Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School in Boston
Neurology
I am a clinician-scientist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of the Harvard Medical School, where I serve as the Director of the Vascular Neurology Fellowship program and Director of the Neurosonology Laboratory. My main research interest is the epidemiology of cerebrovascular disease with special focus on the intersection between vascular injury, cerebral small vessel disease and cognitive decline. I am an investigator in the Framingham Heart Study and currently engaged in a project the prevalance, risk factors and cognitive impact of cortical microinfarcts in the general population. I am also interested in the global epidemiology of stroke and stroke care delivery in low and middle income countries, and actively working with colleagues from all over the world via the Future Leaders Program of the World Stroke Organization.

Presenter of 2 Presentations

Feasibility and challenges of acute stroke care implementation in two African countries: a pilot study

Session Type
Other
Date
Wed, 26.10.2022
Session Time
13:30 - 15:00
Room
Room 331
Lecture Time
14:23 - 14:40

RISK OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE FOLLOWING TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACKS IN THE COMMUNITY-THE FRAMINGHAM STUDY

Session Type
Clinical Manifestations
Date
Wed, 26.10.2022
Session Time
08:00 - 09:30
Room
Room 331
Lecture Time
08:30 - 08:40

Abstract

Background and Aims

The association between Transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke is well-established; the risk of non-cerebral cardiovascular events is less well described. We report the risk ,timing and time-trends for coronary heart disease (CHD) post-TIA in the community-based Framingham Study (FHS) cohort.

Methods

Longitudinal follow-up (1948-2017) of all FHS participants with TIA, free of CHD at age 35-94. Each TIA case was randomly assigned 3 age- and gender- matched CHD-free controls. Cox models were used to examine the risk of subsequent CHD, defined as coronary death or myocardial infarction. Risk was assessed in 3 epochs: 1954-1985, 1986-1999, 2000-2017.

Results

286 participants (170 women, 73.1±10.8 years) with a first-ever TIA were identified; over 9.5±8.1 [VL1] [HJJ2] years of follow-up 68 (23.8%) had CHD. The majority (85%) occurred beyond 12 months from TIA. Compared to controls, persons with TIA had a 54% higher 10-year risk of CHD, adjusting for age, sex, education level hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and current smoking (Hazard Ratio 1.54, 95% CI 1.05-2.27, p<0.03). The risk of post-TIA CHD decreased significantly over time, from 37% between 1954-1986 to 12% in the epoch of 2000-2017; CHD risk in controls in the last epoch was 6%.

Conclusions

Compared to the general population, TIA patients are at significantly higher risk of subsequent CHD. Our findings suggest that TIA should not be viewed as a strictly cerebrovascular problem, but as herald of subsequent overall cardiovascular risk beyond stroke and highlight the need for both early intervention but also continued surveillance in this high-risk patient population.

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