Kidney disease as a determinant of cognitive decline and dementia

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has evolved as a possible new determinant of cognitive decline and dementia. This review outlines the presumed pathophysiology of cognitive decline in CKD, which consists of traditional and new vascular risk factors as well as nonvascular risk factors and metabolic and biochemical abnormalities within the central nervous system caused by CKD. The recent major cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies - including one meta-analysis that mostly suggest an association of cognitive decline and CKD are discussed. Finally, potential therapeutic strategies are presented

Predicting dementia in primary care patients with a cardiovascular health metric: a prospective population-based study

Background: Improving cardiovascular health possibly decreases the risk of dementia. Primary care practices offer a suitable setting for monitoring and controlling cardiovascular risk factors in the older population. The purpose of the study is to examine the association of a cardiovascular health metric including six behaviors and blood parameters with the risk of dementia in primary care patients. Methods: Participants (N = 3547) were insurants aged >= 55 of the largest German statutory health insurance company, who were enrolled in a six-year prospective population-based study. Smoking, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting glucose were assessed by general practitioners at routine examinations. Using recommended cut-offs for each factor, the patients' cardiovascular health was classified as ideal, moderate, or poor. Behaviors and blood parameters sub-scores, as well as a total score, were calculated. Dementia diagnoses were retrieved from health insurance claims data. Results are presented as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs). Results: Over the course of the study 296 new cases of dementia occurred. Adjusted for age, sex, and education, current smoking (HR = 1.77, 95 % CI 1.09-2.85), moderate (1.38, 1.05-1.81) or poor (1.81, 1.32-2.47) levels of physical activity, and poor fasting glucose levels (1.43, 1.02-2.02) were associated with an increased risk of dementia. Body mass index, blood pressure, and cholesterol were not associated with dementia. Separate summary scores for behaviors and blood values, as well as a total score showed no association with dementia. Sensitivity analyses with differently defined endpoints led to similar results. Conclusions: Due to complex relationships of body-mass index and blood pressure with dementia individual components cancelled each other out and rendered the sum-scores meaningless for the prediction of dementia

Intensive heart rhythm monitoring to decrease ischemic stroke and systemic embolism - the Find-AF 2 study - rationale and design

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most frequent causes of stroke. Several randomized trials have shown that prolonged monitoring increases the detection of AF, but the effect on reducing recurrent cardioembolism, i.e. ischemic stroke and systemic embolism, remains unknown. We aim to evaluate whether a risk-adapted, intensified heart rhythm monitoring with consequent guideline conform treatment, which implies initiation of oral anticoagulation (OAC), leads to a reduction of recurrent cardioembolism. Methods Find-AF 2 is a randomized, controlled, open-label parallel multicenter trial with blinded endpoint assessment. 5,200 patients ≥ 60 years of age with symptomatic ischemic stroke within the last 30 days and without known AF will be included at 52 study centers with a specialized stroke unit in Germany. Patients without AF in an additional 24-hour Holter ECG after the qualifying event will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion to either enhanced, prolonged and intensified ECG-monitoring (intervention arm) or standard of care monitoring (control arm). In the intervention arm, patients with a high risk of underlying AF will receive continuous rhythm monitoring using an implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) whereas those without high risk of underlying AF will receive repeated 7-day Holter ECGs. The duration of rhythm monitoring within the control arm is up to the discretion of the participating centers and is allowed for up to 7 days. Patients will be followed for at least 24 months. The primary efficacy endpoint is the time until recurrent ischemic stroke or systemic embolism occur. Conclusions The Find-AF 2 trial aims to demonstrate that enhanced, prolonged and intensified rhythm monitoring results in a more effective prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke and systemic embolism compared to usual care

Fatality from minor cervical trauma in ankylosing spondylitis

Cervical injury is a serious and often fatal complication of ankylosing spondylitis in the setting of minor trauma. This case report describes a 51-year-old woman with ankylosing spondylitis and a minor trauma who developed severe bradycardia during positioning for x ray. Further diagnostic revealed a hyperextensive fracture of C4 with fragments compressing the cervical medulla. The woman subsequently died from hypoxic brain damage. Reviewing the literature, a high alertness in ankylosing spondylitis and minor trauma with neck immobilisation is emphasised, early diagnosis using cervical spine computed tomography is essential to a favourable outcome, and the mechanism of bradycardia in cervical trauma is discussed

Systematic analysis of nonfatal suicide attempts and further diagnostic of secondary injury in strangulation survivors: A retrospective cross‐sectional study

Abstract Background and Aims Data on nonfatal suicide attempts in Germany are sparse. The study aimed to analyze data on nonfatal suicide attempts and consecutive diagnostic steps to identify secondary injuries after strangulation. Methods All admissions after nonfatal suicide attempt in a large Bavarian psychiatric hospital between 2014 and 2018 were reviewed and the methods were analyzed. Results A total of 2125 verified cases out of 2801 registered cases of nonfatal suicide attempts were included in further analysis. The most common methods were intoxication (n = 1101, 51.8%), cutting (n = 461, 21.7%), and strangulation (n = 183, 8.6%). Among survivors of strangulation with external neck compression (n = 99, 54.1%), no diagnostic steps were performed in 36 (36.4%) patients and insufficient imaging in 13 (20.6%) patients. Carotid artery dissection was detected in two (4.0%) of 50 patients with adequate neuroimaging. Conclusions This study provides details on nonfatal suicide attempts in Germany. Slightly more than half of the patients with strangulation underwent adequate diagnostic work‐up, with 4.0% being diagnosed with dissection. Further studies with systematic screening for dissection after strangulation in psychiatric hospitals are recommended to reduce possible under‐reporting

Predicting dementia in primary care patients with a cardiovascular health metric: a prospective population-based study

Background: Improving cardiovascular health possibly decreases the risk of dementia. Primary care practices offer a suitable setting for monitoring and controlling cardiovascular risk factors in the older population. The purpose of the study is to examine the association of a cardiovascular health metric including six behaviors and blood parameters with the risk of dementia in primary care patients. Methods: Participants (N = 3547) were insurants aged >= 55 of the largest German statutory health insurance company, who were enrolled in a six-year prospective population-based study. Smoking, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting glucose were assessed by general practitioners at routine examinations. Using recommended cut-offs for each factor, the patients' cardiovascular health was classified as ideal, moderate, or poor. Behaviors and blood parameters sub-scores, as well as a total score, were calculated. Dementia diagnoses were retrieved from health insurance claims data. Results are presented as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs). Results: Over the course of the study 296 new cases of dementia occurred. Adjusted for age, sex, and education, current smoking (HR = 1.77, 95 % CI 1.09-2.85), moderate (1.38, 1.05-1.81) or poor (1.81, 1.32-2.47) levels of physical activity, and poor fasting glucose levels (1.43, 1.02-2.02) were associated with an increased risk of dementia. Body mass index, blood pressure, and cholesterol were not associated with dementia. Separate summary scores for behaviors and blood values, as well as a total score showed no association with dementia. Sensitivity analyses with differently defined endpoints led to similar results. Conclusions: Due to complex relationships of body-mass index and blood pressure with dementia individual components cancelled each other out and rendered the sum-scores meaningless for the prediction of dementia

B-type natriuretic peptides and mortality after stroke A systematic review and meta-analysis

Saritas, Ayhan/0000-0002-4302-1093; Montaner, Joan/0000-0003-4845-2279; Saritas, Ayhan/0000-0002-4302-1093; GARCIA-BERROCOSO, TERESA/0000-0001-8072-8533; Whiteley, William/0000-0002-4816-8991; Khedri Jensen, Jesper/0000-0001-7426-4437WOS: 000330771700007PubMed: 24186915Objective: To measure the association of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal fragment of BNP (NT-proBNP) with all-cause mortality after stroke, and to evaluate the additional predictive value of BNP/NT-proBNP over clinical information. Methods: Suitable studies for meta-analysis were found by searching MEDLINE and EMBASE databases until October 26, 2012. Weighted mean differences measured effect size; meta-regression and publication bias were assessed. Individual participant data were used to estimate effects by logistic regression and to evaluate BNP/NT-proBNP additional predictive value by area under the receiver operating characteristic curves, and integrated discrimination improvement and categorical net reclassification improvement indexes. Results: Literature-based meta-analysis included 3,498 stroke patients from 16 studies and revealed that BNP/NT-proBNP levels were 255.78 pg/mL (95% confidence interval [CI] 105.10-406.47, p = 0.001) higher in patients who died; publication bias entailed the loss of this association. Individual participant data analysis comprised 2,258 stroke patients. After normalization of the data, patients in the highest quartile had double the risk of death after adjustment for clinical variables (NIH Stroke Scale score, age, sex) (odds ratio 2.30, 95% CI 1.32-4.01 for BNP; and odds ratio 2.63, 95% CI 1.75-3.94 for NT-proBNP). Only NT-proBNP showed a slight added value to clinical prognostic variables, increasing discrimination by 0.028 points (integrated discrimination improvement index; p < 0.001) and reclassifying 8.1% of patients into correct risk mortality categories (net reclassification improvement index; p = 0.003). Neither etiology nor time from onset to death affected the association of BNP/NT-proBNP with mortality. Conclusion: BNPs are associated with poststroke mortality independent of NIH Stroke Scale score, age, and sex. However, their translation to clinical practice seems difficult because BNP/NT-proBNP add only minor predictive value to clinical information.Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIInstituto de Salud Carlos III [FI09/00017]; FIS [11/0176]; Chief Scientist's Office [CAF/06/30]; UK Medical Research Council Clinician Scientist FellowshipMedical Research Council UK (MRC) [G0902303]; Medical Research CouncilMedical Research Council UK (MRC) [G0902303]; Chief Scientist Office [CAF/06/30]T. Garcia-Berrocoso is supported by a predoctoral fellowship (FI09/00017) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Neurovascular Research Laboratory takes part in the Spanish stroke research network INVICTUS (RD12/0014/0005) and is supported on stroke biomarkers research by FIS 11/0176. D. Giralt, A. Bustamante, T. Etgen, J. Jensen, J. Sharma, K. Shibazaki, A. Saritas, and X. Chen report no disclosures. W. Whiteley was supported by the Chief Scientist's Office (CAF/06/30) and is now funded by a UK Medical Research Council Clinician Scientist Fellowship (G0902303). J. Montaner reports no disclosures. Go to Neurology.org for full disclosures