Background and Purpose Diabetes increases stroke risk, but whether diabetes status immediately prior to stroke improves prediction, and whether duration is important, are less clear. We hypothesized that diabetes duration independently predicts ischemic stroke. Methods Among 3,298 stroke-free participants in the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS), baseline diabetes and age at diagnosis were determined. Incident diabetes was assessed annually (median=9 years). Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (HR, 95% CI) for incident ischemic stroke using baseline diabetes, diabetes as a time-dependent covariate, and duration of diabetes as a time-varying covariate; models were adjusted for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Results Mean age was 69±10 years (52% Hispanic, 21% white, and 24% black); 22% were diabetic at baseline and 10% developed diabetes. There were 244 ischemic strokes, and both baseline diabetes (HR 2.5, 95% CI 1.9-3.3) and diabetes considered as a time-dependent covariate (HR 2.4, 95% CI 1.8-3.2) were similarly associated with stroke risk. Duration of diabetes was associated with ischemic stroke (adjusted HR=1.03 per year with diabetes, 95% CI=1.02-1.04). Compared to non-diabetic participants, those with diabetes for 0-5 years (adjusted HR=1.7, 95% CI=1.1-2.7), 5-10 years (adjusted HR=1.8, 95% CI=1.1-3.0), and ≥10 years (adjusted HR=3.2, 95% CI=2.4-4.5) were at increased risk. Conclusion Duration of diabetes is independently associated with ischemic stroke risk adjusting for risk factors. The risk increases 3% each year, and triples with diabetes ≥10 years.

To determine whether warfarin-treated patients with an international normalized ratio less than 1.7 who receive intravenous tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke are at increased risk for symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage.

Conflicting findings from various studies with different approaches and populations have made challenging definitive conclusions about associations between migraine and obesity. While the association between obesity and migraine frequency has been consistently demonstrated and obesity is considered a risk factor for progression from episodic to chronic migraine, the association between obesity and migraine prevalence is still somewhat debated and appears to be dependent on gender and age, with the most consistent effects observed in women younger than 55 years of age. Association between migraine and obesity is most commonly observed in women of reproductive age. The multimodal changes associated with age and hormonal change in women likely play a role in this relationship, as obesity does not appear to be related to migraine in women over 55 years of age. Future studies focusing on the migraine-obesity relationship in women should examine the effects of age, endogenous hormonal state, and exogenous hormones on migraine and obesity.

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a risk factor for diabetes, stroke, myocardial infarction, and increased mortality, and has been associated with cognition in some populations. We hypothesized that MetS would be associated with lower Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores in a multi-ethnic population, and that MetS is a better predictor of cognition than its individual components or diabetes. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among 3,150 stroke-free participants. MetS was defined by the modified National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATPIII) criteria. Linear regression and polytomous logistic regression estimated the association between MMSE score and MetS, its individual components, diabetes, and inflammatory biomarkers. Results: MetS was inversely associated with MMSE score (unadjusted β = –0.67; 95% CI –0.92, –0.41). Adjusting for potential confounders, MetS was associated with lower MMSE score (adjusted β = –0.24; 95% CI –0.47, –0.01), but its individual components and diabetes were not. Those with MetS were more likely to have an MMSE score of <18 than a score of ≧24 (adjusted OR = 1.94; 95% CI 1.26, 3.01). There was an interaction between MetS and race-ethnicity, such that MetS was associated with lower MMSE score among non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics but not non-Hispanic blacks. Conclusions: MetS was associated with lower cognition in a multi-ethnic population. Further studies of the effect of MetS on cognition are warranted, and should account for demographic differences.