Author: Gary Jackson

Alcohol and Acute Ischemic Stroke Onset: The Stroke Onset Study PMC

A transient ischemic attack is sometimes known as a ministroke. An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot, known as a thrombus, blocks or plugs an artery leading to the brain. A blood clot often forms in arteries damaged by a buildup of plaques, known as atherosclerosis. It can occur in the carotid artery of the neck as well as other arteries. Also, the meta-analysis could not use the same categories of alcohol consumption across all the studies, as the authors lacked individual patient data.

LO, EB and TA were involved in clinical work-up, manuscript preparation, editing and submission. IF and KF were directly involved in the diagnosis and treatment of the patients. IF, KF and LCs revised the manuscript critically for important content. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript. A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a temporary period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke. A TIA is caused by a temporary decrease in blood supply to part of the brain.

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The study revealed that light and moderate alcohol consumption seemed to lower the risk of ischemic stroke, but it had no impact on the risk of developing hemorrhagic stroke. In this multi-center study, we interviewed 390 patients (209 men, 181 women) between January 2001 and November 2006 (median 3 days after stroke). Alcohol consumption in the hour before stroke symptoms was compared with its expected frequency based on the usual frequency of alcohol consumption over the prior year. “The adverse effect of alcohol consumption on blood pressure – a major risk factor for stroke – may increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke and outweigh any potential benefit,” Dr. Larsson mentions. As the winter holidays are fast approaching, alcohol consumption rates are about to go up. While low to moderate drinking has been shown by some studies to have beneficial effects on the heart and circulatory system, new research suggests alcohol use may increase the risk of some types of stroke and not others.

• Cases were more likely to report no or heavy alcohol consumption, while the controls were more likely to report rare, moderate, and intermediate alcohol consumption.
• Participants answered a series of questions using a questionnaire or an interview.
• Eligible, participants had a neurologist-confirmed diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke, either by clinical diagnosis or appropriate imaging studies, were English speaking, and free of dementia prior to the index event.
• If you’ve had a TIA, it means you may have a partially blocked or narrowed artery leading to the brain.
• Regularly drinking too much alcohol raises your risk of a stroke.
• As the winter holidays are fast approaching, alcohol consumption rates are about to go up.

An ischemic stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked or reduced. This prevents brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. It occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or bursts and causes bleeding in the brain. The blood increases pressure on brain cells and damages them. Once you get to the hospital, your emergency team will review your symptoms and complete a physical exam. They will use several tests to help them figure out what type of stroke you’re having and determine the best treatment for the stroke.

Alcohol and Acute Ischemic Stroke Onset: The Stroke Onset Study

This study recruited a multiethnic population with ICH that was specifically designed to have equal power among minority populations, while prior studies in the literature may have been limited by power. In another sensitivity analysis we used the number of drinks consumed in the week preceding the stroke as the control information. We were not able to examine the association between binge drinking and ischemic stroke, since only one person reported drinking more than 2 servings of alcohol in the hour before stroke onset. Interviewers used a structured questionnaire and asked patients to report the date and time of their first symptoms heralding their stroke. Patients were asked if they had consumed any alcoholic beverage in the year preceding their stroke.

First, the results of the study are contingent upon the accuracy of alcohol history reporting, and family members may be relied upon for patients who were not able to provide detailed history. Thus this study may suffer from reporting and recall biases. Second, the stratification of alcohol consumption was based on the number of drinks, and data regarding the exact amount of alcohol consumed were not available. In addition, further understanding of the mechanism by which alcohol confers its protective effects is needed. This is the largest study to date in the literature investigating alcohol consumption and ICH risk.

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The study consisted of a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing studies. Researchers looked at 25 prospective studies containing data on ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Contrary to observations that moderate drinking (one or two drinks per day) protects against stroke, a new study finds that stroke risk may rise with increasing alcohol intake. The Stroke Onset Study was conducted in three medical centers (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA; University of North Carolina Hospitals, Chapel Hill, NC; Vancouver Island Health Authority, Victoria, BC). Between January 2001 and November 2006, 390 patients (209 men and 181 women) were interviewed a median of 3 days (range 0 to 14) after sustaining an acute ischemic stroke. Research staff identified eligible patients by reviewing admission logs and charts of patients admitted to each hospital’s Stroke Service.

• Some early research shows that COVID-19 infection may increase the risk of ischemic stroke, but more study is needed.
• The study consisted of a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing studies.
• A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a temporary period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke.

The second type of stroke happens when a blood vessel can leak or burst. So the blood spills into the brain tissue or surrounding the brain. Prompt treatment can reduce brain damage and the likelihood of death or disability.

We multiplied the usual annual frequency of alcohol consumption by the hypothesized window of its physiologic effect (one hour in the primary analysis) to estimate the amount of person-time exposed to alcohol. The unexposed person-time was calculated by subtracting this value from the number of hours in one year. The data were analyzed using methods for cohort studies with sparse data in each stratum.