Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Stroke is the second most common cause of death. It is also the leading cause of disability worldwide. Low-income countries, where infectious diseases play a major role, carry the biggest burden of growing numbers of stroke. Infections can trigger an acute stroke. Malawi is situated in Sub-Saharan Africa, where prevalence of chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and stroke are increasing. The HIV-prevalence among young adults is 12%. HIV may cause milder neurocognitive impairments, which are called HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Methods: The Helsinki Young Stroke Registry (HYSR) includes over 1000 patients aged 15-49 years with acute ischemic stroke. We investigated how high leukocyte count and infections affect recovery after stroke. In Malawi, we defined the stroke characteristics, impact of HIV, and one-year outcome. A selected subset of patients were interviewed about their quality of life (QOL). A group of Finnish men were investigated to determine whether HIV has caused neurological or neurocognitive impairment when with best available treatment for even 30 years. Results: In Helsinki (781 patients) high leukocyte count weakened 3-month outcome, however, not the long-term outcome (8.1±4.2 years). In the other study (681patients) 10% had preceding infection (PI), most commonly upper respiratory tract infection, and 15% had post stroke infection (PSI), most commonly pneumonia. All the infections worsened 3-month outcome. PSI was associated with long-term (7.8±4.0 years) higher risk of all-cause death. In Malawi (147 patients) HIV-infected patients (34%) suffered more often from ischemic stroke than HIV-negative patients. They were younger and had less often conventional risk factors for stroke. More than half of all patients had a poor outcome at 1-year, and the mortality rate was 45%. This was related to stroke severity and female gender but not to presence of HIV. We interviewed 25 patients. Good functional outcome was positively associated with better QOL on the domains of self-care and ability for communication. Females scored worse on the domains of fatigue and cognition. Older age was associated with worse QOL on the domain of self care. HIV did not affect the QOL. We evaluated 17 Finnish HIV-patients. A third had signs of polyneuropathy, half suffered from fatigue, and mild depression was common. Magnet resonance image (MRI) showed signs of lacunar ischemic stroke in three patients. Conclusions: The high leukocyte count in HYSR patients was associated with vascular disease and stroke severity. The high leukocyte count, PI and PSI were associated with poor short-term outcomes. PSIs were also associated with higher long-term mortality. In Malawi, severe stroke and gender were associated with unfavorable outcome. HIV-infection is common especially among young stroke patients, but not related to unfavorable outcome. QOL was associated with age, gender, and functional recovery. Despite HIV, the surviving Finnish patients had no describing features of HAND. Polyneuropathy, fatigue and mild depression were common. The silent strokes in MRI support the hypothesis of HIV increasing the risk of strokes.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Author: Terttu Heikinheimo-Connell
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2117934882