Cardiac Troponin T Elevation After Stroke: Relationships Between Elevated Serum Troponin T, Stroke Location, and Prognosis

Background and Purpose: Elevation of serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is regarded as a specific marker of acute coronary syndrome. Serum cTnT can be increased in patients with acute ischemic stroke, but its clinical implications remain unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the relationships between elevated cTnT and stroke severity, location, and prognosis. Methods: From January 2005 to December 2006, this study recruited 455 consecutive patients who were admitted to Kangbuk Samsung Hospital due to acute ischemic stroke within 3 days of onset, which was confirmed by diffusion magnetic resonance imaging. A total of 416 patients was finally included and divided into 2 groups: an elevated cTnT group (n=45) and a normal cTnT group (n=371). The short-term prognosis was assessed by 30-day modified Rankin Scale responder analysis was compared between the two groups. Results: Serum cTnT was elevated in 10.8% of cases, with elevated cTnT associated with greater stroke severity, as assessed by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, Insular-lobe involvement was more common in patients with elevated cTnT than in the normal cTnT group. Short-term prognosis was more unfavorable in the elevated cTnT group than in the normal cTnT group. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that elevated cTnT was independently related to insular involvement, cardioembolism, and unfavorable outcome. Conclusions: Elevated cTnT in acute ischemic stroke was associated with severe neurological deficits at stroke onset and damages to the insular lobe. The outcome of acute ischemic stroke was worse for patients with elevated cTnT than for those with normal cTnT. The pathomechanism underlying acute ischemic stroke and subclinical myocardial damage warrants further study.

Ocular Motor Apraxia after Sequential Bilateral Striatal Infarctions

Ocular motor apraxia has been reported in bilateral frontoparietal lesions. We report a case of ocular motor apraxia after bilateral striatal infarctions. The patient had impaired voluntary saccades and smooth pursuits in the vertical and horizontal planes with an intact vestibulo-ocular reflex. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an old left putaminal infarction and an acute infarction in the right caudoputaminal area. This case demonstrates that ocular motor apraxia may occur in bilateral basal ganglia lesions.

The Experience and Intention of Health Food Use among Middle-aged Men in Urban Areas / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study examined the experience and intention of health food use regarding the different type of health foods among 201 middle-aged Korean men form urban areas. Based upon the results of a prestudy, health foods were classified into 4 groups including Chinese medicine(CM), toner foods(TF), vitamin or mineral supplements(VMS), and other manufactured heath food supplements(MHFS). compared with the4 case of health food experience, the similar proportion of the subjects were intended to use CM( 70%) and MHFS( 40%), yet the smaller proportion of them had the intention for TF(46%) and VMS(52%). Our subjects mainly obtained information on CM and TF from social networks, such as families, relatives, friends and neighbors and VMS and MHFS from mass media. Expected effects of health food consumption were different by the type of health food. The most positive expected effects were found in CM, followed by VMS. However, there was weak evidence for the positive effects of the TF and MHFS. Upon the consumption of health foods, our subject appeared to expect to their body energy to increased and body functions to be improved in general. Multivariate analyses indicated the importance of expected effects of health food consumption and aging symptoms as determinants of future health food use. Experience was rarely associated with intention in health food use. This study suggests that educated middle-aged Korean men may have a rational attitude toward health food use. Regarding different attitudes and behavior toward the different type of health foods, further research should consider the nature of each type of health foods. The limitations of this study are also discussed.