Poststroke Depression between Men and Women 2 Weeks after Ischemic Stroke in China / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To analyze the features of poststroke depression (PSD) between men and women after acute ischemic stroke in China. Methods A total of 1917 ischemic stroke patients were enrolled from the Prospective Cohort Study on Incidence and Outcome of Patients with Poststroke Depression in China. The incidence of PSD and the features were compared between male and female patients. The factors related with PSD of every gender were extracted with Logistic regression analysis. Results The incidence of PSD was higher in women than in men (32.9% vs. 26.6%, P<0.01). There was no difference in the stroke score between women and men (P>0.05). The score of Hamilton Depression Scale was higher in the women than in the men, and the features were similar. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the history of heart disease, history of mental disorders and stroke score related with PSD in women, while the age, history of mental disorders, smoking and stroke score in men. Conclusion The incidence and related factors of PSD 2 weeks after ischemic stroke are different between men and women.

In-hospital medical complications associated with patient dependency after acute ischemic stroke: data from the China National Stroke Registry / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The mortality of stroke patients is strongly affected by medical complications. However, there are limited data investigating the effect of in-hospital medical complications on the dependency of stroke patients worldwide. We prospectively and systematically investigated the effect of medical complications on dependency of patients at 3, 6 and 12 months after stroke using the China National Stroke Registry (CNSR).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This prospective cohort study collected data of patients age > 18 years with acute ischemic stroke in 132 clinical centers distributed across 32 provinces and four municipalities (including Hong Kong region) of China, from September 2007 to August 2008. Data on medical complications, dependency and other information were obtained from paper-based registry forms. Medical complications associated with stroke outcomes were assessed using multivariable Logistic regression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of 11 560 patients with acute ischemic stroke, 1826 (15.80%) presented with in-hospital medical complications. In-hospital medical complications were independent risk factors for dependency of patients at 3 months (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.367, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.021 - 2.771), 6 months (adjusted OR 2.257, 95%CI 1.922 - 2.650), and 12 months (adjusted OR 1.820, 95%CI 1.538 - 2.154) after acute ischemic stroke.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results demonstrated that the short-term and long-term dependency of acute ischemic stroke patients is significantly associated with in-hospital medical complications in China.</p>

A new prospect in cancer therapy: targeting cancer stem cells to eradicate cancer / 癌症

According to the cancer stem cell theory, cancers can be initiated by cancer stem cells. This makes cancer stem cells prime targets for therapeutic intervention. Eradicating cancer stem cells by efficient targeting agents may have the potential to cure cancer. In this review, we summarize recent breakthroughs that have improved our understanding of cancer stem cells, and we discuss the therapeutic strategy of targeting cancer stem cells, a promising future direction for cancer stem cell research.

Effect of in-hospital medical complications on case fatality post-acute ischemic stroke: data from the China National Stroke Registry / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>In-hospital medical complications are associated with poorer clinical outcomes for stroke patients after disease onset. However, few studies from China have reported the effect of these complications on the mortality of patients with acute ischemic stroke. In this prospective work, the China National Stroke Registry Study, we investigated the effect of medical complications on the case fatality of patients with acute ischemic stroke.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From September 2007 to August 2008, we prospectively obtained the data of patients with acute stroke from 132 clinical centers in China. Medical complications, case fatality and other information recorded at baseline, during hospitalisation, and at 3, 6, and 12 months after stroke onset. Multivariable Logistic regression was performed to analyze the effect of medical complications on the case fatality of patients with acute ischemic stroke.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 39 741 patients screened, 14 526 patients with acute ischemic stroke recruited, and 11 560 ischemic stroke patients without missing data identified during the 12-month follow-up. Of the 11 560 ischemic patients, 15.8% (1826) had in-hospital medical complications. The most common complication was pneumonia (1373; 11.9% of patients), followed by urinary tract infection and gastrointestinal bleeding. In comparison with patients without complications, stroke patients with complications had a significantly higher risk of death during their hospitalization, and at 3, 6 and 12 months post-stroke. Having any one in-hospital medical complication was an independent risk factor for death in patients with acute ischemic stroke during hospital period (adjusted OR = 6.946; 95%CI 5.181 to 9.314), at 3 months (adjusted OR = 3.843; 95%CI 3.221 to 4.584), 6 months (adjusted OR = 3.492; 95%CI 2.970 to 4.106), and 12 months (adjusted OR = 3.511; 95%CI 3.021 to 4.080). Having multiple complications strongly increased the death risk of patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Short-term and long-term outcomes of acute stroke patients are affected by in-hospital medical complications.</p>