Impact of Increased Early Statin Administration on Ischemic Stroke Outcomes: A Multicenter Electronic Medical Record Intervention

Immediate- or Delayed-Intensive Statin in Acute Cerebral Ischemia: The INSPIRES Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Comparisons are limited for immediate-intensive and delayed-intensive statin for secondary stroke prevention and neuroprotection in patients with acute mild ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) from atherosclerosis.

Objective

To estimate whether immediate-intensive statin therapy is safe and can lower the risk of recurrent stroke compared with delayed-intensive statin in patients with acute mild ischemic stroke or high-risk TIA from atherosclerosis.

Design, Setting, and Participants

The Intensive Statin and Antiplatelet Therapy for High-Risk Intracranial or Extracranial Atherosclerosis (INSPIRES) trial, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial, randomized clinical trial enrolled patients from September 2018 to October 2022. The trial was conducted at 222 hospitals in China. Patients aged 35 to 80 years with mild ischemic stroke or high-risk TIA of presumed atherosclerosis within 72 hours of symptom onset were assessed.

Interventions

Patients were randomly assigned to receive immediate-intensive atorvastatin (80 mg daily on days 1-21; 40 mg daily on days 22-90) or 3-day delayed treatment (placebo for days 1-3, followed by placebo and atorvastatin, 40 mg daily on days 4-21, and then atorvastatin, 40 mg daily on days 22-90).

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary efficacy outcome was new stroke within 90 days, and a secondary efficacy outcome was poor functional outcome. Moderate to severe bleeding was the primary safety outcome.

Results

A total of 11 431 patients were assessed for eligibility, and 6100 patients (median [IQR] age, 65 [57-71] years; 3915 men [64.2%]) were enrolled, with 3050 assigned to each treatment group. Within 90 days, new stroke occurred in 245 patients (8.1%) in the immediate-intensive statin group and 256 patients (8.4%) in the delayed group (hazard ratio, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.80-1.13). Poor functional outcome occurred in 299 patients (9.8%) and 348 patients (11.4%) in the immediate-intensive and delayed-intensive statin groups, respectively (odds ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.71-0.98). Moderate to severe bleeding occurred in 23 of 3050 patients (0.8%) and 17 of 3050 patients (0.6%), in the immediate-intensive and delayed-intensive statin groups, respectively.

Conclusions and Relevance

Immediate-intensive statin initiated within 72 hours did not reduce the risk of stroke within 90 days and may be associated with improved functional outcomes without significant difference in moderate to severe bleeding, compared with 3-day delayed-intensive statin in Chinese patients with acute mild ischemic stroke or TIA from atherosclerosis.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03635749.

The baseline and repeated measurements of DBP to assess in-hospital mortality risk among critically ill patients with acute myocardial infarction: A retrospective cohort study

Changes in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) are common in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The relationship between the dynamic change of DBP and in-hospital mortality among patients with AMI remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the importance of DBP during disease development among patients with AMI. We performed a retrospective cohort study involving patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database, which included > 40,000 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Overall, 3209 adult AMI admissions were identified. We extracted the clinical and laboratory information in the patients with AMI. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the prognostic values of baseline DBP. We used the generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) to compare trends in DBP over time among survivors and non-survivors, after adjusting for potential confounders. During the ICU stay, 189 patients died (mortality rate, 6.36%). The age of each non-survivor together with the variations in DBP over time from admission to the time of death is of great importance to the scientific community. Cox multivariable regression analysis displayed that after adjusting for confounding factors, ascended baseline DBP was an important hazard factor for hospital deaths (hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.03; P = .003). Based on GAMM, DBP in the death group was markedly lower than that of the surviving group. Moreover, the difference between the two groups showed an increasing trend within 3 days after ICU admission. After adjusting for various variables, the results were stable. DBP significantly contributed to in-hospital mortality among patients with AMI. There was a nonlinear correlation between baseline DBP and in-hospital mortality among patients with AMI, and the DBP of the non-survivors decreased within the first 3 days after ICU admission. However, the causality cannot be deduced from our data.

What might have happened: the impact of interrupting entry of innovative drugs on disease outcomes in the United States

INTRODUCTION

This study estimated the extent to which drug innovations over the past 30 years may have improved outcomes for six diseases.

AREAS COVERED

We analyzed six diseases (ischemic heart disease, lung cancer, breast cancer, human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] infection, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and rheumatoid arthritis [RA]) with significant mortality or morbidity for which there have been major drug innovations over the past 30 years. We used US data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database and a patient registry to perform counterfactual time series analyses predicting the improved health outcomes that may have been associated with major drug innovations.

For 5 conditions using data from the GBD study, years of life lost per individual with the condition could have been higher by 17.1% (breast cancer) to 660.6% (HIV infection) in 2017 had the major drug innovations not been introduced. For RA, using patient registry data, patients' functional status could have been 11.5% worse had biological therapies not been introduced.

EXPERT OPINION

Over the next 5 years, policies targeting drug prices should be broadened to include all health care services. In addition, the value of the pharmaceutical industry for generating rapid responses to new diseases should be recognized.

Sex- related differences in the factors associated with outcomes among patients with strokes of undetermined source: a hospital-based follow-up study

Objective: Sex-related differences are well established among stroke patients, including the incidence and prevalence of stroke being higher among men than among women. However, the sex-related factors for differences in the outcomes of strokes of undetermined source (SUSs) have not been well described, especially in the Chinese population. We assessed the sex-related differences in the factors associated with outcomes among patients with SUSs in China.Method: Between January 2011 and December 2018, we recruited 205 patients diagnosed with SUSs from Kailuan General Hospital (China). The clinical features, risk factors, and outcome data were collected for the patients at 3 and 12 months after their strokes.Results: There were higher frequencies of hyperlipidemia (27.8% vs. 26.4%), smoking (41.4% vs. 5.6%), and alcohol consumption (21.8% vs. 0%) for male patients than for female patients. However, women were more likely than men to have hypertension (63.9% vs. 46.6%), diabetes (27.8% vs. 20.3%), and atrial fibrillation (9.7% vs. 5.3%); they were also more likely to be obese (16.7% vs. 12.0%). There were no significant differences in outcome between the sexes. Among men, severe strokes were associated with higher case fatality and disability risks at 12 months after stroke onset; hyperlipidemia was a risk factor for recurrence within 3 months of the initial stroke. Among women, severe strokes also increased the risk of disability; in women, high total cholesterol (TC) and age were associated with poor outcomes.Conclusion: The factors associated with outcomes in SUS differed by sex. For male patients, more severe stroke and hyperlipidemia were associated with poor outcomes in SUS. Risk factors for poor outcomes in female patients were stroke severity, age, and TC level. These findings suggest that taking measures to manage blood lipid levels and severe stroke among patients with SUS is important for both male and female patients and is crucial for reducing the burden of stroke in China.

Inpatient statin use and stroke recurrence in patients with or without diabetes mellitus

Objectives: Although statin therapy is associated with lower recurrence in patients with acute ischaemic stroke, data-evaluating associations between inpatient statin use and stroke recurrence in diabetic patients after acute stroke onset are limited. Methods: This study was based on population data from the Chinese National Stroke Registry. Patients with acute ischaemic stroke and no history of statin therapy were selected. Individuals treated regularly with any type or dosage of statins during acute hospitalization were defined as having inpatient statin therapy. The subjects were divided into two groups according to statin use status during acute hospitalization. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the associations between statin use and stroke recurrence in patients with or without diabetes. Results: A total of 11,429 patients, 2341 (20.48%) with diabetes, were selected for analysis. Statin therapy during hospitalization was documented in 4982 (43.59%). Logistic analysis showed no significant associations between inpatient statin use and stroke recurrence in diabetic subjects at 3 months (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.69-1.16, P = 0.40) or 1 year (OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.74-1.16, P = 0.48), but statin use was significantly associated with lower recurrence in non-diabetic patients at both 3 months (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.69-0.92, P = 0.002) and 1 year (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.72-0.93, P = 0.002) after discharge. Conclusion: Inpatient statin use was associated with lower stroke recurrence in non-diabetic patients after acute ischaemic stroke, but no definite association between inpatient statin use and stroke recurrence in patients with diabetes mellitus was found.

Effect of Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure on Cardiovascular Outcomes

BACKGROUND

The relationship between outpatient systolic and diastolic blood pressure and cardiovascular outcomes remains unclear and has been complicated by recently revised guidelines with two different thresholds (≥140/90 mm Hg and ≥130/80 mm Hg) for treating hypertension.

METHODS

Using data from 1.3 million adults in a general outpatient population, we performed a multivariable Cox survival analysis to determine the effect of the burden of systolic and diastolic hypertension on a composite outcome of myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or hemorrhagic stroke over a period of 8 years. The analysis controlled for demographic characteristics and coexisting conditions.

RESULTS

The burdens of systolic and diastolic hypertension each independently predicted adverse outcomes. In survival models, a continuous burden of systolic hypertension (≥140 mm Hg; hazard ratio per unit increase in z score, 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 1.18) and diastolic hypertension (≥90 mm Hg; hazard ratio per unit increase in z score, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.07) independently predicted the composite outcome. Similar results were observed with the lower threshold of hypertension (≥130/80 mm Hg) and with systolic and diastolic blood pressures used as predictors without hypertension thresholds. A J-curve relation between diastolic blood pressure and outcomes was seen that was explained at least in part by age and other covariates and by a higher effect of systolic hypertension among persons in the lowest quartile of diastolic blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

Although systolic blood-pressure elevation had a greater effect on outcomes, both systolic and diastolic hypertension independently influenced the risk of adverse cardiovascular events, regardless of the definition of hypertension (≥140/90 mm Hg or ≥130/80 mm Hg). (Funded by the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit Program.).

The attenuation of neurological injury from the use of simvastatin after spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Background

Spinal cord ischemic injury remains a serious complication of open surgical and endovascular aortic procedures. Simvastatin has been reported to be associated with neuroprotective effect after spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. The aim of this study was to determine the therapeutic efficacy of starting simvastatin after spinal cord IR injury in a rat model.

Methods

In adult Sprague-Dawley rats, spinal cord ischemia was induced using a balloon-tipped catheter placed in the descending thoracic aorta. The animals were then randomly divided into 4 groups: group A (control); group B (0.5 mg/kg simvastatin); group C (1 mg/kg simvastatin); and group D (10 mg/kg simvastatin). Simvastatin was administered orally upon reperfusion for 5 days. Neurological function of the hind limbs was evaluated for 7 days after reperfusion and recorded using a motor deficit score (MDS) (0: normal, 5: complete paraplegia). The number of normal motor neurons within the anterior horns of the spinal cord was counted after final MDS evaluation. Then, the spinal cord was harvested for histopathological examination.

Results

Group D showed a significantly lower MDS than the other groups at post-reperfusion day 1 and this trend was sustained throughout the study period. Additionally, a greater number of normal motor neurons was observed in group D than in other groups (group D 21.2 [3.2] vs. group A: 15.8 [4.2]; group B 15.4 [3.4]; and group C 15.5 [3.7]; P = 0.002).

Conclusions

The results of the current study suggest that 10 mg/kg can significantly improve neurologic outcome by attenuating neurologic injury and restoring normal motor neurons after spinal cord IR injury.

Novel Telestroke Program Improves Thrombolysis for Acute Stroke Across 21 Hospitals of an Integrated Healthcare System

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background and Purpose—

Faster treatment with intravenous alteplase in acute ischemic stroke is associated with better outcomes. Starting in 2015, Kaiser Permanente Northern California redesigned its acute stroke workflow across all 21 Kaiser Permanente Northern California stroke centers to (1) follow a single standardized version of a modified Helsinki model and (2) have all emergency stroke cases managed by a dedicated telestroke neurologist. We examined the effect of Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Stroke EXpediting the PRrocess of Evaluating and Stopping Stroke program on door-to-needle (DTN) time, alteplase use, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rates.

Methods—

The program was introduced in a staggered fashion from September 2015 to January 2016. We compared DTN times for a seasonally adjusted 9-month period at each center before implementation to the corresponding 9-month calendar period from the start of implementation. The primary outcome was the DTN time for alteplase administration. Secondary outcomes included rate of alteplase administrations per month, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and disposition at time of discharge.

Results—

This study included 310 patients treated with alteplase in the pre–EXpediting the PRrocess of Evaluating and Stopping Stroke period and 557 patients treated with alteplase in the EXpediting the PRrocess of Evaluating and Stopping Stroke period. After implementation, alteplase administrations increased to 62/mo from 34/mo at baseline (P<0.001). Median DTN time decreased to 34 minutes after implementation from 53.5 minutes prior (P<0.001), and DTN time of <60 minutes was achieved in 87.1% versus 61.0% (P<0.001) of patients. DTN times <30 minutes were much more common in the Stroke EXpediting the PRrocess of Evaluating and Stopping Stroke period (40.8% versus 4.2% before implementation). There was no significant difference in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rates in the 2 periods (3.8% versus 2.2% before implementation; P=0.29).

Conclusions—

Introduction of a standardized modified Helsinki protocol across 21 hospitals using telestroke management was associated with increased alteplase administrations, significantly shorter DTN times, and no increase in adverse outcomes.