BACKGROUND Patients with giant-cell arteritis (GCA) who develop a strong acute-phase response are at low risk of disease-related ischemic events. METHODS AND RESULTS To assess the potential protective role of proinflammatory cytokines in the development of ischemic events in GCA, we measured tissue expression (66 individuals) and/or circulating levels (80 individuals) of interleukin (IL)-1bet...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Little was known about the predictive accuracy of the Essen Stroke Risk Score and the Stroke Prognostic Instrument II in Chinese patients with stroke. METHODS We evaluated the predictive accuracy of both Essen Stroke Risk Score and Stroke Prognostic Instrument II scores for both recurrent stroke and combined vascular events using data from a prospective cohort of 11 384...

BACKGROUND Carotid intraplaque hemorrhage has been associated with symptomatic stroke and can be accurately detected with magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition with gradient-echo (MPRAGE). Currently, there are no studies analyzing carotid MPRAGE signal and territorial ischemic events defined by diffusion restriction in the acute setting. Our aim was to determine the association of carotid MP...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE A short-term increase in dietary nitrate (NO3-) improves markers of vascular health via formation of nitric oxide and other bioactive nitrogen oxides. Whether this translates into long-term vascular disease risk reduction has yet to be examined. We investigated the association of vegetable-derived nitrate intake with common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT),...

BACKGROUND Patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack presumably related to patent foramen ovale (PFO) are at risk for recurrent cerebrovascular events. Differences in long-term clinical outcome were investigated among patients with percutaneous PFO closure and those who received medical treatment. METHODS AND RESULTS Between 1994 and 2000, 308 consecutive patients with cerebr...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of bleeding, vascular, and ischemic complications using three different heparin regimens after successful intervention. BACKGROUND The ideal dose and duration of heparin infusion after successful coronary intervention is unknown. METHODS Patients were randomized to one of three heparin strategies after coronary intervention...

men completed a heart-rate-limited (HRL) protocol and 107 completed a symptom-limited (SXL) protocol 3 weeks after the acute event. In the HRL protocol, effort terminated at a heart rate of 130 beats/min in the absence of a limiting symptom, exertional hypotension or ventricular tachycardia. Peak heart rate was not an end point in the SXL protocol. Despite a higher peak heart rate and work load...

The anti-ischemic effects of atenolol and nifedipine were compared in a randomized double-blind crossover manner in 24 patients with stable exertional angina and transient silent ischemia during ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring. Both atenolol and nifedipine were effective (p less than 0.005) in reducing the average number and duration of transient ischemic events, but therapy wi...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Symptomatic basilar artery stenosis (BAS) is associated with high risk of ischemic stroke recurrence. We aimed to investigate whether statin therapy might prevent the progression of symptomatic BAS and stroke recurrence. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients with acute ischemia with symptomatic BAS, which was assessed using magnetic resonance angiog...