Abstract-Poststroke depression (PSD) is common, affecting approximately one third of stroke survivors at any one time after stroke. Individuals with PSD are at a higher risk for suboptimal recovery, recurrent vascular events, poor quality of life, and mortality. Although PSD is prevalent, uncertainty remains regarding predisposing risk factors and optimal strategies for prevention and treatment. This is the first scientific statement from the American Heart Association on the topic of PSD. Members of the writing group were appointed by the American Heart Association Stroke Council's Scientific Statements Oversight Committee and the American Heart Association's Manuscript Oversight Committee. Members were assigned topics relevant to their areas of expertise and reviewed appropriate literature, references to published clinical and epidemiology studies, clinical and public health guidelines, authoritative statements, and expert opinion. This multispecialty statement provides a comprehensive review of the current evidence and gaps in current knowledge of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, outcomes, management, and prevention of PSD, and provides implications for clinical practice. (Stroke. 2017;48:e30-e43.

Objective To determine trends in ischemic stroke incidence among Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. Methods We performed population-based stroke surveillance from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2010 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Ischemic stroke patients 45 years and older were ascertained from potential sources, and charts were abstracted. Neurologists validated cases based on source documentation blinded to ethnicity and age. Crude and age-, sex-, and ethnicity-adjusted annual incidence was calculated for first ever completed ischemic stroke. Poisson regression models were used to calculate adjusted ischemic stroke rates, rate ratios, and trends. Results There were 2,604 ischemic strokes in Mexican Americans and 2,042 in non-Hispanic whites. The rate ratios (Mexican American:non-Hispanic white) were 1.94 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.67–2.25), 1.50 (95% CI = 1.35– 1.67), and 1.00 (95% CI = 0.90–1.11) among those aged 45 to 59, 60 to 74, and 75 years and older, respectively, and 1.34 (95% CI = 1.23–1.46) when adjusted for age. Ischemic stroke incidence declined during the study period by 35.9% (95% CI = 25.9–44.5). The decline was limited to those aged ≥60 years, and happened in both ethnic groups similarly (p > 0.10), implying that the disparities seen in the 45- to 74-year age group persist unabated. Interpretation Ischemic stroke incidence rates have declined dramatically in the past decade in both ethnic groups for those aged ≥60 years. However, the disparity between Mexican American and non-Hispanic white stroke rates persists in those <75 years of age. Although the decline in stroke is encouraging, additional prevention efforts targeting young Mexican Americans are warranted.

Innovative strategies are needed to reduce the hypertension epidemic among African Americans. Reach Out was a faith-collaborative, mobile health, randomized, pilot intervention trial of four mobile health components to reduce high blood pressure (BP) compared to usual care. It was designed and tested within a community-based participatory research framework among African Americans recruited and randomized from churches in Flint, Michigan. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of the Reach Out processes. Feasibility was assessed by willingness to consent (acceptance of randomization), proportion of weeks participants texted their BP readings (intervention use), number lost to follow-up (retention), and responses to postintervention surveys and focus groups (acceptance of intervention). Of the 425 church members who underwent BP screening, 94 enrolled in the study and 73 (78%) completed the 6-month outcome assessment. Median age was 58 years, and 79% were women. Participants responded with their BPs on an average of 13.7 (SD = 10.7) weeks out of 26 weeks that the BP prompts were sent. All participants reported satisfaction with the intervention. Reach Out, a faith-collaborative, mobile health intervention was feasible. Further study of the efficacy of the intervention and additional mobile health strategies should be considered.

In this large cohort, TBI is associated with ischemic stroke, independent of other major predictors.

Objective A common cause of dizziness, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), is effectively diagnosed and cured with the Dix-Hallpike test (DHT) and the canalith repositioning maneuver (CRM). We aimed to describe the use of these processes in Emergency Departments (ED), to assess for trends in use over time, and to determine provider level variability in use. Design Prospective population-based surveillance study Setting EDs in Nueces County, Texas, January 15, 2008 to January 14, 2011 Subjects and Methods Adult patients discharged from EDs with dizziness, vertigo, or imbalance documented at triage. Clinical information was abstracted from source documents. A hierarchical logistic regression model adjusting for patient and provider characteristics was used to estimate trends in DHT use and provider level variability. Results 3,522 visits for dizziness were identified. A DHT was documented in 137 visits (3.9%). A CRM was documented in 8 visits (0.2%). Among patients diagnosed with BPPV, a DHT was documented in only 21.8% (34 of 156) and a CRM in 3.9% (6 of 156). In the hierarchical model (c statistic = 0.93), DHT was less likely to be used over time (odds ratio, 0.97, 95% CI [0.95, 0.99]) and the provider level explained 50% (ICC, 0.50) of the variance in the probability of DHT use. Conclusion BPPV is seldom examined for, and when diagnosed, infrequently treated in this ED population. DHT use is decreasing over time, and varies substantially by provider. Implementation research focused on BPPV care may be an opportunity to optimize management in ED dizziness presentations.

Background and Purpose: Our objective was to compare neurologic, functional, and cognitive stroke outcomes in Mexican Americans (MAs) and non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) using data from a population-based study. Methods: Ischemic strokes (2008-2012) were identified from the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) Project. Data were collected from patient or proxy interviews (conducted at baseline and 90 days post-stroke) and medical records. Ethnic differences in neurologic (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), range 0-44, higher scores worse), functional (activities of daily living (ADL)/instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) score, range 1-4, higher scores worse), and cognitive (Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MSE), range 0-100, lower scores worse) outcomes were assessed with Tobit or linear regression adjusted for demographics and clinical factors. Results: 513, 510, and 415 subjects had complete data for neurologic, functional and cognitive outcomes and covariates, respectively. Median age was 66 (IQR: 57-78); 64% were MA. In MAs, median NIHSS, ADL/IADL and 3MSE score were 3 (IQR: 1-6), 2.5 (IQR: 1.6-3.5) and 88 (IQR: 76-94), respectively. MAs scored 48% worse (95% CI: 23%-78%) on NIHSS, 0.36 points worse (95% CI: 0.16-0.57) on ADL/IADL score, and 3.39 points worse (95% CI: 0.35-6.43) on 3MSE than NHWs after multivariable adjustment. Conclusions: MAs scored worse than NHWs on all outcomes after adjustment for confounding factors; differences were only partially explained by ethnic differences in survival. These findings in combination with the increased stroke risk in MAs suggest that the public health burden of stroke in this growing population is substantial.

Objective: To determine trends in incidence and mortality of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in a rigorous population-based study. Methods:We identified all cases of spontaneous ICH in a South Texas community from 2000 to 2010 using rigorous case ascertainment methods within the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi Project. Yearly population counts were determined from the US Census, and deaths were determined from state and national databases. Age-, sex-, and ethnicity-adjusted incidence was estimated for each year with Poisson regression, and a linear trend over time was investigated. Trends in 30-day case fatality and long-term mortality (censored at 3 years) were estimated with log-binomial or Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for demographics, stroke severity, and comorbid disease.Results: A total of 734 cases of ICH were included. The age-, sex-, and ethnicity-adjusted ICH annual incidence rate was 5.21 per 10,000 (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.36, 6.24) in 2000 and 4.30 per 10,000 (95% CI 3.21, 5.76) in 2010. The estimated 10-year change in demographic-adjusted ICH annual incidence rate was 231% (95% CI 247%, 211%). Yearly demographic-adjusted 30-day case fatality ranged from 28.3% (95% CI 19.9%, 40.3%) in 2006 to 46.5% (95% CI 35.5, 60.8) in 2008. There was no change in ICH case fatality or long-term mortality over time.Conclusions: ICH incidence decreased over the past decade, but case fatality and long-term mortality were unchanged. This suggests that primary prevention efforts may be improving over time, but more work is needed to improve ICH treatment and reduce the risk of death. Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts for about 10% of all strokes but a disproportionate amount of stroke mortality.1 Incidence of ischemic stroke is declining, 2 and due to shared risk factors, ICH incidence may be expected to be declining as well. Limited data exist on recent trends in ICH burden. Trends in ICH incidence and case fatality were the subject of a 2010 systematic review, 3 though most of the included 36 studies were from before 2000, and few were specifically designed to investigate time trends. An understanding of time trends in the epidemiology of ICH incidence, case fatality, and long-term mortality is necessary to gauge the effectiveness of stroke prevention and treatment efforts.Due to improved control of risk factors such as hypertension over the past decade, 4 there is a need for more recent data on trends in ICH. The objective of this analysis was to investigate trends in ICH incidence, 30-day case fatality, and long-term mortality from 2000 to 2010 within the population-based Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) Project.

Background and Purpose Our objective was to identify factors that contribute to and/or modify the sex difference in post-stroke functional outcome. Methods Ischemic strokes (n=439) were identified from the BASIC Project (2008–2011). Data were ascertained from interviews (baseline and 90 days post-stroke) and medical records. Functional outcome was measured as an average of 22 ADL/IADL items (range 1–4, higher scores worse function). Tobit regression was used to estimate sex differences and to identify confounding and modifying factors. Results Fifty-one percent were women. Median age was 71 (IQR:59–80) in women and 64 (IQR:56–77) in men. Median ADL/IADL score at 90 days was 2.7 (IQR:1.8–3.6) in women and 2.0 (IQR:1∙3–3∙1) in men (P<0.01); this difference remained after age-adjustment (P<0.001). Factors contributing to higher ADL/IADL scores in women included pre-stroke function, marital status, pre-stroke cognition, nursing home residence, stroke severity, history of stroke/TIA, and BMI; pre-stroke function was the largest contributor. Stroke severity modified the sex difference in outcome such that differences were apparent for mild to moderate but not severe strokes. After adjustment, women still had significantly worse functional outcome than men. Conclusions These findings yield insight into possible strategies and subgroups to target to reduce the sex disparity in stroke outcome; demographics and pre-stroke and clinical factors explained only 41% of the sex difference in stroke outcome highlighting the need for future research to identify modifiable factors that contribute to sex differences.