Abstract only Introduction: Up to 40% of ICH patients have unknown onset time, leading to uncertainty regarding the use of hyperacute ICH treatments and their exclusion from acute ICH treatment ...trials. We aimed to develop a prediction score that can reliably identify ICH patients presenting within 3 hours of symptom onset. Methods: Spontaneous ICH patients participating in the iDEF trial with available prerequisite data were analyzed. A stepwise multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine predictors of early presentation (symptom onset-to-baseline CT scan time ≤3 hours) with a p-value < 0.15. To develop the prediction score, we allocated scores proportional to the standardized odds ratio (OR) of each binary variable. Continuous variables were dichotomized using the lowest threshold above which there was no additional gain in the positive predictive value (PPV) for early presentation. Results: Of 291 iDEF participants, 132 (45%) presented early. Baseline NIHSS (OR 1.05 per 1-score increase; 95% CI, 0.99-1.11), Glasgow Coma Scale (1.18 per 1-score increase; 1.01-1.39), ICH volume (1.17 per 10-ml increase; 0.98-1.39), absolute perihematomal edema volume (0.81 per 10-ml increase; 0.66-1.00), irregular hematoma shape (2.24; 1.12-4.48), blend sign (0.45; 0.21-0.97), white blood cell count (0.89 per 10 3 cell/ml increase; 0.82-0.96), and blood glucose levels (0.91 per mmol/l increase; 0.82-0.99) were associated with early presentation (c-statistic=0.71). The PPV for an early ICH presentation score (Figure) of >7 was 69%. Conclusion: This novel early ICH presentation score using readily available clinical, neuroimaging, and laboratory data has good performance for identification of ICH patients presenting within 3 hours of symptom onset. If validated in external datasets, the early ICH presentation score can be used to improve recruitment feasibility in acute ICH trials and support clinical decision-making in ICH patients with an unknown symptom onset time.
The safety and efficacy of oral anticoagulation for prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events in people with atrial fibrillation and spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage are uncertain. We ...planned to estimate the effects of starting versus avoiding oral anticoagulation in people with spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage and atrial fibrillation.
In this prospective meta-analysis, we searched bibliographic databases and trial registries using the strategies of a Cochrane systematic review (CD012144) on June 23, 2023. We included clinical trials if they were registered, randomised, and included participants with spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage and atrial fibrillation who were assigned to either start long-term use of any oral anticoagulant agent or avoid oral anticoagulation (ie, placebo, open control, another antithrombotic agent, or another intervention for the prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events). We assessed eligible trials using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. We sought data for individual participants who had not opted out of data sharing from chief investigators of completed trials, pending completion of ongoing trials in 2028. The primary outcome was any stroke or cardiovascular death. We used individual participant data to construct a Cox regression model of the time to the first occurrence of outcome events during follow-up in the intention-to-treat dataset supplied by each trial, followed by meta-analysis using a fixed-effect inverse-variance model to generate a pooled estimate of the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021246133.
We identified four eligible trials; three were restricted to participants with atrial fibrillation and intracranial haemorrhage (SoSTART NCT03153150, with 203 participants) or intracerebral haemorrhage (APACHE-AF NCT02565693, with 101 participants, and NASPAF-ICH NCT02998905, with 30 participants), and one included a subgroup of participants with previous intracranial haemorrhage (ELDERCARE-AF NCT02801669, with 80 participants). After excluding two participants who opted out of data sharing, we included 412 participants (310 75% aged 75 years or older, 249 60% with CHA2DS2-VASc score ≤4, and 163 40% with CHA2DS2-VASc score >4). The intervention was a direct oral anticoagulant in 209 (99%) of 212 participants who were assigned to start oral anticoagulation, and the comparator was antiplatelet monotherapy in 67 (33%) of 200 participants assigned to avoid oral anticoagulation. The primary outcome of any stroke or cardiovascular death occurred in 29 (14%) of 212 participants who started oral anticoagulation versus 43 (22%) of 200 who avoided oral anticoagulation (pooled HR 0·68 95% CI 0·42–1·10; I2=0%). Oral anticoagulation reduced the risk of ischaemic major adverse cardiovascular events (nine 4% of 212 vs 38 19% of 200; pooled HR 0·27 95% CI 0·13–0·56; I2=0%). There was no significant increase in haemorrhagic major adverse cardiovascular events (15 7% of 212 vs nine 5% of 200; pooled HR 1·80 95% CI 0·77–4·21; I2=0%), death from any cause (38 18% of 212 vs 29 15% of 200; 1·29 0·78–2·11; I2=50%), or death or dependence after 1 year (78 53% of 147 vs 74 51% of 145; pooled odds ratio 1·12 95% CI 0·70–1·79; I2=0%).
For people with atrial fibrillation and intracranial haemorrhage, oral anticoagulation had uncertain effects on the risk of any stroke or cardiovascular death (both overall and in subgroups), haemorrhagic major adverse cardiovascular events, and functional outcome. Oral anticoagulation reduced the risk of ischaemic major adverse cardiovascular events, which can inform clinical practice. These findings should encourage recruitment to, and completion of, ongoing trials.
British Heart Foundation.
Abstract only Objective: We sought to determine the prevalence, radiological characteristics, and clinical outcomes of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) of undetermined etiology. Methods: Systematic ...review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with spontaneous ICH was conducted to assess the prevalence and clinical-radiological characteristics of undetermined ICH. Additionally, we assessed the rates for ICH secondary to hypertensive arteriopathy (HTN-A) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Subgroup analyses were performed based on the use of a) etiology-oriented ICH classification, b) detailed neuroimaging, and c) Boston criteria among CAA-ICH. Results: 24 studies were included (n=15,828; mean age: 64.8 years, males: 60.8%). The pooled prevalence of HTN-A ICH, undetermined ICH and CAA-ICH were 50% (95%CI: 43-58%), 18% (95%CI: 13-23%), and 12% (95%CI: 7-17%; p<0.001 between subgroups). The volume of ICH was largest in CAA-ICH 24.7mL (95%CI: 19.7-29.8mL), followed by HTN-A ICH 16.2mL (95%CI: 10.9-21.5mL) and undetermined ICH 15.4mL (95%CI: 6.2-24.5mL). Among patients with undetermined ICH, the rates of short-term mortality and intraventricular hemorrhage were 33% (95%CI: 25-42%) and 38% (95%CI: 28-48%), respectively. Subgroup analysis demonstrated a higher rate of undetermined ICH among studies that did not use an etiology-oriented classification (22%; 95%CI: 15-29%). No difference was observed between studies based on the completion of detailed neuroimaging to assess the rates of undetermined ICH (p=0.62). Conclusions: The etiology of spontaneous ICH remains undetermined among one in five patients in studies using etiology-oriented classification and among one in four patients in studies that avoid using etiology-oriented classification. The short-term mortality in undetermined ICH is high despite the relatively small ICH volume. Our findings suggest the use of etiology-oriented classification to approach ICH patients (Figure).
Abstract only Introduction: With more widespread anticoagulant use, anticoagulation-associated intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) represents an increasing proportion of all ICH. We hypothesized that c ...ombining ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke risk estimation can guide treatment decisions, with more precision than ischemic risk estimation alone. Methods: We enrolled consecutive patients with anticoagulation-associated ICH in 15 centers in USA, Europe and Asia from 2015-2017. Each patient was assigned annual baseline ischemic stroke and hemorrhage risk based on their CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and HAS-BLED scores without and with index ICH taken into account. We computed a net risk by subtracting the hemorrhagic from the ischemic risk. If the sum was positive the patient was assigned a “Favorable” indication for anticoagulation; if negative an “Unfavorable”. We compared clinical and neuroimaging characteristics between the two groups. Results: Our cohort comprised 357 patients (59% male, median age 76 68-82 years). 69% used vitamin-K antagonists (VKA), 31 % Non vitamin K antagonist (NOAC). 191 (53.5%) of patients had a favorable indication for anticoagulation prior to their ICH event; the rest 166 (46.5%) had an unfavorable indication. Those with an unfavorable indication were younger (7266-80 vs 7873-84 years, p=0.001, had a lower CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score (33-4 vs 54-6, p<0.001) and higher HAS-BLED score (32-4 vs 22-3, p=0.025). Those with favorable indication had a significantly higher prevalence of all major cardiovascular risk factors and were more likely to use NOAC (35% vs 25%, p=0.045). After including ICH into the HAS-BLED score estimation, 77 of the 191 patients with favorable profile were rendered unfavorable; leaving 114 patients (32% of the cohort) with favorable profile. Conclusions: In this anticoagulation-associated ICH cohort, baseline hemorrhage risk exceeded ischemic risk in ~50% of patients. This finding highlights the need for careful consideration of risk/benefit ratio prior to anticoagulation decisions. The remaining ~ 50% suffered an ICH although their baseline risk of ischemia exceeded that of hemorrhage which stresses the need for imaging, serum or other biomarkers to allow more precise estimation of hemorrhagic complication risk.