BACKGROUND It is unknown whether warfarin or aspirin therapy is superior for patients with heart failure who are in sinus rhythm. METHODS We designed this trial to determine whether warfarin (with a target international normalized ratio of 2.0 to 3.5) or aspirin (at a dose of 325 mg per day) is a better treatment for patients in sinus rhythm who have a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). We followed 2305 patients for up to 6 years (mean [±SD], 3.5±1.8). The primary outcome was the time to the first event in a composite end point of ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, or death from any cause. RESULTS The rates of the primary outcome were 7.47 events per 100 patient-years in the warfarin group and 7.93 in the aspirin group (hazard ratio with warfarin, 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79 to 1.10; P = 0.40). Thus, there was no significant overall difference between the two treatments. In a time-varying analysis, the hazard ratio changed over time, slightly favoring warfarin over aspirin by the fourth year of follow-up, but this finding was only marginally significant (P = 0.046). Warfarin, as compared with aspirin, was associated with a significant reduction in the rate of ischemic stroke throughout the follow-up period (0.72 events per 100 patient-years vs. 1.36 per 100 patient-years; hazard ratio, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.33 to 0.82; P = 0.005). The rate of major hemorrhage was 1.78 events per 100 patient-years in the warfarin group as compared with 0.87 in the aspirin group (P<0.001). The rates of intracerebral and intracranial hemorrhage did not differ significantly between the two treatment groups (0.27 events per 100 patient-years with warfarin and 0.22 with aspirin, P = 0.82). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with reduced LVEF who were in sinus rhythm, there was no significant overall difference in the primary outcome between treatment with warfarin and treatment with aspirin. A reduced risk of ischemic stroke with warfarin was offset by an increased risk of major hemorrhage. The choice between warfarin and aspirin should be individualized.

Stroke mechanisms are variable in HIV-infected patients, with a relatively high incidence of vasculitis and hypercoagulability. In our population of severely immunodepressed patients, exposure to combination antiretroviral treatment did not significantly influence the mechanism of stroke.

Background and Purpose-Postpartum angiopathy (PPA), a rare cause of stroke in the puerperium, is heralded by severe headaches within 1-2 weeks after delivery. Angiography demonstrates segmental vasoconstriction that often resolves spontaneously. PPA is generally regarded as benign. We aimed to define clinical presentations, radiological findings, and outcomes of patients with PPA. Methods-We retrospectively reviewed patients from 3 centers with acute neurological symptoms and angiography showing vasoconstriction in the postpartum period. Patients without neuroimaging and with diagnoses of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and aneurysmal hemorrhage were excluded. Patient characteristics, clinical symptoms, neuroimaging findings, and clinical condition at hospital discharge were collected. Results-Eighteen patients (mean age, 31 years; range, 15-41) were identified. Median gestation was 38 weeks. Twelve (67%) had a history of prior uneventful pregnancy. Neurological symptoms began on median day 5 postpartum and included headache (nϭ16, 89%), focal deficit (nϭ9, 50%), visual disturbance (nϭ8, 44%), encephalopathy (nϭ6, 33%), and seizure (nϭ5, 28%), often in combination. Brain imaging was abnormal in most (nϭ13, 72%). The most common abnormalities were intracranial hemorrhage (nϭ7, 39%), vasogenic edema (nϭ6, 35%), and infarction (nϭ6, 35%). Clinical outcomes were markedly variable with full recovery seen in 9 (50%), death after a fulminant course in 4 (22%), and residual deficits in 5 (28%). Conclusions-In contrast to prior reports, this group of patients with PPA had a higher proportion of nonbenign outcomes.Most patients who undergo neuroimaging have parenchymal abnormalities, which are most often stroke (hemorrhagic or ischemic) or reversible vasogenic edema. (Stroke. 2012;43:670-676.)

Background and Purpose Inflammatory biomarkers predict incident and recurrent cardiac events, but their relationship to stroke prognosis is uncertain. We hypothesized that high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) predicts recurrent ischemic stroke after recent lacunar stroke. Methods Levels of Inflammatory Markers in the Treatment of Stroke (LIMITS) was an international, multicenter, prospective ancillary biomarker study nested within Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes (SPS3), a Phase III trial in patients with recent lacunar stroke. Patients were assigned in factorial design to aspirin versus aspirin plus clopidogrel, and higher versus lower blood pressure targets. Patients had blood samples collected at enrollment, and hsCRP measured using nephelometry at a central laboratory. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (HR, 95%CI) for recurrence risks before and after adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and statin use. Results Among 1244 lacunar stroke patients (mean 63.3 ± 10.8 years), median hsCRP was 2.16 mg/L. There were 83 recurrent ischemic strokes (including 45 lacunes), and 115 major vascular events (stroke, myocardial infarction, vascular death). Compared with the bottom quartile, those in the top quartile (hsCRP >4.86 mg/L) were at increased risk of recurrent ischemic stroke (unadjusted HR 2.54, 95%CI 1.30–4.96), even after adjusting for demographics and risk factors (adjusted HR 2.32, 95%CI 1.15–4.68). HsCRP predicted increased risk of major vascular events (top quartile adjusted HR 2.04, 95%CI 1.14–3.67). There was no interaction with randomized antiplatelet treatment. Conclusions Among recent lacunar stroke patients, hsCRP levels predict risk of recurrent strokes and other vascular events. HsCRP did not predict response to dual antiplatelets.

The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is a systematic assessment tool designed to measure the neurological deficits most often seen with acute stroke. It assesses level of consciousness, gaze, visual fields, facial weakness, motor performance of the extremities, sensory deficit, coordination (ataxia), language (aphasia), speech (dysarthria), and hemi‐inattention (neglect). For all parameters, a value of 0 is normal; so, the higher the score, the worse the neurological deficit (the highest possible score is 42). The scale was designed to be done quickly and easily at the bedside to provide a rapid and standardized assessment of neurological function in the early periods after a stroke. It has been validated and has been shown to be reliable, even when performed by non‐neurologists and non‐physicians.