Left insular stroke and cardiac outcome

Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US.
10% of stroke victims suffer cardiac outcomes due to
coronary artery disease or cardiac derangements
induced by stroke. Damage to the left insula may
cause impairment of cardiac parasympathetic tone
favoring the sympathetic system leading to adverse
cardiac outcomes.

The author performed a prospective study of
stroke/TIA patients and compared cardiac outcome
between those with left insular stroke and those
with stroke involving other locations. Power
spectral analysis was performed to assess autonomic
tone.

Left insula stroke was found to be an independent
predictor of the outcomes. The association was even
stronger among patients without symptomatic coronary
artery disease. Power spectral analysis showed that
there was an increase in instability of
parasympathetic tone in patients with left insular
stroke and there was no increase in instability of
sympathetic tone.

It has been concluded that left insular stroke is
associated with an increased risk of adverse cardiac
outcomes. A possible mechanism is impairment of the
parasympathetic tone favoring the sympathetic
system.

Autorentext
After finishing his education at Suankularb and Chulalongkorn Medical School in Thailand, Dr. Somchai Laowattana came to the US for medical trainings at such prestigious institutions as Vanderbilt, Yale and Johns Hopkins. He received King's Scholarship Award of Thailand and a Scholarship Award from Johns Hopkins for his PhD dissertation.

Klappentext
Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US. 10% of stroke victims suffer cardiac outcomes due to coronary artery disease or cardiac derangements induced by stroke. Damage to the left insula may cause impairment of cardiac parasympathetic tone favoring the sympathetic system leading to adverse cardiac outcomes. The author performed a prospective study of stroke/TIA patients and compared cardiac outcome between those with left insular stroke and those with stroke involving other locations. Power spectral analysis was performed to assess autonomic tone. Left insula stroke was found to be an independent predictor of the outcomes. The association was even stronger among patients without symptomatic coronary artery disease. Power spectral analysis showed that there was an increase in instability of parasympathetic tone in patients with left insular stroke and there was no increase in instability of sympathetic tone. It has been concluded that left insular stroke is associated with an increased risk of adverse cardiac outcomes. A possible mechanism is impairment of the parasympathetic tone favoring the sympathetic system.