Aim To investigate the associations between major foods and dietary fibre with subtypes of stroke in a large prospective cohort. Methods and results We analysed data on 418 329 men and women from nine European countries, with an average of 12.7 years of follow-up. Diet was assessed using validated country-specific questionnaires which asked about habitual intake over the past year, calibrated using 24-h recalls. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regressions were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke associated with consumption of red and processed meat, poultry, fish, dairy foods, eggs, cereals, fruit and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and dietary fibre. For ischaemic stroke (4281 cases), lower risks were observed with higher consumption of fruit and vegetables combined (HR; 95% CI per 200 g/day higher intake, 0.87; 0.82–0.93, P-trend < 0.001), dietary fibre (per 10 g/day, 0.77; 0.69–0.86, P-trend < 0.001), milk (per 200 g/day, 0.95; 0.91–0.99, P-trend = 0.02), yogurt (per 100 g/day, 0.91; 0.85–0.97, P-trend = 0.004), and cheese (per 30 g/day, 0.88; 0.81–0.97, P-trend = 0.008), while higher risk was observed with higher red meat consumption which attenuated when adjusted for the other statistically significant foods (per 50 g/day, 1.07; 0.96–1.20, P-trend = 0.20). For haemorrhagic stroke (1430 cases), higher risk was associated with higher egg consumption (per 20 g/day, 1.25; 1.09–1.43, P-trend = 0.002). Conclusion Risk of ischaemic stroke was inversely associated with consumption of fruit and vegetables, dietary fibre, and dairy foods, while risk of haemorrhagic stroke was positively associated with egg consumption. The apparent differences in the associations highlight the importance of examining ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke subtypes separately.

PurposeTo validate diagnoses of pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in administrative registries. We also estimated the frequency of misclassified PE and DVT events.Patients and methodsA registry search for ICD codes representing PE and DVT was performed between 1985 and 2014 in a large population-based cohort in northern Sweden. An additional search using an extended set of ICD codes was performed to identify misclassified events. Diagnoses were validated manually by reviewing medical records and radiology reports.ResultsSearching ICD codes in the National Patient Registry and Cause of Death Registry identified 2,450 participants with a first-time diagnosis of PE or DVT. The positive predictive value (PPV) for a diagnosis of PE or DVT was 80.7% and 59.2%, respectively. For the period of 2009 to 2014, the PPV was higher for PE (85.8%) but lower for DVT (54.1%). Misclassification occurred in 16.4% of DVT events and 1.1% of PE events.ConclusionRegistry-based data on PE, especially in recent years, are of acceptable quality and can be considered for use in registry-based studies. For DVT, we found that data were of low quality in regards to both PPV and misclassification and should not be used without validation.

Increased levels of sTM are associated with bleeding complications during warfarin treatment but not with cardiovascular events or all-cause mortality. Soluble TM antigen concentration has potential as a new specific marker to identify patients at high risk of bleeding during warfarin treatment.

BackgroundThe reported incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) varies considerably among studies. The primary aim of this study was to describe the incidence of VTE in relation to age and sex. The secondary aim was to describe the risk factor pattern at the time of diagnosis.MethodsThis retrospective, population-based cohort study included all adult residents in the County of Västerbotten in northern Sweden during the year 2006 (n = 204,836). All potential VTE events were manually validated and classified according to location. The presence of risk factors for VTE at the time of diagnosis was recorded.ResultsWe identified 517 adult individuals with potential VTE. Among these, 343 individuals (158 men and 185 women) had a verified VTE event in 2006. The mean incidence was 167 individuals per 100,000 person years; 155 for men and 180 for women. The mean age at diagnosis was 67.6 years in men and 72.5 years in women. The incidence of VTE increased with age. The incidence was highest in women aged 85 years or more. Pulmonary embolism with or without concurrent deep vein thrombosis was diagnosed in 161 individuals (46.9%); lower extremity deep vein thrombosis without concurrent pulmonary embolism was diagnosed in 157 individuals (45.8%); and VTE in another location was diagnosed in 25 individuals (7.3%). The most common risk factors for VTE were recent hospitalization and concurrent malignancy.ConclusionThe incidence of VTE was 167 per 100,000 person years and increased with age. The incidence was highest among older women. Pulmonary embolism was the most common form of VTE; it affected 47% of individuals with VTE. Malignancy and hospitalization were the most prevalent risk factors for VTE.