Background There is no universally accepted age cut‐off for defining young strokes. Aims We aimed to determine, based on the profile of young stroke patients in our regional centre, an appropriate age cut‐off for young strokes. Methods A retrospective analysis of all ischaemic stroke patients admitted to our centre from 2015 to 2017. We identified 391 ischaemic stroke patients; 30 patients between the ages of ≤50, 40 between 51–60 inclusive and 321 ≥ 61 years of age. We collected data on demographic profiles, risk factors and stroke classification using the Trial of Org 10 172 in Acute Stroke Treatment criteria. Results We found significant differences between the ≤50 and ≥61 age groups for most of the risk factors and similarities between the 51–60 inclusive and ≥ 61 age groups. At least one of the six risk factors assessed in the study was present in 86.7% of the youngest group, 97.5% of the intermediate age group and 97.2% in the oldest group. In terms of the mechanisms of stroke, the youngest and oldest age groups in our study differed in the prevalence of cryptogenic, cardioembolic and other causes of stroke. The middle and older age groups had similar mechanisms of stroke. Conclusions The prevalence of vascular risk factors and mechanisms of stroke likewise differed significantly across age groups. This study suggests that 50 years is an appropriate age cut‐off for defining young strokes and reinforces the importance of primary prevention in all age groups.

More than half of adults with epilepsy undergoing resective epilepsy surgery achieve long-term seizure freedom and might consider withdrawing antiseizure medications (ASMs). We aimed to identify predictors of seizure recurrence after starting postoperative ASM withdrawal and develop and validate predictive models. We performed an international multicentre observational cohort study in nine tertiary epilepsy referral centres. We included 850 adults who started ASM withdrawal following resective epilepsy surgery and were free of seizures other than focal non-motor aware seizures before starting ASM withdrawal. We developed a model predicting recurrent seizures, other than focal non-motor aware seizures, using Cox proportional hazards regression in a derivation cohort (n = 231). Independent predictors of seizure recurrence, other than focal non-motor aware seizures, following the start of ASM withdrawal were focal non motor-aware seizures after surgery and before withdrawal (adjusted hazards ratio [aHR] 5.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.7-11.1), history of focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures before surgery (aHR 1.6, 95% CI 0.9-2.8), time from surgery to the start of ASM withdrawal (aHR 0.9, 95% CI 0.8-0.9), and number of ASMs at time of surgery (aHR 1.2, 95% CI 0.9-1.6). Model discrimination showed a concordance statistic of 0.67 (95% CI 0.63-0.71) in the external validation cohorts (n = 500). A secondary model predicting recurrence of any seizures (including focal non-motor aware seizures) was developed and validated in a subgroup that did not have focal non-motor aware seizures before withdrawal (n = 639), showing a concordance statistic of 0.68 (95% CI 0.64-0.72). Calibration plots indicated high agreement of predicted and observed outcomes for both models. We show that simple algorithms, available as graphical nomograms and online tools (predictepilepsy.github.io), can provide probabilities of seizure outcomes after starting postoperative ASMs withdrawal. These multicentre-validated models may assist clinicians when discussing ASM withdrawal after surgery with their patients.

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Background Stroke and diabetes mellitus (DM) are significant interrelated healthcare issues but there is a dearth of data on the prevalence of DM among Australia's regional stroke population. Aims We aimed to determine the prevalence of DM in stroke patients at a large regional centre, including subanalyses on stroke subtypes, glycaemic control and renal function in ischaemic stroke (IS). Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients (n = 323) with IS or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) admitted to Ballarat Base Hospital from January 2015 to December 2016. Demographic data, cardiovascular risk factors, aetiology/territory of IS, pre‐morbid DM status, indicators of glycaemic control and renal impairment were recorded. Results DM was present in 28.5% of IS and TIA patients, including 4% being newly diagnosed. Among diabetic IS patients, 45.3% had poor glycaemic control (HbA1c ≥7.0%) while 16% had moderate to severe renal impairment (estimated glomerular filtration rate of <30). The majority of IS were partial anterior circulation stroke (53.4%) and cardioembolism was the commonest mechanism (43.5%). We found no significant association between DM and a specific stroke location or mechanism. Conclusions Almost one‐third of IS/TIA patients had DM, with a significant proportion showing poor glycaemic control. The DM prevalence in our cohort was comparable with reported rates from other developed countries. Although we found no association between DM and a particular stroke type or mechanism, it is likely a reflection of our cohort size. Our study demonstrated that DM, as a significant risk factor in IS, warrants early detection and better management strategies.

Objectives An important but understudied benefit of resective epilepsy surgery is improvement in productivity; that is, people's ability to contribute to society through participation in the workforce and in unpaid roles such as carer duties. Here, we aimed to evaluate productivity in adults with drug‐resistant epilepsy (DRE) pre‐ and post‐resective epilepsy surgery, and to explore the factors that positively influence productivity outcomes. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis using four electronic databases: Medline (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), EBM Reviews ‐ Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Cochrane Library. All studies over the past 30 years reporting on pre‐ and post‐resective epilepsy surgical outcomes in adults with DRE were eligible for inclusion. Meta‐analysis was performed to assess the post‐surgery change in employment outcomes. Results A total of 1005 titles and abstracts were reviewed. Seventeen studies, comprising 2056 unique patients, were suitable for the final quantitative synthesis and meta‐analysis. Resective epilepsy surgery resulted in a 22% improvement in overall productivity (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07–1.40). The factors associated with increased post‐surgery employment risk ratios were lower pre‐surgical employment in the workforce (relative risk ratio [RRR] =0.34; 95% CI: 0.15–0.74), shorter follow‐up duration (RRR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.90–0.99), and lower mean age at time of surgery (RRR= 0.97; 95% CI: 0.94–0.99). The risk of bias of the included studies was assessed using Risk Of Bias In Non‐randomised Studies ‐ of Interventions and was low for most variables except ”measurement of exposure.” Significance There is clear evidence that resective surgery in eligible surgical DRE patients results in improved productivity. Future work may include implementing a standardized method for collecting and reporting productivity in epilepsy cohorts and focusing on ways to reprioritize health care resource allocation to allow suitable candidates to access surgery earlier. This will ultimately benefit individuals with DRE, their families, our communities, and the wider health care system.