Objective:To evaluate whether pretreatment with metformin (MET) is associated with less stroke severity and better outcome after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), we analyzed a cohort of 1919 stroke patients with type-2 diabetes in a multicenter exploratory analysis.Methods:Data from patients with diabetes affected by ischemic stroke treated with IVT were collected within the European Thrombolysis in Ischemic Stroke Patients (TRISP) collaboration. We applied propensity score matching (PSM) to obtain balanced baseline characteristics of patients treated with and without MET.Results:Of 1919 stroke patients with type-2 diabetes who underwent IVT, 757 (39%) had received MET before stroke (MET+), whereas 1162 (61%) had not (MET-). MET+ patients were younger with a male preponderance. Hypercholesterolemia and pretreatment with statins, antiplatelets or antihypertensives were more common in the MET+ group. After PSM, the two groups were well balanced with respect to demographic and clinical aspects. Stroke severity on admission (NIHSS 10.0 ± 6.7 vs. 11.3 ± 6.5), 3-months degree of independence on modified Rankin Scale (mRS): 2 [IQR 1.0, 4.0] vs. 3 [IQR 1.0, 4.0] as well as mortality (12.5% vs. 18%) were significantly lower in the MET+ group. The frequency of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhages did not differ between groups. HbA1c levels were well balanced between both groups.Conclusions:Stroke patients with diabetes on treatment with MET receiving IVT had less severe strokes on admission and a better functional outcome at 3 months. This suggests a protective effect of MET resulting in less severe strokes as well as beneficial thrombolysis outcome.

Preadmission treatment with SSRIs was not significantly associated with an increased risk of post-thrombolysis sICH in this cohort study. However, subgroup analysis suggested an increased risk of sICH in patients taking both SSRI and OAC. Preadmission treatment with SSRIs was associated with unfavorable outcome, which may reflect the prognostic significance of prestroke depression.

Background: We aimed to provide a representation of the global burden of stroke. Methods: All cases of stroke were prospectively identified through the population-based registry of Dijon, France (1987–2012). Attack rates and mortality rates (defined as stroke leading to death within 30 days) were standardized to the European standard. Sex differences and temporal trends were evaluated by calculating rate ratios (RRs). Results: In all, 5,285 stroke cases (52.7% women) were recorded. The standardized attack rate was 98.2/100,000/year and the mortality rate was 12/100,000/year, and both were lower in women than in men (RR 0.67, p < 0.001, and RR 0.70, p < 0.001, respectively). Attack rates increased over time (RR 1.016; 95% CI 1.013–1.020) irrespective of the stroke subtype. In contrast, mortality rates declined (RR 0.985; 95% CI 0.976–0.995) with decreasing rates for ischemic stroke but no change for intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The sex gap in both attack and mortality rates remained stable. Between the first (1987–1991) and the last (2007–2012) study periods, the annual number of stroke patients who survived beyond 30 days rose by 55%, Conclusions: Increasing attack rates and decreasing mortality have led to a rise in the number of stroke survivors in the population, thus indicating a growing need for the implementation of dedicated services.