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This study aimed to investigate whether n-3 fatty acid supplementation reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in a novel analysis using hierarchical composite CVD outcomes based on win ratio in the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL). This was a secondary analysis of our VITAL randomized trial, which assessed the effects of marine n-3 fatty acids (1 g/day) and vitamin D3 on incident CVD and cancer among healthy older adults ( n = 25,871). The primary analysis estimated win ratios of a composite of major CVD outcomes prioritized as fatal coronary heart disease, other fatal CVD including stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and non-fatal stroke, comparing n-3 fatty acids to placebo. The primary result was a nonsignificant benefit of this supplementation for the prioritized primary CVD outcome (reciprocal win ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.90 [0.78-1.04]), similar to the 0.92 (0.80-1.06) hazard ratio in our original time-to-first event analysis without outcome prioritization. Its benefits came from reducing MI (0.71 [0.57-0.88]) but not stroke (1.01 [0.80 to 1.28]) components. For the primary CVD outcome, participants with low fish consumption at baseline benefited (0.79 [0.65-0.96]) more than those with high consumption (1.05 [0.85-1.30]). These results are consistent with, but slightly stronger than, those without outcome prioritization.

Objective: To examine if radiographic ocular lateral deviation (rOLD) could be provoked in stroke patients with mild-to-moderate lateropulsion according to vertical perception., Methods: In this single-center, retrospective study, acute stroke patients with mild-to-moderate lateropulsion assessed by the Scale for Contraversive Pushing were enrolled. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging was performed on all patients on admission and then according to their conditions. The direction and angle of rOLD were compared among three groups according to the responsible lesion: lateral medullary (LM), pontine (P), and hemispheric (H)., Results: Sixty-six patients (male, 47; average age, 67 years) were enrolled and divided into the LM (n = 37), P (n = 8), and H (n = 21) groups. All patients had body tilt. Patients in the LM group showed body tilt to the ipsilesional side during hospitalization, while those in the P and H groups tilted to the contralesional side. All patients had rOLD at the final assessment at an average of 13 days after onset; patients in the P and H groups showed contralateral rOLD, while those in the LM group showed ipsilateral rOLD if they did not have cerebellar or pontine lesions. Significant decreases in the angle and changes in direction of rOLD according to lesion site were observed during hospitalization., Conclusion: Serial changes in rOLD findings after stroke onset are different according to the responsible lesion. The direction of rOLD in most patients is in accordance with vertical perception after the acute stage of stroke., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

Background & Aims: This study aimed to investigate the associations of pre-existing sarcopenia with swallowing function, oral intake level, and aspiration pneumonia in patients with acute stroke., Methods: This observational study included patients (≥60 years of age) with acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage within 7 days of onset who were screened for sarcopenia, malnutrition, and swallowing difficulties in a stroke-care unit within 48 h of admission. Sarcopenia was defined by the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia 2019 as having a low calf circumference, handgrip strength, and appendicular muscle mass index. The primary outcome was impaired oral intake (functional oral intake scale <5 points) at 3, 7, and 14 days after admission, and the secondary outcome was aspiration pneumonia during hospitalization., Results: We enrolled 350 patients (median age of 77 years; 63% males) who underwent the aforementioned screening. Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 34% of patients, and malnutrition was found in 66% of patients with sarcopenia. When compared with the comparison group (defined as patients with either or both normal calf circumference and handgrip strength), the sarcopenia group had significantly lower tongue pressure and a higher prevalence of dysphagia. Sarcopenia was associated with functional oral intake scale <5 at 7 days (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.91-11.71); p = 0.002) and 14 days (adjusted OR, 3.93; 95% CI, 1.47-10.53; p = 0.006) and with aspiration pneumonia during hospitalization (adjusted OR, 6.12; 95% CI, 1.63-22.94; p = 0.007)., Conclusion: Acute stroke patients with sarcopenia may have weakness of the swallowing-related muscles which may lead to impaired oral intake and aspiration pneumonia., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objectives: To examine the national, 6-year trends in in-hospital clinical outcomes of patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) who underwent clipping or coiling and the prognostic influence of temporal trends in the Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) capabilities on patient outcomes in Japan., Design: Retrospective study., Setting: Six hundred and thirty-one primary care institutions in Japan., Participants: Forty-five thousand and eleven patients with SAH who were urgently hospitalised, identified using the J-ASPECT Diagnosis Procedure Combination database., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: Annual number of patients with SAH who remained untreated, or who received clipping or coiling, in-hospital mortality and poor functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale: 3-6) at discharge. Each CSC was assessed using a validated scoring system (CSC score: 1-25 points)., Results: In the overall cohort, in-hospital mortality decreased (year for trend, OR (95% CI): 0.97 (0.96 to 0.99)), while the proportion of poor functional outcomes remained unchanged (1.00 (0.98 to 1.02)). The proportion of patients who underwent clipping gradually decreased from 46.6% to 38.5%, while that of those who received coiling and those left untreated gradually increased from 16.9% to 22.6% and 35.4% to 38%, respectively. In-hospital mortality of coiled (0.94 (0.89 to 0.98)) and untreated (0.93 (0.90 to 0.96)) patients decreased, whereas that of clipped patients remained stable. CSC score improvement was associated with increased use of coiling (per 1-point increase, 1.14 (1.08 to 1.20)) but not with short-term patient outcomes regardless of treatment modality., Conclusions: The 6-year trends indicated lower in-hospital mortality for patients with SAH (attributable to better outcomes), increased use of coiling and multidisciplinary care for untreated patients. Further increasing CSC capabilities may improve overall outcomes, mainly by increasing the use of coiling. Additional studies are necessary to determine the effect of confounders such as aneurysm complexity on outcomes of clipped patients in the modern endovascular era., Competing Interests: Competing interests: KI reports grant support from Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Japan Limited. The other authors report no conflicts of interest., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To assess whether post-stroke epilepsy (PSE) is associated with neuroimaging findings of hemosiderin in a case-control study, and whether the addition of hemosiderin markers improves the risk stratification models of PSE., Methods: We performed a post-hoc analysis of the PROgnosis of POST-Stroke Epilepsy study enrolling PSE patients at National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan, from November 2014 to September 2019. PSE was diagnosed when one unprovoked seizure was experienced >7 days after the index stroke, as proposed by the International League Against Epilepsy. As controls, consecutive acute stroke patients with no history or absence of any late seizure or continuing antiseizure medications at least 3 months after stroke were retrospectively enrolled during the same study period. We examined cortical microbleeds and cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) using gradient-echo T2*-weighted images. A logistic regression model with ridge penalties was tuned using 10-fold cross-validation. We added the item of cSS to the existing models (SeLECT and CAVE) for predicting PSE and evaluated performance of new models., Results: The study included 180 patients with PSE (67 women; median age 74 years) and 1,183 controls (440 women; median age 74 years). The cSS frequency was higher in PSE than control groups (48.9% vs 5.7%, p < 0.0001). Compared with the existing models, the new models with cSS (SeLECT-S and CAVE-S) demonstrated significantly better predictive performance of PSE (net reclassification improvement 0.63 [p = 0.004] for SeLECT-S and 0.88 [p = 0.001] for CAVE-S at the testing data)., Interpretation: Cortical superficial siderosis was associated with PSE, stratifying stroke survivors at high risk of PSE. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:357-370., (© 2022 The Authors. Annals of Neurology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Neurological Association.)

Background Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) infrequently occurs after acute stroke. The Heart-brain team approach has a potential to appropriately manage this poststroke cardiovascular complication. However, clinical outcomes of AMI complicating acute stroke (AMI-CAS) with the heart-brain team approach have not been characterized. The current study investigated cardiovascular outcomes in patients with AMI-CAS managed by a heart-brain team. Methods and Results We retrospectively analyzed 2390 patients with AMI at our institute (January 1, 2007-September 30, 2020). AMI-CAS was defined as the occurrence of AMI within 14 days after acute stroke. Major adverse cerebral/cardiovascular events (cardiac-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and nonfatal stroke) and major bleeding events were compared in subjects with  AMI-CAS and those without acute stroke. AMI-CAS was identified in 1.6% of the subjects. Most AMI-CASs (37/39=94.9%) presented ischemic stroke. Median duration of AMI from the onset of acute stroke was 2 days. Patients with AMI-CAS less frequently received primary percutaneous coronary intervention (43.6% versus 84.7%; P <0.001) and dual-antiplatelet therapy (38.5% versus 85.7%; P <0.001), and 33.3% of them did not receive any antithrombotic agents (versus 1.3%; P <0.001). During the observational period (median, 2.4 years [interquartile range, 1.1-4.4 years]), patients with AMI-CAS exhibited a greater likelihood of experiencing major adverse cerebral/cardiovascular events (hazard ratio [HR], 3.47 [95% CI, 1.99-6.05]; P <0.001) and major bleeding events (HR, 3.30 [95% CI, 1.34-8.10]; P =0.009). These relationships still existed even after adjusting for clinical characteristics and medication use (major adverse cerebral/cardiovascular event: HR, 1.87 [95% CI, 1.02-3.42]; P =0.04; major bleeding: HR, 2.67 [95% CI, 1.03-6.93]; P =0.04). Conclusions Under the heart-brain team approach, AMI-CAS was still a challenging disease, reflected by less adoption of primary percutaneous coronary intervention and antithrombotic therapies, with substantially elevated cardiovascular and major bleeding risks. Our findings underscore the need for a further refined approach to mitigate their ischemic/bleeding risks.

Aims: We aimed to determine the association between acute platelet reactivity and clinical outcome in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) with large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA)., Methods: In this prospective, 16-multicenter study, we enrolled AIS/TIA patients with LAA receiving clopidogrel. We assessed the association of P2Y12 reaction units (PRU) 24 hours after initiation of antiplatelets with the CYP2C19 genotype and recurrent ischemic stroke within 90 days, and the difference between acute (≤ 7 days) and subacute (8-90 days) phases., Results: Among the 230 AIS/TIA patients enrolled, 225 with complete outcome data and 194 with genetic results were analyzed. A higher PRU was significantly associated with recurrent ischemic stroke within 90 days (frequency, 16%), and within 7 days (10%). Twenty-nine patients (15%) belonged to a CYP2C19 poor metabolizer group (CYP2C19 ＊ 2/ ＊ 2, ＊ 2/ ＊ 3, or ＊ 3/ ＊ 3). Multivariable receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed a greater area-under-the-curve (AUC) in predicting recurrence within 7 days, compared to 8-90 days (AUC, 0.79 versus 0.64; p=0.07), with a cut-off PRU of 254. Multivariable analysis showed high PRU (≥ 254), which had a comparable predictive performance for recurrent ischemic stroke within 7 days (odds ratio, 6.82; 95% CI, 2.23-20.9; p＜0.001) to the CYP2C19 poor metabolizer genotype. The net reclassification improvement, calculated by adding high PRU (≥ 254) to a model including the CYP2C19 poor metabolizer genotype in the prediction of recurrence within 7 days, was 0.83 (p＜0.001)., Conclusions: Acute PRU evaluation possesses predictive value for recurrent ischemic stroke, especially within 7 days in AIS/TIA with LAA.

Background: Quality indicators (QIs) are an accepted tool for measuring a hospital's performance in routine care. We examined national trends in adherence to the QIs developed by the Close The Gap-Stroke program by combining data from the health insurance claims database and electronic medical records, and the association between adherence to these QIs and early outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke in Japan., Methods: In the present study, patients with acute ischemic stroke who received acute reperfusion therapy in 351 Close The Gap-Stroke-participating hospitals were analyzed retrospectively. The primary outcomes were changes in trends for adherence to the defined QIs by difference-in-difference analysis and the effects of adherence to distinct QIs on in-hospital outcomes at the individual level. A mixed logistic regression model was adjusted for patient and hospital characteristics (eg, age, sex, number of beds) and hospital units as random effects., Results: Between 2013 and 2017, 21 651 patients (median age, 77 years; 43.0% female) were assessed. Of the 25 defined measures, marked and sustainable improvement in the adherence rates was observed for door-to-needle time, door-to-puncture time, proper use of endovascular thrombectomy, and successful revascularization. The in-hospital mortality rate was 11.6%. Adherence to 14 QIs lowered the odds of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [95% CI], door-to-needle <60 min, 0.80 [0.69-0.93], door-to-puncture <90 min, 0.80 [0.67-0.96], successful revascularization, 0.40 [0.34-0.48]), and adherence to 11 QIs increased the odds of functional independence (modified Rankin Scale score 0-2) at discharge., Conclusions: We demonstrated national marked and sustainable improvement in adherence to door-to-needle time, door-to-puncture time, and successful reperfusion from 2013 to 2017 in Japan in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Adhering to the key QIs substantially affected in-hospital outcomes, underlining the importance of monitoring the quality of care using evidence-based QIs and the nationwide Close The Gap-Stroke program.

Background: Current guidelines equally recommend direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and warfarin for atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with a bioprosthetic valve (BPV); however, there are limited data comparing DOACs and warfarin in AF patients with an aortic BPV., Methods and results: This post-hoc subgroup analysis of a multicenter, prospective, observational registry (BPV-AF Registry) aimed to compare DOACs and warfarin in AF patients with an aortic BPV. The primary outcome was a composite of stroke, systemic embolism, major bleeding, heart failure requiring hospitalization, all-cause death, or BPV reoperation. The analysis included 479 patients (warfarin group, n=258; DOAC group, n=221). Surgical aortic valve replacement was performed in 74.4% and 36.7% of patients in the warfarin and DOAC groups, respectively. During a mean follow up of 15.5 months, the primary outcome occurred in 45 (17.4%) and 32 (14.5%) patients in the warfarin and DOAC groups, respectively. No significant difference was found in the primary outcome between the 2 groups (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.88, 95% confidence interval: 0.51-1.50). No significant multiplicative interaction was observed between the anticoagulant effects and type of aortic valve procedure (P=0.577)., Conclusions: Among AF patients with an aortic BPV, no significant difference was observed in the composite outcome of adverse clinical events between patients treated with warfarin and those treated with DOACs, suggesting that DOACs can be used as alternatives to warfarin in these patients.

Objective: Motivated by the challenges raised by diagnosing poststroke epilepsy (PSE), especially in nonmotor onset seizure (non-MOS), we aimed to investigate the features of non-MOS, including seizure sequences, patient characteristics, and electrophysiological and imaging findings in PSE., Methods: This observational cohort study enrolled patients with PSE whose seizure onset was witnessed. According to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) 2017 seizure classification, we classified seizure-onset symptoms into the non-MOS and MOS groups. We compared the different clinical characteristics between the two groups., Results: Between 2011 and 2018, we enrolled 225 patients with PSE (median age, 75 years), consisting of 97 (43%) with non-MOS and 128 (57%) with MOS. Overall, 65 (67%) of the patients without MOS had no subsequent convulsions. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed significant associations of non-MOS with absence of poststroke hemiparesis (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-3.42), frontal stroke lobe lesions (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.14-3.91), and putaminal stroke lesions (OR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.22-5.18) as negative indicators. Postictal single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) detected prolonged hyperperfusion in the temporal lobe more frequently in the non-MOS than in the MOS group (48% vs 31%; p = .02). The detection rate was higher than spikes/sharp waves in scalp electroencephalography, both in the non-MOS group (72% vs 33%; p < .001) and the MOS group (68% vs 29%; p < .001)., Significance: This study provides the clinical features of non-MOS in patients with PSE. Compared with the patients with MOS, patients with non-MOS showed less likely subsequent convulsive seizures, highlighting the clinical challenges. Postictal perfusion imaging and negative indicators of the non-MOS type may help diagnose and stratify PSE., (© 2022 International League Against Epilepsy.)

Background and Objectives: The functional outcome and mortality of patients with poststroke epilepsy (PSE) have not been assessed in a prospective study. Previous reports have suggested that patients with PSE may suffer from prolonged functional deterioration after a seizure. In this study, we prospectively investigated the functional outcome and mortality of patients with PSE and analyzed the effect of seizure recurrence on the outcomes., Methods: This is part of the Prognosis of Post-Stroke Epilepsy study, a multicenter, prospective observational cohort study, where 392 patients with PSE (at least 1 unprovoked seizure more than 7 days after the onset of the last symptomatic stroke) were followed for at least 1 year at 8 hospitals in Japan. This study included only PSE patients with a first-ever seizure and assessed their functional decline and mortality at 1 year. Functional decline was defined as an increase in modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 1 year compared with baseline, excluding death. The associations between the seizure recurrence and the outcomes were analyzed statistically., Results: A total of 211 patients (median age of 75 years; median mRS score of 3) were identified. At 1 year, 50 patients (23.7%) experienced seizure recurrence. Regarding outcomes, 25 patients (11.8%) demonstrated functional decline and 20 (9.5%) had died. Most patients died of pneumonia or cardiac disease (7 patients each), and no known causes of death were directly related to recurrent seizures. Seizure recurrence was significantly associated with functional decline (odds ratio [OR] 2.96, 95% CI 1.25-7.03, p = 0.01), even after adjusting for potential confounders (adjusted OR 3.26, 95% CI 1.27-8.36, p = 0.01), but not with mortality (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.25-2.48, p = 0.68). Moreover, there was a significant trend where patients with more recurrent seizures were more likely to have functional decline (8.7%, 20.6%, and 28.6% in none, 1, and 2 or more recurrent seizures, respectively; p = 0.006)., Discussion: One-year functional outcome and mortality of patients with PSE were poor. Seizure recurrence was significantly associated with functional outcome, but not with mortality. Further studies are needed to ascertain whether early and adequate antiseizure treatment can prevent the functional deterioration of patients with PSE., (© 2022 American Academy of Neurology.)

To determine whether increasing thrombectomy-capable hospitals with moderate comprehensive stroke center (CSC) capabilities is a valid alternative to centralization of those with high CSC capabilities. This retrospective, nationwide, observational study used data from the J-ASPECT database linked to national emergency medical service (EMS) records, captured during 2013-2016. We compared the influence of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) use, the CSC score, and the total EMS response time on the modified Rankin Scale score at discharge among patients with acute ischemic stroke transported by ambulance, in phases I (2013-2014, 1461 patients) and II (2015-2016, 3259 patients). We used ordinal logistic regression analyses to analyze outcomes. From phase I to II, MTs increased from 2.7 to 5.5%, and full-time endovascular physicians per hospital decreased. The CSC score and EMS response time remained unchanged. In phase I, higher CSC scores were associated with better outcomes (1-point increase, odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.951 [0.915-0.989]) and longer EMS response time was associated with worse outcomes (1-min increase, 1.007 [1.001-1.013]). In phase II, neither influenced the outcomes. During the transitional shortage of thrombectomy-capable hospitals, increasing hospitals with moderate CSC scores may increase nationwide access to MT, improving outcomes., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Although bioprosthetic valve (BPV) replacements are becoming more common within our aging society, there are limited prospective data on the appropriate antithrombotic therapy for East Asian patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and BPV replacement. Antithrombotic therapy and thrombotic and hemorrhagic event rates in Japanese patients with AF and BPV replacement are investigated., Methods and results: This multicenter, prospective, observational study enrolled patients with BPV replacement and AF. The primary efficacy outcome was stroke or systemic embolism, and the primary safety outcome was major bleeding. Of the 894 patients analyzed, 54.7%, 29.4%, and 9.6%, were treated with warfarin-based therapy, direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC)-based therapy, or antiplatelet therapy without anticoagulants, respectively; 6.3% did not receive any antithrombotic drugs. The mean observation period was 15.3±4.0 months. The event rates for stroke or systemic embolism and major bleeding were 1.95%/year and 1.86%/year, respectively. The multivariate adjusted hazard ratios for DOAC vs. warfarin were 1.02 (95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.30-3.41 [P=0.979]) for systemic embolic events and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.29-3.16 [P=0.945]) for major bleeding., Conclusions: Approximately 30% of patients with AF and BPV replacement were treated with DOAC. The risks of major bleeding and stroke or systemic embolism were similar between warfarin- and DOAC-treated patients with AF who had BPV replacement. Treatment with DOACs could be an alternative to warfarin in this population.

Background: The additional effects of single-antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) on anticoagulant therapy are still unclear in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after bioprosthetic valve replacement., Methods and results: We conducted a subanalysis of a multicenter, retrospective, observational registry of patients with bioprosthetic valves and AF in Japan. Patients administered anticoagulants alone comprised the ACA group (n=107), and patients given concomitant SAPT and anticoagulant therapy comprised the On SAPT group (n=82). The primary efficacy endpoint was the incidence of stroke/systemic embolism, and the primary safety endpoint was the incidence of major bleeding. The observation period was 46.3±24.6 months. The primary efficacy endpoint occurred in 12 patients, and the cumulative incidence of primary efficacy events was significantly higher in the ACA group compared with the On SAPT group (P=0.039). The primary safety endpoint occurred in 22 patients, and the cumulative incidence of primary safety events was similar between groups (P=0.66). No differences between the groups were observed for cardiac events., Conclusions: Additional SAPT on anticoagulant therapy in patients with bioprosthetic valves and AF was associated with a reduction in stroke/systemic embolic events, although the cumulative incidence of bleeding was similar, regardless of additional SAPT. These findings suggest that additional SAPT on anticoagulant therapy may be safe and effective in real-world clinical settings.

In recent years, over 5 million stroke cases in the United States and Europe have been registered in the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get with the Guideline Stroke database. In the United States and Europe, studies on the extent to which standard treatment is provided for each disease(process indicators)are increasingly being conducted. In this paper, we discuss examples of the use of big data in neurosurgical diseases and its application and future prospects, while focusing on the contents of the presentation conducted at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Japanese Neurosurgical Association.

Background: The degree of association between mortality and case volume/physician volume is well known for many surgical procedures and medical conditions. However, the link between physician volume and death rate in patients hospitalized for stroke remains unclear. This study analyzed the correlation between in-hospital stroke mortality and physician volume per hospital, considering board certification status., Methods and results: For this retrospective registry-based cohort study, data were obtained from the Japanese nationwide registry on patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) between 2010 and 2016. The number of stroke care physicians and relevant board-certified physicians was also obtained. Odd ratios (ORs) of 30-day in-hospital mortality were estimated after adjusting for institutional and patient differences using generalized mixed logistic regression. From 295,150 (ischemic stroke), 98,657 (ICH), and 36,174 (SAH) patients, 30-day in-hospital mortality rates were 4.4%, 16.0%, and 26.6%, respectively. There was a correlation between case volume and physician volume. A higher number of stroke care physicians was associated with a reduction in 30-day mortality after adjusting for stroke case volume and comorbidities for all stroke types (all P for trend<0.05)., Conclusions: An increased number of stroke care physicians was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality for all types of stroke. The volume threshold of board-certified physicians depends on the specialty and stroke type.

Although B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has gradually gained recognition as an indicator in risk stratification for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the prognostic impact on long-term clinical outcomes in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) without creatine kinase (CK) elevation remains unclear.This prospective multicenter study assessed 3,283 consecutive patients with AMI admitted to 28 institutions in Japan between 2012 and 2014. We analyzed 218 patients with NSTEMI without CK elevation (NSTEMI-CK) for whom BNP was available. In the NSTEMI-CK group, patients were assigned to high- and low-BNP groups according to BNP values (cut-off BNP, 100 pg/mL). The primary endpoint was defined as a composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, cardiac failure, and urgent revascularization for unstable angina up to 3 years. Primary endpoints were observed in 60 (33.3%) events among patients with NSTEMI-CK. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significantly higher event rate for primary endpoints among patients with high BNP (log-rank P < 0.001). After adjusting for covariates, a higher BNP level was significantly associated with long-term clinical outcomes in NSTEMI-CK (adjusted hazard ratio, 4.86; 95% confidence interval, 2.18-12.44; P < 0.001).The BNP concentration is associated with adverse long-term clinical outcomes among patients with NSTEMI-CK who are considered low risk. Careful clinical management may be warranted for secondary prevention in patients with NSTEMI-CK with high BNP levels.

Objectives: Comprehensive stroke centre (CSC) capabilities are associated with reduced in-hospital mortality due to acute stroke. However, it remains unclear whether there are improving trends in the CSC capabilities or how hospital-related factors determine quality improvement. This study examined whether CSC capabilities changed in Japan between 2010 and 2018 and and whether any changes were influenced by hospital characteristics., Design: A hospital-based cross-sectional study., Setting: We sent out questionnaires to the training institutions of the Japan Neurosurgical Society and Japan Stroke Society in 2010, 2014 and 2018., Participants: 749 hospitals in 2010, 532 hospitals in 2014 and 786 hospitals in 2018 participated in the J-ASPECT study, a nationwide survey of acute stroke care capacity for proper designation of a comprehensive stroke centre in Japan., Main Outcome Measures: CSC capabilities were assessed using the validated scoring system (CSC score: 1-25 points) in 2010, 2014 and 2018 survey. The effect of hospital characteristics was examined using multiple logistic regression analysis., Results: Among the 323 hospitals that responded to all surveys, the implementation of 13 recommended items increased. The CSC score (median and IQR) was 16 (13-19), 18 (14-20) and 19 (15-21) for 2010, 2014 and 2018, respectively (p<0.001). There was a ≥20% increase in six items (eg, endovascular physicians, stroke unit and interventional coverage 24/7), and a ≤20% decrease in community education. A lower baseline CSC score (OR: 0.82, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.9), the number of beds≥500 (OR: 3.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 13.0) and the number of stroke physicians (7-9) (OR: 2.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 6.3) were associated with improved CSC capabilities, independent of geographical location., Conclusions: There was a significant improvement in CSC capabilities between 2010 and 2018, which was mainly related to the availability of endovascular treatment and multidisciplinary care. Our findings may be useful to determine which hospitals should be targeted to improve CSC capabilities in a defined area., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Despite a higher risk of ischemic stroke in hospitalized patients with acute heart failure (HF), little is known about the risk of ischemic stroke during the post-discharge phases of HF. Here we investigated (1) the ischemic stroke incidence rate during the post-discharge phases among HF patients receiving standard treatments; (2) the association between ischemic stroke incidence and clinical background, including cardiac structure and function. Among 950 patients who required hospitalization for HF (median duration: 19 days) at our institution, where they received standard treatments, we investigated stroke occurrences during the 2-year period following their discharge and retrospectively evaluated their clinical data. Relative wall thickness (RWT) and left ventricular (LV) mass were determined based on echocardiographic measurements and then used to determine LV geometric patterns. During the follow-up period, ischemic stroke occurred in 25 patients (2.6%) after hospital discharge (1.4 per 100 patient-years). The incidence rate of IS tended to be higher in patients with AF than those without AF (1.8 vs. 1.0 per 100 patient-years, respectively). Notably, multivariate analysis revealed a significant association between RWT and ischemic stroke risk (p < 0.05). RWT was associated with ischemic stroke risk in patients with AF or left atrial enlargement, but not in patients without them. These findings suggest that even with standard HF treatments, the risk of ischemic stroke is high in patients with HF. Moreover, LV concentric geometry is a significant risk factor for ischemic stroke in patients with HF, especially in those with left atrial remodeling and/or AF.

Objective: Improved outcomes in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) treated at high-volume centers have been reported. The authors sought to examine whether hospital case volume and comprehensive stroke center (CSC) capabilities affect outcomes in patients treated with clipping or coiling for SAH., Methods: The authors conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study in 27,490 SAH patients who underwent clipping or coiling in 621 institutions between 2010 and 2015 and whose data were collected from the Japanese nationwide J-ASPECT Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. The CSC capabilities of each hospital were assessed by use of a validated scoring system based on answers to a previously reported 25-item questionnaire (CSC score 1-25 points). Hospitals were classified into quartiles based on CSC scores and case volumes of clipping or coiling for SAH., Results: Overall, the absolute risk reductions associated with high versus low case volumes and high versus low CSC scores were relatively small. Nevertheless, in patients who underwent clipping, a high case volume (> 14 cases/yr) was significantly associated with reduced in-hospital mortality (Q1 as control, Q4 OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.55-0.90) but not with short-term poor outcome. In patients who underwent coiling, a high case volume (> 9 cases/yr) was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality (Q4 OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.53-0.90) and short-term poor outcomes (Q3 [> 5 cases/yr] OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.59-0.96 vs Q4 OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.51-0.82). A high CSC score (> 19 points) was significantly associated with reduced in-hospital mortality for clipping (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.54-0.86) but not coiling treatment. There was no association between CSC capabilities and short-term poor outcomes., Conclusions: The effects of case volume and CSC capabilities on in-hospital mortality and short-term functional outcomes in SAH patients differed between patients undergoing clipping and those undergoing coiling. In the modern endovascular era, better outcomes of clipping may be achieved in facilities with high CSC capabilities.

Background: We aimed to develop quality indicators (QIs) related to primary and comprehensive stroke care and examine the feasibility of their measurement using the existing Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) database. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a systematic review of domestic and international studies using the modified Delphi method. Feasibility of measuring the QI adherence rates was examined using a DPC-based nationwide stroke database (396,350 patients admitted during 2013-2015 to 558 hospitals participating in the J-ASPECT study). Associations between adherence rates of these QIs and hospital characteristics were analyzed using hierarchical logistic regression analysis. We developed 17 and 12 measures as QIs for primary and comprehensive stroke care, respectively. We found that measurement of the adherence rates of the developed QIs using the existing DPC database was feasible for the 6 QIs (primary stroke care: early and discharge antithrombotic drugs, mean 54.6% and 58.7%; discharge anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, 64.4%; discharge antihypertensive agents, 51.7%; comprehensive stroke care: fasudil hydrochloride or ozagrel sodium for vasospasm prevention, 86.9%; death complications of diagnostic neuroangiography, 0.4%). We found wide inter-hospital variation in QI adherence rates based on hospital characteristics., Conclusions: We developed QIs for primary and comprehensive stroke care. The DPC database may allow efficient data collection at low cost and decreased burden to evaluate the developed QIs.

Robot-assisted gait training following acute stroke could allow patients with severe disability to receive a high dosage and intensity of gait training compared with conventional physical therapy (CP). However, given the limited data on gauging the efficacy of Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) on gait training in patients with acute stroke, we aimed to evaluate several outcome measures following gait training with HAL. Patients with first-ever stroke, who required a walking aid and were able to start gait training within 1 week of stroke onset were included in the current study. Patients were assigned to either the CP or HAL group. Outcome measures were collected at baseline, and at the 2nd (at 2-6 weeks), and 3rd (at 3-5 months) assessments. All patients underwent physical therapy until the 3rd assessment; patients in the HAL group underwent gait training using HAL until the 2nd assessment. Thirty-seven patients (19 from CP and 18 from HAL, median age = 69 years) completed the study. At the 2nd assessment, the total Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score was higher in the HAL group than in the CP group (90.1 vs. 79.0, p = 0.042). In conclusion, the FIM scale could be used to identify responsiveness to acute stroke rehabilitation using HAL., (Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Advancing school-based education is a promising means to spread knowledge pertaining to stroke. The aim of the current study was to clarify whether stroke lessons provided by schoolteachers could deliver stroke knowledge to children (aged 9-11 years) and their parents, at a similar level to when taught by medical staff., Methods: Schoolteachers conducted lessons on stroke for school children using the educational materials we prepared (i.e., the teacher group; 1051 children and 719 parents). This was compared with our previous data from Akashi city and Tochigi prefecture, in which the stroke lessons were conducted by medical staff (i.e., the medical group; 1031 children and 756 parents). Three campaigns were conducted between September 2014 and May 2016. Each child was given education materials to take home to discuss stroke with their parents. The children and their parents answered questionnaires on stroke knowledge, at baseline, immediately after the lesson, and at 3 months after the lesson., Results: Compared with the time point before the lesson, both children and parents instructed by the teacher group showed significant increases in the scores about stroke symptoms and risk factors, immediately and at 3 months after the lesson (P < .001). The combined analysis for the group instructed by medical personnel showed no significant differences in the stroke knowledge scores between the 2 groups at 3 months., Conclusions: Teacher-led lessons, using our educational material, adequately delivered knowledge of stroke to children and parents, in a manner that was similar to when medical staff delivered this information., (Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: The incidence of heart failure increases the subsequent risk of ischemic stroke, and its risk could be higher in the short-term period after an acute heart failure (AHF) event. However, its determinants remain to be clarified. Plasma D-dimer level reflects fibrin turnover and exhibits unique properties as a biomarker of thrombosis. The aim of this study is to investigate whether D-dimer level is a determinant of short-term incidence of ischemic stroke in patients with AHF., Methods: We examined 721 consecutive hospitalized AHF patients with plasma D-dimer level on admission from our prospective registry between January 2013 and May 2016. The study end points were incidence of ischemic stroke during hospitalization and at 30 days after admission., Results: Of the total participants (mean age, 76 years; male, 60%; atrial fibrillation, 54%; mean left ventricular ejection fraction, 38%), in-hospital ischemic stroke occurred in 18 patients (2.5%) during a median hospitalization period of 21 days, and 30-day ischemic stroke occurred in 16 patients (2.2%). Higher D-dimer level on admission was an independent determinant of subsequent risk of in-hospital ischemic stroke even after adjustment by CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score (odds ratio, 2.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.46-3.60; P <0.001) or major confounders, including age, atrial fibrillation, and antithrombotic therapy (odds ratio, 2.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.43-3.74; P <0.001). Subgroup analyses showed consistent findings in patients without atrial fibrillation (odds ratio, 2.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.39-4.54; P =0.002) and those without antithrombotic therapy (odds ratio, 2.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.53-5.57; P <0.001). Similar results were obtained for 30-day ischemic stroke as an alternative outcome., Conclusions: Elevated plasma D-dimer level on admission was significantly associated with increased incidence of ischemic stroke shortly after admission for AHF, suggesting a predictive role of D-dimer for short-term ischemic stroke events in patients with AHF., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm. Unique identifier: UMIN000017024., (© 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Objective: Stroke lessons for youth provided by emergency medical technicians (EMTs) may be an effective strategy to facilitate early intervention for patients with stroke. The aim of this study was to examine how effective EMT-led lessons on stroke awareness for schoolchildren were at disseminating stroke information., Setting, Participants and Outcome Measures: The study was performed in the city of Akashi, Hyogo, Japan (Akashi project). Children (aged 9-10 years old) at 11 public elementary schools and their parents were enrolled in this study. EMTs from the firefighting headquarters provided lessons on stroke to the children using our educational materials between September 2014 and October 2015. Each child was given our educational materials to take home and discuss stroke with their parents. The children and their parents answered questionnaires on stroke knowledge before, immediately and at 3 months after the lesson., Results: A total of 763 children and 489 parents were enrolled (ie, 64% of children). The scores of either stroke symptoms or risk factors were significantly higher immediately and at 3 months after the lesson, compared with before the lesson, both in children and the parents (p<0.01). Compared with the baseline in both groups (58% in children, 83% in parents), the meaning of the FAST mnemonic at 3 months (88%, 94%), as well as at immediately after the lesson (90%, 89%), was significantly higher (p<0.001)., Conclusion: Stroke education by EMTs was effective in increasing stroke awareness in elementary school children, as well as their parents., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Aims: Lifetime risk (LTR) is defined as the cumulative probability of developing a disease in one's remaining lifetime from a given index age. The impact of diabetes on the LTR of stroke events in Asians, where stroke incidence is higher than for Westerners, has not been estimated yet. These estimates can be useful for diabetes knowledge translation activities., Methods: All participants who were stroke-free at baseline in the Suita Study, a cohort study of cardiovascular diseases in Japan, were included in the study sample. Age, in years, was used as the time-scale. Age-specific incidence rates were calculated using the person-years method within five-year bands. We estimated the sex- and index-age-specific LTR of first-ever stroke accounting for the competing risk of death., Results: In this cohort study, we followed 5515 participants from 1989 to 2007 for 71,374.23 person-years. At age 40, the LTRs, adjusted for competing risk of death, for all strokes were 15.98% for men without diabetes and 26.64% for men with diabetes. The LTR for stroke was 10.66% higher for men with diabetes than men without diabetes. For women of same index age, the LTR of stroke was 17.29% and 30.72% with diabetes and without diabetes, respectively. The difference in LTR between persons with diabetes and without diabetes was 13.43%. This increased LTR of strokes for persons with diabetes was observed among both men and women across all index ages. Similar results were observed for cerebral infarction stroke subtype., Conclusions: In this urban community-based population we observed that diabetes has a significant effect on the residual LTR of stroke for both men and women of middle age. This knowledge can be used to inform public health education and planning., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although the Brain Attack Coalition recommended establishing centers of comprehensive care for stroke and cerebrovascular disease patients, a scoring system for such centers was lacking. We created and validated a comprehensive stroke center (CSC) score, adapted to Japanese circumstances., Methods: Of the selected 1369 certified training institutions in Japan, 749 completed an acute stroke care capabilities survey. Hospital performance was determined using a 25-item score, evaluating 5 subcategories: personnel, diagnostic techniques, specific expertise, infrastructure, and education. Consistency and validity were examined using correlation coefficients and factorial analysis., Results: The CSC score (median, 14; interquartile range, 11-18) varied according to hospital volume. The five subcategories showed moderate consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.765). A strong correlation existed between types of available personnel and specific expertise. Using the 2011 Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database for patients hospitalized with stroke, four constructs were identified by factorial analysis (neurovascular surgery and intervention, vascular neurology, diagnostic neuroradiology, and neurocritical care and rehabilitation) that affected in-hospital mortality from ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The total CSC score was related to in-hospital mortality from ischemic stroke (odds ratio [OR], 0.973; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.958-0.989), intracerebral hemorrhage (OR, 0.970; 95% CI, 0.950-0.990), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (OR, 0.951; 95% CI, 0.925-0.977), with varying contributions from the four constructs., Conclusions: The CSC score is a valid measure for assessing CSC capabilities, based on the availability of neurovascular surgery and intervention, vascular neurology, diagnostic neuroradiology, and critical care and rehabilitation services.

Background: School-based intervention would be promising to spread stroke knowledge widely. This study aimed to clarify the effectiveness of our new educational aids that were developed for elementary school children to impart information about stroke to children and their parents in 2 different ways: with or without stroke lessons by a neurologist., Methods: We enrolled 562 children (aged 11 to 12 years) and their parents (n = 485). The students were divided into 2 groups: 323 received a lesson on stroke by a stroke neurologist without watching an animated cartoon (Group I), and 239 watched an animated cartoon without the lesson (Group II). All of the children took the manga home, and talked about stroke with their parents. Questionnaires on stroke knowledge were administered at baseline (BL), immediately after the lesson (IL), and 3 months (3M) after the lesson., Results: There were significant increases in the adjusted mean scores for risk factors as well as stroke symptoms at 3M in both groups compared with BL scores, although the children in Group I scored significantly better than those in Group II at IL and 3M (P < .05). In both children and parents, the correct answer rates of the FAST mnemonic at 3M were around 90%, with no significant differences between groups., Conclusions: Stroke education for elementary school children using our educational aids provided knowledge of stroke symptoms to the children as well as their parents even without lessons on stroke, although a better understanding of stroke was obtained from lessons led by stroke neurologists., (Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The management, analysis, and integration of Big Data have received increasing attention in healthcare research as well as in medical bioinformatics. The J-ASPECT study is the first nationwide survey in Japan on the real-world setting of stroke care using data obtained from the diagnosis procedure combination-based payment system. The J-ASPECT study demonstrated a significant association between comprehensive stroke care (CSC) capacity and the hospital volume of stroke interventions in Japan; further, it showed that CSC capabilities were associated with reduced in-hospital mortality rates. Our study aims to create new evidence and insight from 'real world' neurosurgical practice and stroke care in Japan using Big Data. The final aim of this study is to develop effective methods to bridge the evidence-practice gap in acute stroke healthcare. In this study, the authors describe the status and future perspectives of the development of a new method of stroke registry as a powerful tool for acute stroke care research.

Background: The lifetime risk (LTR) articulates the probability of disease in the residual lifetime for an index age. These estimates can be useful for general audience-targeted knowledge translation activities against hypertension. There are only a few reports on lifetime of impact of hypertension on stroke events in Asians in whom stroke incidence is higher than Westerners., Methods: The Suita Study, a cohort study of cardiovascular diseases in Japan, was established in 1989. We included all participants who were stroke free at baseline. Age (in years) was used as the time scale. Age-specific incidence rates were calculated with person-year method within 10-year bands. We estimated the sex and index-age specific LTR of first-ever stroke with taking the competing risk of death into account., Results: We followed 5783 men and women during 1989-2007 for 74 933 person-years. During the follow-up period, 276 (149 men and 127 women) participants had incident stroke. Of them, majority were cerebral infarction; 166 (102 men and 64 women). The LTR of stroke, accounted for competing risk of death, at 45 years of age for men without hypertension was 17.21% and it was 32.79% for hypertensive men. Among the hypertensive patients, participants with stage 2 or greater hypertension had higher LTR of stroke than the participants with stage 1 hypertension. This increased LTR of stroke for hypertensive patients were also observed among women and across all index ages for stroke., Conclusion: In this urban community-based population, we observed that hypertension has significant effect on the residual LTR of stroke among both men and women of middle age, specifically for ischemic stroke.

Background and Purpose: Educating the youth about stroke is a promising approach for spreading stroke knowledge. The aim of this study was to verify communication of stroke knowledge to parents by educating junior high school students about stroke., Methods: We enrolled 1127 junior high school students (age, 13-15 years) and their parents in the Tochigi prefecture, Japan. All students received a stroke lesson, watched an animated cartoon, and read the related Manga comic as educational aids. The students took back home the Manga and discussed what they learned with their parents. Questionnaires on stroke knowledge were given to all at baseline and immediately after the lesson., Results: A total of 1125 students and 915 parents answered the questionnaires. In the students, the frequency of correct answers increased significantly for all questions on stroke symptoms except for headache, and for all questions on risk factors after the lesson. In the parents, the correct answer rates increased for stroke symptoms except for headache and numbness in one side of the body, and for all questions on risk factors except for hypertension. Ninety-one percent of students and 92.7% of parents correctly understood the Face, Arm, Speech, and Time (FAST) mnemonic after the lesson., Conclusions: Improvement of stroke knowledge immediately after the stroke lesson was observed in parents as well as their children, which indicated that our teaching materials using the Manga was effective in delivering the stroke knowledge to parents through their children., (© 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: Blood pressure (BP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) are risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) and ischemic stroke. However, the hazards of their coexistence are not fully understood in Asian populations. We investigated whether the relationship between BP and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes are modified by LDL-C level in a Japanese population., Methods: Individuals aged 30-79 years (n = 5,151) were classified into 6 groups according to LDL-C levels (<140 and ≥140mg/dL or lipid medication) and BP levels (optimal BP, prehypertension, and hypertension; reference: low LDL-C and optimal BP). Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated after adjusting for age, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, diabetes, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. The effect modification of LDL-C on BP-CVD association was assessed using likelihood ratio tests., Results: There were 264 CAD and 215 ischemic stroke events during 13 years of follow-up. With low LDL-C, the HRs of prehypertension and hypertension for CAD were 2.01 and 4.71, respectively. Similar trends of HRs were observed with high LDL-C (optimal BP = 2.09, prehypertension = 3.45, hypertension = 5.94). However, the HRs for ischemic stroke did not differ between normal and high LDL-C levels at the same BP level. The apparent effect modification of LDL-C was not observed in the BP-CVD association in either CAD (P = 0.48) or ischemic stroke (P = 0.39)., Conclusions: The HRs for CAD in prehypertensive and hypertensive groups were higher than those in the optimal BP group at the same LDL-C levels in a Japanese population; however, there was no statistical effect modification of LDL-C on the BP-CAD association., (© American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd 2014. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Poor outcomes have been reported for stroke patients admitted outside of regular working hours. However, few studies have adjusted for case severity. In this nationwide assessment, we examined relationships between hospital admission time and disabilities at discharge while considering case severity., Methods and Results: We analyzed 35 685 acute stroke patients admitted to 262 hospitals between April 2010 and May 2011 for ischemic stroke (IS), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), or subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The proportion of disabilities/death at discharge as measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was quantified. We constructed 2 hierarchical logistic regression models to estimate the effect of admission time, one adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, and number of beds; and the second adjusted for the effect of consciousness levels and the above variables at admission. The percentage of severe disabilities/death at discharge increased for patients admitted outside of regular hours (22.8%, 27.2%, and 28.2% for working-hour, off-hour, and nighttime; P<0.001). These tendencies were significant in the bivariate and multivariable models without adjusting for consciousness level. However, the effects of off-hour or nighttime admissions were negated when adjusted for consciousness levels at admission (adjusted OR, 1.00 and 0.99; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.13 and 0.89 to 1.10; P=0.067 and 0.851 for off-hour and nighttime, respectively, versus working-hour). The same trend was observed when each stroke subtype was stratified., Conclusions: The well-known off-hour effect might be attributed to the severely ill patient population. Thus, sustained stroke care that is sufficient to treat severely ill patients during off-hours is important., (© 2014 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.)

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether our stroke education system can help junior high school students acquire stroke knowledge when performed by a schoolteacher., Methods: A stroke neurologist gave a stroke lesson to 25 students (S group) and a schoolteacher through our stroke education system. After instruction, the schoolteacher performed the same lesson using the same education system to another 75 students (T group). Questionnaires on stroke knowledge were examined at baseline, immediately after the lesson (IL), and at 3 months after the lesson (3M). We analyzed the results of stroke knowledge assessment by linear mixed effects models adjusted for gender and class difference using the student number., Results: We assessed 24 students in the S group and 72 students in the T group. There were no significant differences in the changes of predicted scores of symptoms and risk factors adjusted for gender, class difference, and each student knowledge level until 3M between the 2 groups. Correct answer rates for the meaning of the FAST (facial droop, arm weakness, speech disturbance, time to call 119) at IL were 92% in the S group and 72% in the T group, respectively. At 3M, they were 83% in the S group and 84% in the T group. The correct answer rates of FAST at 3M were not significantly different adjusted for group, gender, class difference, and correct answer rate at IL., Conclusions: A schoolteacher can conduct the FAST message lesson to junior high school students with a similar outcome as a stroke neurologist using our stroke education system., (Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The effectiveness of comprehensive stroke center (CSC) capabilities on stroke mortality remains uncertain. We performed a nationwide study to examine whether CSC capabilities influenced in-hospital mortality of patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke., Methods and Results: Of the 1,369 certified training institutions in Japan, 749 hospitals responded to a questionnaire survey regarding CSC capabilities that queried the availability of personnel, diagnostic techniques, specific expertise, infrastructure, and educational components recommended for CSCs. Among the institutions that responded, data on patients hospitalized for stroke between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011 were obtained from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. In-hospital mortality was analyzed using hierarchical logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, level of consciousness on admission, comorbidities, and the number of fulfilled CSC items in each component and in total. Data from 265 institutions and 53,170 emergency-hospitalized patients were analyzed. Mortality rates were 7.8% for patients with ischemic stroke, 16.8% for patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and 28.1% for patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Mortality adjusted for age, sex, and level of consciousness was significantly correlated with personnel, infrastructural, educational, and total CSC scores in patients with ischemic stroke. Mortality was significantly correlated with diagnostic, educational, and total CSC scores in patients with ICH and with specific expertise, infrastructural, educational, and total CSC scores in patients with SAH., Conclusions: CSC capabilities were associated with reduced in-hospital mortality rates, and relevant aspects of care were found to be dependent on stroke type.

Background: Burnout is common among physicians and affects the quality of care. We aimed to determine the prevalence of burnout among Japanese physicians working in stroke care and evaluate personal and professional characteristics associated with burnout., Methods and Results: A cross-sectional design was used to develop and distribute a survey to 11 211 physicians. Physician burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey. The predictors of burnout and the relationships among them were identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis. A total of 2724 (25.3%) physicians returned the surveys. After excluding those who were not working in stroke care or did not complete the survey appropriately, 2564 surveys were analyzed. Analysis of the participants' scores revealed that 41.1% were burned out. Multivariable analysis indicated that number of hours worked per week is positively associated with burnout. Hours slept per night, day-offs per week, years of experience, as well as income, are inversely associated with burnout. Short Form 36 mental health subscale was also inversely associated with burnout., Conclusions: The primary risk factors for burnout are heavy workload, short sleep duration, relatively little experience, and low mental quality of life. Prospective research is required to confirm these findings and develop programs for preventing burnout., (© 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: The association between comprehensive stroke care capacity and hospital volume of stroke interventions remains uncertain. We performed a nationwide survey in Japan to examine the impact of comprehensive stroke care capacity on the hospital volume of stroke interventions., Methods: A questionnaire on hospital characteristics, having tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) protocols, and 25 items regarding personnel, diagnostic, specific expertise, infrastructure, and educational components recommended for comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs) was sent to 1369 professional training institutions. We examined the effect of hospital characteristics, having a t-PA protocol, and the number of fulfilled CSC items (total CSC score) on the hospital volume of t-PA infusion, removal of intracerebral hemorrhage, and coiling and clipping of intracranial aneurysms performed in 2009., Results: Approximately 55% of hospitals responded to the survey. Facilities with t-PA protocols (85%) had a significantly higher likelihood of having 23 CSC items, for example, personnel (eg, neurosurgeons: 97.3% versus 66.1% and neurologists: 51.3% versus 27.7%), diagnostic (eg, digital cerebral angiography: 87.4% versus 43.2%), specific expertise (eg, clipping and coiling: 97.2% and 54% versus 58.9% and 14.3%, respectively), infrastructure (eg, intensive care unit: 63.9% versus 33.9%), and education (eg, professional education: 65.2% versus 20.7%). On multivariate analysis adjusted for hospital characteristics, total CSC score, but not having a t-PA protocol, was associated with the volume of all types of interventions with a clear increasing trend (P for trend < .001)., Conclusion: We demonstrated a significant association between comprehensive stroke care capacity and the hospital volume of stroke interventions in Japan., (Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Recently, several major organizations have proposed a unified definition for the metabolic syndrome (MetS), which should be evaluated in multiethnic groups. The effect of Mets on the incidence of cardiovascular disease needs to be assessed after adjusting for serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), a major risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases. This is especially needed to be evaluated in Asian populations with low incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD)., Methods: We conducted a 13-year prospective study of 4939 Japanese living in an urban area. The MetS was defined using a unified classification that included cut-off points for waist circumference in Asians. The multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of MetS for CAD and stroke were calculated using a Cox proportional model adjusted for other potential confounding factors with LDLC., Results and Conclusion: During the follow-up period, there were 155 cases of CAD and 204 of stroke including 118 cerebral infarctions. In participants under 65 years old, the multivariable HRs of MetS for CAD were 1.21 (95% C.I., 0.64-2.28) in men and 4.44 (95% C.I., 1.73-11.4) in women; the HRs for ischemic stroke were 3.24 (95% C.I., 1.55-6.77) in men and 3.99 (95% C.I., 1.34-11.8) in women. In participants aged 65 years old and over, MetS only showed a significant association with CAD in men (HR 1.89, 95% C.I., 1.11-3.21). Serum LDLC was associated with increased risk of CAD in men irrespective of age group; however, it was not associated with CAD in women. There was no association between serum LDLC and ischemic stroke in any group stratified by sex and the age of 65. These results indicate that the new uniform MetS definition is useful for detecting high risk individuals, especially for middle-aged population. However, continuous screening for hypercholesterolemia is necessary to prevent CAD, especially in men, even in Asian countries such as Japan., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Postseizure functional decline is a concern in poststroke epilepsy (PSE). However, data on electroencephalogram (EEG) markers associated with functional decline are scarce. Thus, we investigated whether periodic discharges (PDs) and their specific characteristics are associated with functional decline in patients with PSE. Methods: In this observational study, patients admitted with seizures of PSE and who had scalp EEGs were included. The association between the presence or absence of PDs and postseizure short‐term functional decline lasting 7 days after admission was investigated. In patients with PD, EEG markers were explored for risk stratification of short‐term functional decline, according to the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society's Standardized Critical Care EEG Terminology. The association between EEG markers and imaging findings and long‐term functional decline at discharge and 6 months after discharge, defined as an increase in the modified Rankin Scale score compared with the baseline, was evaluated. Results: In this study, 307 patients with PSE (median age = 75 years, range = 35–97 years, 64% males; hemorrhagic stroke, 47%) were enrolled. Compared with 247 patients without PDs, 60 patients with PDs were more likely to have short‐term functional decline (12 [20%] vs. 8 [3.2%], p <.001), with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 4.26 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.44–12.6, p =.009). Patients with superimposed fast‐activity PDs (PDs+F) had significantly more localized (rather than widespread) lesions (87% vs. 58%, p =.003), prolonged hyperperfusion (100% vs. 62%, p =.023), and a significantly higher risk of short‐term functional decline than those with PDs without fast activity (adjusted OR = 22.0, 95% CI = 1.87–259.4, p =.014). Six months after discharge, PDs+F were significantly associated with long‐term functional decline (adjusted OR = 4.21, 95% CI = 1.27–13.88, p =.018). Significance: In PSE, PDs+F are associated with sustained neuronal excitation and hyperperfusion, which may be a predictor of postseizure short‐ and long‐term functional decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate whether n−3 fatty acid supplementation reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in a novel analysis using hierarchical composite CVD outcomes based on win ratio in the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL). This was a secondary analysis of our VITAL randomized trial, which assessed the effects of marine n−3 fatty acids (1 g/day) and vitamin D3 on incident CVD and cancer among healthy older adults (n = 25,871). The primary analysis estimated win ratios of a composite of major CVD outcomes prioritized as fatal coronary heart disease, other fatal CVD including stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and non-fatal stroke, comparing n−3 fatty acids to placebo. The primary result was a nonsignificant benefit of this supplementation for the prioritized primary CVD outcome (reciprocal win ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.90 [0.78–1.04]), similar to the 0.92 (0.80–1.06) hazard ratio in our original time-to-first event analysis without outcome prioritization. Its benefits came from reducing MI (0.71 [0.57–0.88]) but not stroke (1.01 [0.80 to 1.28]) components. For the primary CVD outcome, participants with low fish consumption at baseline benefited (0.79 [0.65–0.96]) more than those with high consumption (1.05 [0.85–1.30]). These results are consistent with, but slightly stronger than, those without outcome prioritization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the Brain Attack Coalition recommended establishing centers of comprehensive care for stroke and cerebrovascular disease patients, a scoring system for such centers was lacking. We created and validated a comprehensive stroke center (CSC) score, adapted to Japanese circumstances.Methods: Of the selected 1369 certified training institutions in Japan, 749 completed an acute stroke care capabilities survey. Hospital performance was determined using a 25-item score, evaluating 5 subcategories: personnel, diagnostic techniques, specific expertise, infrastructure, and education. Consistency and validity were examined using correlation coefficients and factorial analysis.Results: The CSC score (median, 14; interquartile range, 11-18) varied according to hospital volume. The five subcategories showed moderate consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.765). A strong correlation existed between types of available personnel and specific expertise. Using the 2011 Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database for patients hospitalized with stroke, four constructs were identified by factorial analysis (neurovascular surgery and intervention, vascular neurology, diagnostic neuroradiology, and neurocritical care and rehabilitation) that affected in-hospital mortality from ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The total CSC score was related to in-hospital mortality from ischemic stroke (odds ratio [OR], 0.973; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.958-0.989), intracerebral hemorrhage (OR, 0.970; 95% CI, 0.950-0.990), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (OR, 0.951; 95% CI, 0.925-0.977), with varying contributions from the four constructs.Conclusions: The CSC score is a valid measure for assessing CSC capabilities, based on the availability of neurovascular surgery and intervention, vascular neurology, diagnostic neuroradiology, and critical care and rehabilitation services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]