• NUTRIC score
• cardiac surgery
• hospital mortality
• modified NUTRIC score
• nutrition risk

• Office of Talent Work Leading Team in Maoming, Grant/Award Numbers: 200221115835503, MaoRenCaiBan [2020]24; Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (Provincial Enterprise Joint Fund- General Project, Grant/Award Number: 2021A1515220085

• Sex
• Sleep duration
• Standard deviation
• Stroke
• Variability

• Humans
• Male
• Female
• Middle Aged
• Aged
• China/epidemiology
• Sleep/physiology
• Stroke/epidemiology
• Longitudinal Studies
• Risk Factors
• Time Factors
• Aged, 80 and over
• Sleep Duration
• East Asian People

• Condom use
• Female sex workers
• HIV
• HIV risk behavior
• Social support

• Condoms
• Female
• HIV Infections/epidemiology
• HIV Infections/prevention & control
• Humans
• Iran
• Sex Workers
• Sexual Behavior
• Sexual Partners
• Social Support

• R25 MH064712 NIMH NIH HHS
• R25 MH123256 NIMH NIH HHS

• Cerebral Infarction/genetics
• Computational Biology
• Gene Regulatory Networks
• Humans
• Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors/genetics
• RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism
• RNA, Messenger/genetics

• HIV/AIDS
• Motivational interviewing
• Safe sexual behavior
• Tele-Counseling

• Condoms
• Counseling
• Female
• HIV Infections/psychology
• Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
• Humans
• Motivational Interviewing
• Sexual Behavior

To investigate the relationship between homocysteine levels and post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) in Chinese female and male populations with minor acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack.

A total of 1070 participants with clinically confirmed acute minor ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack and baseline homocysteine information from a nationwide multicenter prospective registry study in China were included in this study. Of these, 919 patients had cognitive assessments at 3-month follow-ups and 584 participants had cognitive assessments at 12-month follow-ups. The incidence of PSCI was defined as a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score ≤22. The differences in homocysteine levels and the incidence of PSCI were compared between female and male populations. Relationships between homocysteine levels and the incidence of PSCI in female and male populations were analyzed using multiple logistic regression, respectively.

Females had lower baseline homocysteine levels than males. Compared to males, females had lower education levels, lower rates of smoking and alcohol intake, and higher rates of diabetes and hypertension. No relationship was observed between elevated homocysteine level and 3-month PSCI incidence in either females or males. After adjusting the confounders, elevated baseline homocysteine significantly increased the 12-month PSCI risk (odds ratio 3.28, 95% confidence interval 1.47–7.34, P = 0.004) in females, but not in males (odds ratio 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.49–1.49, P = 0.586).

Elevated homocysteine levels increased the 12-month PSCI risk in females, but not in males with minor acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack.

• first ischemic stroke
• first stroke
• hypertensive males
• sex
• vitamin E

Asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACS) can be treated with carotid endarterectomy (CEA), carotid artery stenting (CAS), or best medical treatment (BMT) only. For all treatment options, optimization of vascular risk factors such as arterial hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, obesity, and insufficient physical activity is essential. Data on adherence to BMT and lifestyle modification in patients with ACS are sparse. The subject of this investigation is the implementation and quality of risk factor adjustment in the context of a randomized controlled trial.

A total of 513 patients in the prematurely terminated, randomized, controlled, multicenter SPACE-2 trial (ISRCTN 78592017) were analyzed within one year after randomization into 3 groups (CEA, CAS, and BMT only) for implementation of prespecified BMT recommendations and lifestyle modifications. Measurement time points were the screening visit and visits after one month (D30), 6 months (M6), and one year (A1). Differences between groups and follow-up visits (FUVs) relative to the screening visit were investigated.

For all FUVs, a significant increase in statin medication (91% at A1; p < 0.0001) was demonstrated to be associated with a significant decrease (p < 0.01) in cholesterol levels (median 167 mg/dl at A1) and LDL cholesterol levels (median 93 mg/dl at A1). The lowest cholesterol levels were achieved by patients in the BMT group. Seventy-eight percent of all patients reached predefined target cholesterol levels (< 200 mg/dl), with significantly better rates in the BMT group (p = 0.036 at D30). Furthermore, a significant decrease in arterial blood pressure at all FUVs (p < 0.05) was associated with a significant increase in antihypertensive medication (96% at A1, p < 0.0001). However, only 28% of patients achieved the predefined treatment goal of a systolic blood pressure of ≤ 130 mmHg. Forty-two of a total of 100 smokers at the screening visit quit smoking within one year, resulting in a significant increase in nonsmokers at all FUVs (p < 0.0001). Recommended HbA1c levels (< 7%) were achieved in 82% without significant changes after one year. Only 7% of obese (BMI > 25) patients achieved sufficient weight reduction after one year without significant changes at all FUVs (median BMI 27 at A1; p = 0.1201). The BMT group showed significantly (p = 0.024) higher rates of adequate physical activity than the intervention groups. Furthermore, after one year, the BMT group showed a comparatively significantly better implementation of risk factor modification (77%; p = 0.027) according to the treating physician.

SPACE-2 demonstrated sustained improvement in the noninterventional management of vascular risk factors in patients treated in a clinical trial by general practitioners, internists and neurologists. The best implemented treatment targets were a reduction in cholesterol and HbA1c levels. In this context, a significant increase in statin use was demonstrated. Blood pressure control missed its target but was significantly reduced by intensification of antihypertensive medication. Patients on BMT only had better adjusted lipid parameters and were more physically active. However, all groups failed to achieve sufficient weight reduction. Due to insufficient patient recruitment, the results must be interpreted cautiously.

Trial registration: ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN78592017, Registered 16 June 2007, https://www.isrctn.com/search?q=78592017.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42466-021-00153-w.

• Asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis
• Best medical treatment
• Carotid artery stenting
• Carotid endarterectomy
• Disease-free survival
• Epidemiology
• Primary prevention
• Prospective study

• Carbon
• Dietary Supplements
• Folic Acid
• Humans
• Stroke/prevention & control
• Vitamin B Complex

Discontinued application of statins may be related to adverse cardiovascular events. However, it is unclear whether different statins administration methods have effects on coronary artery plaques.

To evaluate the effects of different statins application methods on plaques in patients with coronary atherosclerosis.

A total of 100 patients diagnosed with atherosclerotic plaque by coronary artery computed tomography were continuously selected and divided into three groups according to different statins administration methods (discontinued application group, n = 32; intermittent application group, n = 39; sustained application group, n = 29). The effects of the different statins application methods on coronary atherosclerotic plaque were assessed.

The volume change and rate of change of the most severe plaques were significantly reduced in the sustained application group (P ≤ 0.001). The volume change of the most severe plaques correlated positively with low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) levels only in the sustained application group (R = 0.362, P = 0.013). There were no changes in plaques or LDL-C levels in the intermittent and discontinued application groups.

Continuous application of statins is effective for controlling plaque progression, whereas discontinued or intermittent administration of statins is not conducive to controlling plaques. Only with continuous statins administration can a reduction in LDL-C levels result in plaque volume shrinkage.

• Coronary atherosclerotic plaque
• Statin
• Coronary artery computed tomography
• Low-density lipoprotein
• Plaque volume

Stroke refers to a group of cerebrovascular diseases associated with organic brain injury. It is characterized by the sudden and rapid onset of focal or diffuse dysfunction. In recent years, in addition to routine treatment, Chinese medicine acupuncture has been administered to patients with hemiplegia, and it can be considered a new treatment for rehabilitation.

To investigate the effects of eye acupuncture needle retention and body acupuncture combined with routine rehabilitation on gait performance and plantar pressure in patients recovering from stroke.

Thirty-two stroke patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 16 patients in each group. Both groups underwent routine rehabilitation. The experimental group was treated by eye acupuncture needle retention, and the control group was treated by body acupuncture. Before and after 4 wk of treatment, both groups underwent kinematic and plantar pressure synchronous tests to assess gait performance.

The step length, gait speed, step frequency, joint angles of the lower limbs, and ground reaction force impulse in the anterior region of the affected foot in both groups significantly increased from before to after treatment (P < 0.05); the center of mass displacement, peak pressure values, and impulse in the anterior region of the healthy foot and posterior regions of both the affected and healthy feet significantly decreased from before to after treatment (P < 0.05). The patients in the experimental group showed greater improvement in the following parameters than the control group: Step length, gait speed, step frequency, lower extremity joint angles, center of gravity displacement, and peak pressure values and impulse in the anterior and posterior regions of both the affected and healthy feet (P < 0.05).

Eye acupuncture needle retention and body acupuncture combined with routine rehabilitation can effectively improve the gait performance of patients recovering from stroke. Between these two treatments, eye acupuncture needle retention combined with routine treatment is better than body acupuncture, and it can be considered a practical and effective clinical treatment.

• Stroke
• Eye acupuncture
• Body acupuncture
• Gait performance
• Spasm
• Patients

• Case report
• Stenosis of the brachiocephalic artery
• Trans-carotid approach
• Vascular stapler

• Head injury
• Paediatric stroke