summarizes the evidence of the existence of this plastic window, and the evidence regarding safety and efficacy of early rehabilitative strategies for several stroke domain-specific deficits., Recent Findings: Overall, trials of rehabilitation in the first 2 weeks after stroke are scarce. In the realm of very early mobilization, one large and one small trial found potential harm from mobilizing patients within the first 24 h after stroke, and only one small trial found benefit in doing so. For the upper extremity, constraint-induced movement therapy appears to have benefit when started within 2 weeks of stroke. Evidence for non-invasive brain stimulation in the acute period remains scant and inconclusive. For aphasia, the evidence is mixed, but intensive early therapy might be of benefit for patients with severe aphasia. Mirror therapy begun early after stroke shows promise for the alleviation of neglect. Novel approaches to treating dysphagia early after stroke appear promising, but the high rate of spontaneous improvement makes their benefit difficult to gauge. The optimal time to begin rehabilitation after a stroke remains unsettled, though the evidence is mounting that for at least some deficits, initiation of rehabilitative strategies within the first 2 weeks of stroke is beneficial. Commencing intensive therapy in the first 24 h may be harmful.

Objective: Recent data suggest stroke incidence is decreasing over time, but it is unknown whether incidence is decreasing in women and men to the same extent., Methods: Within our population of 1.3 million, all incident strokes among residents ≥20 years old were ascertained at all hospitals during July 1993-June 1994 and calendar years 1999, 2005, and 2010. A sampling scheme was used to ascertain out-of-hospital cases. Sex-specific incidence rates per 100,000 among black and white participants, age- and race-adjusted, were standardized to the 2000 US Census population. Trends over time by sex were compared; a Bonferroni correction was applied for multiple comparisons., Results: Over the 4 study periods, there were 7,710 incident strokes; 57.2% (n = 4,412) were women. Women were older than men (mean ± SE 72.4 ± 0.34 vs 68.2 ± 0.32, p < 0.001). Incidence of all strokes decreased over time in men (263 [confidence interval 246-281] to 192 [179-205], p < 0.001) but not in women (217 [205-230] to 198 [187-210], p = 0.15). Similar sex differences were seen for ischemic stroke (men, 238 [223-257] to 165 [153-177], p < 0.01; women, 193 [181-205] to 173 [162-184], p = 0.09). Incidence of all strokes and of ischemic strokes was similar between women and men in 2010. Incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage were stable over time in both sexes., Conclusions: Decreases in stroke incidence over time are driven by a decrease in ischemic stroke in men. Contrary to previous study periods, stroke incidence rates were similar by sex in 2010. Future research is needed to understand why the decrease in ischemic stroke incidence is more pronounced in men., (© 2017 American Academy of Neurology.)

Pathologic alterations in haemostasis cause bleeding disorders, but it is unknown if variation within the normal range relates to intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) risk. It was our objective to assess the prospective associations of haemostasis biomarkers with ICH risk. The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study (REGARDS) recruited 30,239 U. S. individuals aged ≥45 years. ICH was ascertained through biannual telephone contact and review of deaths followed by medical record evaluation. Haemostasis biomarkers (factor VIII (FVIII), factor IX (FIX), factor XI (FXI), fibrinogen, protein C, and D-dimer) were measured in a case cohort study consisting of ICH and a 1,104 person cohort random sample. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) by biomarker were estimated using Cox models and adjusted for ICH risk factors. Individuals with a prior history of stroke, ICH or on warfarin were excluded. Over a median 5.8 years 66 ICH occurred. Fibrinogen, FVIII, FXI, and protein C were not associated with ICH risk in any analysis. Lower FIX increased risk of ICH with the bottom versus the top tertile of FIX associated with an HR of 5.68 (95 % CI 2.30, 14.05). D-dimer demonstrated a non-linear relationship with a potential threshold effect with increased risk only in the top 5th percentile (HR 3.22; 95 % CI 1.01, 10.31; p non-linear = 0.04).In conclusion, low FIX levels within the normal range were associated with increased ICH risk. These data suggest non-pathologic alterations in haemostasis impact intracranial bleeding risk.

Background and Purpose: The American Stroke Association recommends that Emergency Medical Service bypass acute stroke-ready hospital (ASRH)/primary stroke center (PSC) for comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs) when transporting appropriate stroke patients, if the additional travel time is ≤15 minutes. However, data on additional transport time and the effect on hospital census remain unknown., Methods: Stroke patients ≥20 years old who were transported from home to an ASRH/PSC or CSC via Emergency Medical Service in 2010 were identified in the Greater Cincinnati area population of 1.3 million. Addresses of all patients' residences and hospitals were geocoded, and estimated travel times were calculated. We estimated the mean differences between the travel time for patients taken to an ASRH/PSC and the theoretical time had they been transported directly to the region's CSC., Results: Of 929 patients with geocoded addresses, 806 were transported via Emergency Medical Service directly to an ASRH/PSC. Mean additional travel time of direct transport to the CSC, compared with transport to an ASRH/PSC, was 7.9±6.8 minutes; 85% would have ≤15 minutes added transport time. Triage of all stroke patients to the CSC would have added 727 patients to the CSC's census in 2010. Limiting triage to the CSC to patients with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of ≥10 within 6 hours of onset would have added 116 patients (2.2 per week) to the CSC's annual census., Conclusions: Emergency Medical Service triage to CSCs based on stroke severity and symptom duration may be feasible. The impact on stroke systems of care and patient outcomes remains to be determined and requires prospective evaluation., (© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: We examined practice patterns of inpatient testing to identify stroke etiologies and treatable risk factors for acute ischemic stroke recurrence., Methods and Results: We identified stroke cases and related diagnostic testing from four 1-year study periods (July 1993 to June 1994, 1999, 2005, and 2010) of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study. Patients aged ≥18 years were included. We focused on evaluation of extracranial arteries for carotid stenosis and assessment of atrial fibrillation because randomized controlled trials supported treatment of these conditions for stroke prevention across all 4 study periods. In each study period, we also recorded stroke etiology, as determined by diagnostic testing and physician adjudication. An increasing proportion of stroke patients received assessment of both extracranial arteries and the heart over time (50%, 58%, 74%, and 78% in the 1993-1994, 1999, 2005, and 2010 periods, respectively; P <0.0001 for trend), with the most dramatic individual increases in echocardiography (57%, 63%, 77%, and 83%, respectively). Concurrently, we observed a decrease in strokes of unknown etiology (47%, 48%, 41%, and 38%, respectively; P <0.0001 for trend). We also found a significant increase in strokes of other known causes (32%, 25%, 45% and 59%, respectively; P <0.0001 for trend)., Conclusions: Stroke workup for treatable causes of stroke are being used more frequently over time, and this is associated with a decrease in cryptogenic strokes. Future study of whether better determination of treatable stroke etiologies translates to a decrease in stroke recurrence at the population level will be essential., (© 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.)

Background and Purpose: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients may have raised serum cardiac troponin levels on admission, although it is unclear what prognostic implications this has, and whether elevated levels are associated with cardiac causes of stroke or structural cardiac disease as seen on echocardiogram. We investigated the positivity of cardiac troponin and echocardiogram testing within a large biracial AIS population and any association with poststroke mortality., Methods: Within a catchment area of 1.3 million, we screened emergency department admissions from 2010 using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition , discharge codes 430 to 436 and ascertained all physician-confirmed AIS cases by retrospective chart review. Hypertroponinemia was defined as elevation in cardiac troponin above the standard 99th percentile. Multiple logistic regression was performed, controlling for stroke severity, history of cardiac disease, and all other stroke risk factors., Results: Of 1999 AIS cases, 1706 (85.3%) had a cardiac troponin drawn and 1590 (79.5%) had echocardiograms. Hypertroponinemia occurred in 353 of 1706 (20.7%) and 160 of 1590 (10.1%) had echocardiogram findings of interest. Among 1377 who had both tests performed, hypertroponinemia was independently associated with echocardiogram findings (odds ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 2-4.2). When concurrent myocardial infarctions (3.5%) were excluded, hypertroponinemia was also associated with increased mortality at 1 year (35%; odds ratio, 3.45; 95% confidence interval, 2.1-5.6) and 3 years (60%; odds ratio, 2.91; 95% confidence interval, 2.06-4.11)., Conclusions: Hypertroponinemia in the context of AIS without concurrent myocardial infarction was associated with structural cardiac disease and long-term mortality. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether further cardiac evaluation might improve the long-term mortality rates seen in this group., (© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background and Purpose: Computed tomographic angiography and conventional angiography provide timely vascular anatomic information in patients with stroke. However, iodinated contrast dye may cause acute kidney injury (AKI). Within a large, biracial population, we examined in-hospital incidence of new or worsening kidney disease in patients with stroke and its association with administration of intravenous dye., Methods: All adult residents of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region with acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage who presented to an emergency department in 2010 were included. Prevalence of unsuspected kidney disease at the time of emergency department presentation and the incidence of AKI after admission in 2 groups of patients-those who did and those who did not receive intravenous dye-were determined., Results: In 2010, 2299 patients met inclusion criteria (89% ischemic stroke and 11% intracerebral hemorrhage); mean age 69 years (SD 15), 22% black, and 54% women. Among these patients, 37% had kidney disease at baseline, including 22% (516/2299) in whom this was unsuspected. Two percent (2%; 15/853) of patients with baseline kidney disease developed AKI during the hospital stay. Of those with no baseline kidney disease, 1% (14/14 467) developed AKI. There was no association between dye administration and new or worsening kidney disease., Conclusions: Although 22% of patients in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky stroke population had unsuspected kidney disease, the incidence of new or worsening kidney disease was low, and AKI was not associated with dye administration. These findings confirm single-center reports that the risk of severe renal complications after contrast dye is small., (© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background Although statin therapy is associated with reduced stroke and mortality risk, some studies report that higher lipid levels are associated with improved outcomes following ischemic stroke. Aims We examined the association of hyperlipidemia (HLD) combined with statin therapy on all-cause mortality in stroke patients. Methods All stroke patients in the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky region of ∼1.3 million were identified using ICD-9 discharge codes in 2005 and 2010. Stroke patients with and without HLD were categorized based on their reported statin use at baseline or discharge into three groups: no-HLD/no-statins, HLD/no-statins, and HLD/on-statins. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the risk of mortality at 30 days, 1 year, and 3 years poststroke. Results Overall, 77% (2953) of the 3813 ischemic stroke patients were diagnosed with HLD and 72% ( n = 2123) of those patients were on statin medications. The mean age was 70.0 ± 14.6 years, 56% were women, and 21% were black. In adjusted analyses, the HLD/no-statins group showed 35% (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.46-0.92), 27% (aHR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.59-0.90), and 17% (aHR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.70-0.97) reduced risk of mortality at 30 days, 1 year, and 3 years, respectively, poststroke, compared with no-HLD/no-statins group. The HLD/on-statins group showed an additional 17% significant survival benefit at 3 years poststroke compared with HLD/no-statins group. Conclusions A diagnosis of HLD in ischemic stroke patients is associated with reduced short- and long-term mortality, irrespective of statin use. Statin therapy is associated with significant, additional long-term survival benefit.

Poststroke depression (PSD) is common, affecting approximately one third of stroke survivors at any one time after stroke. Individuals with PSD are at a higher risk for suboptimal recovery, recurrent vascular events, poor quality of life, and mortality. Although PSD is prevalent, uncertainty remains regarding predisposing risk factors and optimal strategies for prevention and treatment. This is the first scientific statement from the American Heart Association on the topic of PSD. Members of the writing group were appointed by the American Heart Association Stroke Council's Scientific Statements Oversight Committee and the American Heart Association's Manuscript Oversight Committee. Members were assigned topics relevant to their areas of expertise and reviewed appropriate literature, references to published clinical and epidemiology studies, clinical and public health guidelines, authoritative statements, and expert opinion. This multispecialty statement provides a comprehensive review of the current evidence and gaps in current knowledge of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, outcomes, management, and prevention of PSD, and provides implications for clinical practice., (© 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Objectives . (a) To determine associations among motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude, MEP latency, lower extremity (LE) impairment, and gait velocity and (b) determine the association between the presence of a detectable MEP signal with LE impairment and with gait velocity. Method . 35 subjects with chronic, stable LE hemiparesis were undergone TMS, the LE section of the Fugl-Meyer Impairment Scale (LE FM), and 10-meter walk test. We recorded presence, amplitude, and latency of MEPs in the affected tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus (SO). Results . MEP presence was associated with higher LEFM scores in both the TA and SO. MEP latency was larger in subjects with lower LEFM and difficulty walking. Conclusion . MEP latency appears to be an indicator of LE impairment and gait. Significance . Our results support the precept of using TMS, particularly MEP latency, as an adjunctive LE outcome measurement and prognostic technique., Competing Interests: The authors certify that no party having a direct interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on them or on any organization with which they are associated and, if applicable, certify that all financial and material support for this research (e.g., NIH or NHS grants) and work are clearly identified in the title page of the manuscript. The authors declare that there are no competing interests regarding the publication of this article.

Background: The burden of stroke in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is large and increasing, challenging the already stretched health-care services., Aims and Objectives: To determine the quality of existing stroke-care services in LMICs and to highlight indigenous, inexpensive, evidence-based implementable strategies being used in stroke-care., Methods: A detailed literature search was undertaken using PubMed and Google scholar from January 1966 to October 2015 using a range of search terms. Of 921 publications, 373 papers were shortlisted and 31 articles on existing stroke-services were included., Results: We identified efficient models of ambulance transport and pre-notification. Stroke Units (SU) are available in some countries, but are relatively sparse and mostly provided by the private sector. Very few patients were thrombolysed; this could be increased with telemedicine and governmental subsidies. Adherence to secondary preventive drugs is affected by limited availability and affordability, emphasizing the importance of primary prevention. Training of paramedics, care-givers and nurses in post-stroke care is feasible., Conclusion: In this systematic review, we found several reports on evidence-based implementable stroke services in LMICs. Some strategies are economic, feasible and reproducible but remain untested. Data on their outcomes and sustainability is limited. Further research on implementation of locally and regionally adapted stroke-services and cost-effective secondary prevention programs should be a priority., (© 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: Missed diagnoses of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the ED may result in lost opportunities to treat AIS. Our objectives were to describe the rate and clinical characteristics of missed AIS in the ED, to determine clinical predictors of missed AIS, and to report tissue plasminogen (tPA) eligibility among those with missed strokes., Methods: Among a population of 1.3 million in a five-county region of southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky, cases of AIS that presented to 16 EDs during 2010 were identified using ICD-9 codes followed by physician verification of cases. Missed ED diagnoses were physician-verified strokes that did not receive a diagnosis indicative of stroke in the ED. Bivariate analyses were used to compare clinical characteristics between patients with and without an ED diagnosis of AIS. Logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors of missed AIS diagnoses. Alternative diagnoses given to those with missed AIS were codified. Eligibility for tPA was reported between those with and without a missed stroke diagnosis., Results: Of 2,027 AIS cases, 14.0% (n = 283) were missed in the ED. Race, sex, and stroke subtypes were similar between those with missed AIS diagnoses and those identified in the ED. Hospital length of stay was longer in those with a missed diagnosis (5 days vs. 3 days, p < 0.0001). Younger age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.89 to 0.98) and decreased level of consciousness (LOC) (aOR = 3.58, 95% CI = 2.63 to 4.87) were associated with higher odds of missed AIS. Altered mental status was the most common diagnosis among those with missed AIS. Only 1.1% of those with a missed stroke diagnosis were eligible for tPA., Conclusion: In a large population-based sample of AIS cases, one in seven cases were not diagnosed as AIS in the ED, but the impact on acute treatment rates is likely small. Missed diagnosis was more common among those with decreased LOC, suggesting the need for improved diagnostic approaches in these patients., (© 2016 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.)

Background and Purpose: At age 45 years, blacks have a stroke mortality ≈3× greater than their white counterparts, with a declining disparity at older ages. We assess whether this black-white disparity in stroke mortality is attributable to a black-white disparity in stroke incidence versus a disparity in case fatality., Methods: We first assess if black-white differences in stroke mortality within 29 681 participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort reflect national black-white differences in stroke mortality and then assess the degree to which black-white differences in stroke incidence or 30-day case fatality after stroke contribute to the disparities in stroke mortality., Results: The pattern of stroke mortality within the study mirrors the national pattern, with the black-to-white hazard ratio of ≈4.0 at age 45 years decreasing to ≈1.0 at age 85 years. The pattern of black-to-white disparities in stroke incidence shows a similar pattern but no evidence of a corresponding disparity in stroke case fatality., Conclusions: These findings show that the black-white differences in stroke mortality are largely driven by differences in stroke incidence, with case fatality playing at most a minor role. Therefore, to reduce the black-white disparity in stroke mortality, interventions need to focus on prevention of stroke in blacks., (© 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background and Purpose: Antithrombotic medications are effective for ischemic stroke prevention, but stoppage of these medications is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism. The frequency of antithrombotic withdrawal in the general population is unknown., Methods: We conducted a random phone sample of 2036 households in the Greater Cincinnati metropolitan area, representative of the stroke population by age, sex, and race, to determine the frequency of antithrombotic medication use and stoppage by physicians for medically indicated procedures., Results: Sixty-two percent of survey respondents reported that they were on an antithrombotic medication. Ten percent of participants reported that they had stopped taking their medication within the past 60 days for a medically indicated intervention. Of those who stopped taking the medication, it was more common for persons taking an anticoagulant to stop their medication (20%) than those taking an antiplatelet agent (9%). Colonoscopies and orthopedic surgeries were the most common reasons for withdrawal of antiplatelet agents, whereas orthopedic and vascular surgeries were the most common reason for withdrawal of anticoagulants., Conclusions: Recommended discontinuation of antithrombotic medication for surgical or diagnostic procedures is common practice for persons in the community representative of a stroke population. Because stoppage of these medications is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolic stroke, further clinical trials are needed to determine best management practices in this setting., (Copyright © 2016 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Some studies of stroke patients report longer prehospital delays in women, but others conflict; studies vary in their inclusion of factors including age and stroke severity. We aimed to investigate the relationship between gender and time to emergency department (ED) arrival and the influence of age and stroke severity on this relationship., Methods: Ischemic stroke patients 20 years old or older who presented to 15 hospitals within a 5-county region of Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky during 2010 were included. Time from symptom onset to ED arrival and covariates were abstracted by study nurses and reviewed by study physicians. Data were analyzed using logistic regression with time to arrival dichotomized at 3 hours or less in the overall sample and then stratified by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and age., Results: 1991 strokes (55% women) were included. Time to arrival was slightly longer in women (geometric mean 337 minutes [95% confidence interval {CI} 307-369] versus 297 [95% CI 268-329], P = .05), and 24% of women versus 27% of men arrived within 3 hours (P = .15). After adjusting for age, race, NIHSS, living situation, and other covariates, gender was not associated with delayed time to arrival (OR = 1.00, 95% CI .78-1.28). This did not change across age or NIHSS categories., Conclusions: After adjusting for factors including age, NIHSS score, and living alone, women and men with ischemic stroke had similar times to arrival. Arrival time is not likely a major contributor to differences in outcome between men and women., (Copyright © 2016 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To assess whether black race and other cerebrovascular risk factors have a differential effect on first vs. recurrent stroke events., Methods: Estimate the differences in the magnitude of the association of demographic (age, back race, sex) or stroke risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, cigarette smoking, atrial fibrillation, left ventricular hypertrophy, or heart disease) for first vs. recurrent stroke from a longitudinal cohort study of 29,682 black or white participants aged 45 years and older., Results: Over an average 6.8 years follow-up, 301 of 2,993 participants with a previous stroke at baseline had a recurrent stroke, while 818 of 26,689 participants who were stroke-free at baseline had a first stroke. Among those stroke-free at baseline, there was an age-by-race interaction (p = 0.0002), with a first stroke risk 2.70 (95% confidence interval: 1.86-3.91) times greater for black than white participants at age 45, but no racial disparity at age 85 (hazard ratio = 0.91; 95% confidence interval: 0.70-1.18). In contrast, there was no evidence of a higher risk of recurrent stroke at any age for black participants (p > 0.05). The association of traditional stroke risk factors was generally similar for first and recurrent stroke., Conclusion: The association of age and black race differs substantially on first vs. recurrent stroke risk, with risk factors playing a similar role., (© 2016 American Academy of Neurology.)

The incidence of stroke among younger adults in the United States is increasing. Few studies have investigated the prevalence of depressive symptoms after stroke among different age groups or the extent to which subjective stress at the time of stroke interacts with age to contribute to post-stroke depression. The present study examined whether there exists an age gradient in survivors' level of depressive symptoms and explored the extent to which financial, family, and health-related stress may also impact on depression. Bivariate analyses (N = 322) indicated significant differences in depression and stress by age group, as well as differences in age and stress by 3-month depression status. Linear regression analyses indicated that survivors between the ages of 25-54 and 55-64 years old had, on average, significantly higher depressive symptom scores. Those with financial, family, and health-related stress at the time of stroke, irrespective of age, also had significantly higher scores.

Background: Black individuals are at greater risk of stroke and vitamin D deficiency than white individuals. Epidemiologic studies have shown that low 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations are associated with increased risk of stroke, but these studies had limited representation of black individuals., Methods: We examined the association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D with incident stroke in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a cohort of black and white adults ≥45 years of age. Using a case-cohort study design, plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured in 610 participants who developed incident stroke (cases) and in 937 stroke-free individuals from a stratified cohort random sample of REGARDS participants (comparison cohort)., Results: In multivariable models adjusted for socio-demographic factors, co-morbidities and laboratory values including parathyroid hormone, lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were associated with higher risk of stroke (25-hydroxyvitamin D >30 ng/mL reference; 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations 20-30 ng/mL, hazard ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.89,1.96; 25-hydroxyvitamin D <20 ng/mL, hazard ratio 1.85, 95% CI 1.17, 2.93). There were no statistically significant differences in the association of lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D with higher risk of stroke in black vs. white participants in fully adjusted models (hazard ratio comparing lowest vs. highest 25-hydroxyvitamin D category 2.62, 95% CI 1.18, 5.83 in blacks vs. 1.64, 95% CI 0.83, 3.24 in whites, P(interaction) = 0.82). The associations were qualitatively unchanged when restricted to ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke subtypes or when using race-specific cut-offs for 25-hydroxyvitamin D categories., Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for incident stroke and the strength of this association does not appear to differ by race., (© 2016 World Stroke Organization.)

Background: Is the high stroke mortality in the Southeastern parts of the United States driven by differences in stroke incidence or case-fatality? This question remains unanswered. Differences in incidence would underscore the need for stroke prevention, while differences in case fatality would call for improved stroke care., Methods: Quartiles of US counties were defined by stroke mortality, and this gradient was related with stroke incidence and stroke case fatality in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study, where 1,317 incident stroke events (of which 242 were fatal) occurred among 29,650 participants., Results: There was a significant (p = 0.0025) gradient of fatal stroke events in REGARDS (quartile 4 vs. quartile 1 (Q4/Q1) hazard ratio 1.95, 95% CI 1.35-2.81), demonstrating the consistency of REGARDS with national mortality data. The gradient for incident stroke (fatal + nonfatal) was also significant (p = 0.0023; Q4/Q1 hazard ratio 1.29, 95% CI 1.10-1.52). The gradient for stroke case-fatality was marginally significant (p = 0.058), though the OR for Q4/Q1 (1.71, 95% CI 1.13-2.25) was large., Conclusions: Both stroke incidence and case-fatality in REGARDS appear to be contributing, underscoring the need for strengthening both stroke prevention and acute stroke care in order to reduce the disparity., (© 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: There are several situations in which magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might impact whether an cerebrovascular event is considered a new stroke. These include clinically non-focal events with positive imaging for acute cerebral infarction, and worsening of older symptoms without evidence of new infarction on MRI. We sought to investigate the impact of MRI on stroke detection and stroke incidence, by describing agreement between a strictly clinical definition of stroke and a definition based on physician opinion, including MRI imaging findings., Methods: All hospitalized strokes that occurred in five Ohio and Northern Kentucky counties (population 1.3 million) in the calendar year of 2005 were identified using ICD-9 discharge codes 430-436. The two definitions used were: "clinical case definition" which included sudden onset focal neurologic symptoms referable to a vascular territory for >24 h, compared to the "best clinical judgment of the physician definition", which considers all relevant information, including neuroimaging findings. The 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the incidence rates were calculated assuming a Poisson distribution. Rates were standardized to the 2000 U.S. population, adjusting for age, race, and sex, and included all age groups., Results: There were 2403 ischemic stroke events in 2269 patients; 1556 (64%) had MRI performed. Of the events, 2049 (83%) were cases by both definitions, 185 (7.7%) met the clinical case definition but were non-cases in the physician's opinion and 169 (7.0%) were non-cases by clinical definition but were cases in the physician's opinion. There was no significant difference in the incidence rates of first-ever or total ischemic strokes generated by the two different definitions, or when only those with MRI imaging were included., Conclusions: We found that MRI findings do not appear to substantially change stroke incidence estimates, as the strictly clinical definition of stroke did not significantly differ from a definition that included imaging findings. Including MRI in the case definition "rules out" almost the same number of strokes as it "rules in".

Background and Purpose: Sex differences in recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-tPA) administration are present in some populations. It is unknown whether this is because of eligibility differences or the modifiable exclusion criterion of severe hypertension. Our aim was to investigate sex differences in r-tPA eligibility, in individual exclusion criteria, and in the modifiable exclusion criterion, hypertension., Methods: We included all ischemic stroke patients ≥18 years among residents of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region who presented to 16-area emergency departments in 2005. Eligibility for r-tPA and individual exclusion criteria were determined using 2013 American Heart Association (AHA) and European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (ECASS) III guidelines., Results: Of 1837 ischemic strokes, 58% were women, 24% were black. Mean age in years was 72.2 for women and 66.1 for men. Eligibility for r-tPA was similar by sex (6.8% men and 6.1% women; P=0.55), even after adjusting for age (7.0% and 5.9%; P=0.32). Similar proportions of women and men arrived beyond 3- and 4.5-hour time windows, but more women had severe hypertension. There were no sex differences in blood pressure treatment rates among those with severe hypertension (14.6% women and 20.8% men; P=0.21). More women were >80 years and had National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) >25., Conclusions: Within a large, biracial population, eligibility for r-tPA was similar by sex. Women were more likely to have the modifiable exclusion criterion of severe hypertension but were not more likely to be treated. Women were more likely to have 2 of the 5 ECASS III exclusion criteria. Undertreatment of hypertension in women is a potentially modifiable contributor to reported differences in r-tPA administration., (© 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background and Purpose: Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a hormone that regulates phosphorus and vitamin D metabolism. Elevated FGF23 concentrations are associated with excess risk of cardiovascular disease. Associations of FGF23 with stroke outcomes are less clear., Methods: Using a case-cohort study design, we examined the association of baseline plasma FGF23 concentrations with incident stroke in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a cohort of black and white adults aged ≥45 years. FGF23 was measured in 615 participants who developed incident stroke (cases) and in 936 participants randomly selected from the REGARDS cohort (comparison subcohort)., Results: In multivariable-adjusted models, higher calcium and phosphorus concentrations, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate and higher urine albumin excretion were independently associated with higher FGF23. There was no statistically significant association of FGF23 with risk of all-cause stroke in Cox models adjusted for demographic factors and established stroke risk factors (hazard ratio comparing fourth with first quartile 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.82). In prespecified models stratified by stroke subtypes, there was a graded association of FGF23 with risk of cardioembolic stroke in fully adjusted models (quartile 1, reference; quartile 2 hazard ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.63-3.47; quartile 3 hazard ratio, 1.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.89-4.44; quartile 4 hazard ratio, 2.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-5.91). There were no statistically significant associations of FGF23 with other ischemic stroke subtypes or with hemorrhagic strokes., Conclusions: Higher FGF23 concentrations were associated with higher risk of cardioembolic but not with other stroke subtypes in community-dwelling adults. Additional studies should delineate reasons for these findings., (© 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Objective: To identify approximately 500 cases of incident cognitive impairment (ICI) in a large, national sample adapting an existing cognitive test-based case definition and to examine relationships of vascular risk factors with ICI., Method: Participants were from the REGARDS study, a national sample of 30,239 African-American and White Americans. Participants included in this analysis had normal cognitive screening and no history of stroke at baseline, and at least one follow-up cognitive assessment with a three-test battery (TTB). Regression-based norms were applied to TTB scores to identify cases of ICI. Logistic regression was used to model associations with baseline vascular risk factors., Results: We identified 495 participants with ICI of 17,630 eligible participants. In multivariable modeling, income (OR 1.83 CI 1.27,2.62), stroke belt residence (OR 1.45 CI 1.18,1.78), history of transient ischemic attack (OR 1.90 CI 1.29,2.81), coronary artery disease(OR 1.32 CI 1.02,1.70), diabetes (OR 1.48 CI 1.17,1.87), obesity (OR 1.40 CI 1.05,1.86), and incident stroke (OR 2.73 CI 1.52,4.90) were associated with ICI., Conclusions: We adapted a previously validated cognitive test-based case definition to identify cases of ICI. Many previously identified risk factors were associated with ICI, supporting the criterion-related validity of our definition.

Background and Purpose: Insulin resistance is associated with increased stroke risk, but the effect has not been adequately examined separately in white and black populations., Methods: The association of baseline insulin resistance with risk of cerebral infarction (CI) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) was assessed in 12 366 white and 6782 black participants from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort, recruited between 2003 and 2007 and followed for an average of 5.7 years. Insulin resistance was measured with the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance., Results: There were 364 incident CI and 41 incident ICH events. The risk for CI increased with the log of insulin resistance in whites (hazards ratio [HR]ln(IR)=1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.38) but was largely attenuated by adjustment for stroke risk factors (HRln(IR)=1.05; 95% CI, 0.88-1.26). There was no association in blacks (HRln(IR)=1.01; 95% CI, 0.81-1.25). After adjustment for demographic factors and risk factors, there was a significant difference by race in the association of insulin resistance with risk of ICH (P=0.07), with a decrease in the risk of ICH in whites (HRln(IR)=0.61; 95% CI, 0.35-1.04) but a nonsignificant increase in blacks (HRln(IR)=1.20; 95% CI, 0.60-2.39)., Conclusions: These data support the growing evidence that insulin resistance may play a more important role in stroke risk among white than black individuals and suggest a potentially discordant relationship of insulin resistance on CI and ICH among whites., (© 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: The accuracy of stroke diagnosis in administrative claims for a contemporary population of Medicare enrollees has not been studied. We assessed the validity of diagnostic coding algorithms for identifying stroke in the Medicare population by linking data from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study to Medicare claims., Methods and Results: The REGARDS Study enrolled 30 239 participants ≥45 years in the United States between 2003 and 2007. Stroke experts adjudicated suspected strokes, using retrieved medical records. We linked data for participants enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare to claims files from 2003 through 2009. Using adjudicated strokes as the gold standard, we calculated accuracy measures for algorithms to identify incident and recurrent strokes. We linked data for 15 089 participants, among whom 422 participants had adjudicated strokes during follow-up. An algorithm using primary discharge diagnosis codes for acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes: 430, 431, 433.x1, 434.x1, 436) had a positive predictive value of 92.6% (95% confidence interval, 88.8%-96.4%), a specificity of 99.8% (99.6%-99.9%), and a sensitivity of 59.5% (53.8%-65.1%). An algorithm using only acute ischemic stroke codes (433.x1, 434.x1, 436) had a positive predictive value of 91.1% (95% confidence interval, 86.6%-95.5%), a specificity of 99.8% (99.7%-99.9%), and a sensitivity of 58.6% (52.4%-64.7%)., Conclusions: Claims-based algorithms to identify stroke in a contemporary Medicare cohort had high positive predictive value and specificity, supporting their use as outcomes for etiologic and comparative effectiveness studies in similar populations. These inpatient algorithms are unsuitable for estimating stroke incidence because of low sensitivity., (© 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.)