Background and Purpose— With the progress in stroke prevention, it is important to evaluate the epidemiological trends of strokes over a long period and from a nonselected population-based perspective. Methods— We estimated changes in incidence, case-fatality rates, severity, risk factors and prestroke use of preventive treatments for first-ever strokes, from a continuous 20-year well-defined population-based registry, from 1985 to 2004. Results— We recorded 3142 ischemic strokes, 341 primary cerebral hemorrhages and 74 subarachnoid hemorrhages. During the 20-year study, the age at first stroke onset increased by 5 years in men and 8 years in women. Comparing the 1985 to 1989 and the 2000 to 2004 periods, age- and sex-standardized incidences of first-ever strokes were stable except for lacunar strokes whose incidence significantly increased ( P =0.01) and for cardioembolic stroke whose incidence significantly decreased ( P =0.01). Twenty-eight-day case-fatality rates decreased significantly mainly for lacunar strokes ( P =0.05) and for primary cerebral hemorrhages ( P =0.03). The proportion of hypercholesterolemia and diabetes significantly increased ( P <0.01). In contrast, the proportion of myocardial infarction significantly decreased ( P =0.02). Prestroke antiplatelets and anticoagulants treatment significantly increased ( P <0.01). Conclusions— The age- and sex-standardized incidences of first strokes in Dijon have been stable over the past 20 years and were associated with an increase in age at stroke onset, a decrease in case-fatality rates, and an increased use of antiplatelet treatments.

The effect of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is not assessed within the first 10 years postpartum, regardless of subsequent diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the risk of CVD events related to GDM within 7 years of postpartum. This nationwide population-based study of deliveries in 2007 and 2008 with a follow-up of 7 years was based on data from the French medico-administrative database. Two groups were formed: women with a history of GDM and women without GDM or previous diabetes. CVD included angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart bypass surgery, coronary angioplasty, carotid endarterectomy and fibrinolysis. Hypertensive disease was assessed separately. Determinants studied included age, obesity, subsequent diabetes mellitus and hypertensive diseases during pregnancy. Adjusted odds ratios for outcomes were calculated using multiple logistic regressions. The hospital database recorded 1,518,990 deliveries in 2007 and 2008. Among these, 62,958 women had a history of GDM. After adjusting for age, DM, obesity and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, GDM was significantly associated with a higher risk of CVD (adjusted Odds Ratio aOR = 1.25 [1.09–1.43]). Considering each variable in a separate model, GDM was associated with angina pectoris (aOR = 1.68 [1.29–2.20]), myocardial infarction (aOR = 1.92 [1.36–2.71]) and hypertension (aOR = 2.72 [2.58–2.88]) but not with stroke. A history of GDM was identified as a risk factor of CVD, especially coronary vascular diseases, within the 7 years postpartum. A lifestyle changes from postpartum onwards can be recommended and supported.

Brite adipocytes are inducible energy-dissipating cells expressing UCP1 which appear within white adipose tissue of healthy adult individuals. Recruitment of these cells represents a potential strategy to fight obesity and associated diseases. Using human Multipotent Adipose-Derived Stem cells, able to convert into brite adipocytes, we show that arachidonic acid strongly inhibits brite adipocyte formation via a cyclooxygenase pathway leading to secretion of PGE2 and PGF2α. Both prostaglandins induce an oscillatory Ca(++) signaling coupled to ERK pathway and trigger a decrease in UCP1 expression and in oxygen consumption without altering mitochondriogenesis. In mice fed a standard diet supplemented with ω6 arachidonic acid, PGF2α and PGE2 amounts are increased in subcutaneous white adipose tissue and associated with a decrease in the recruitment of brite adipocytes. Our results suggest that dietary excess of ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acids present in Western diets, may also favor obesity by preventing the "browning" process to take place.

Background and Purpose— Lacunar infarcts are usually regarded as benign stroke, but population-based studies are required to assess the exact place of this stroke subtype in cerebrovascular pathology. Methods— We evaluated trends in incidence rates, risk factor profiles, and survival rates in symptomatic lacunar stroke from a prospective population-based registry from 1989 to 2006. Results— We recorded 2536 ischemic strokes. Among these, 715 (28%) were lacunar infarcts (354 men and 361 women). From 1989 to 2006, we observed a significant rise in the incidence of lacunar stroke in the 2 sexes considered together (relative risk, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.005 to 1.035; P =0.007), whereas the variation was not significant in either men or women when considered separately. Incidence rates significantly increased in young patients under 65 years old (relative risk, 1.049; 95% CI, 1.0175 to 1.0817; P =0.002). Concerning the distribution of cerebrovascular risk factors, lacunar stroke differed from nonlacunar stroke only with regard to the lower prevalence of a history of atrial fibrillation in the former ( P <0.001). For lacunar infarcts, survival rates were 96% at 1 month (95% CI, 0.94 to 0.97), 86% at 1 year (95% CI, 0.83 to 0.89), and 78% at 2 years (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.81) and were significantly higher than those for nonlacunar stroke (hazard ratio, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.70 to 2.47; P <0.001). Conclusion— Our results suggest a significant increase in the incidence rates of lacunar stroke with a relatively good short-term prognosis in terms of survival. The association among hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and lacunar stroke was no stronger than the association between these 2 risk factors and nonlacunar stroke.

Population-based stroke registries can provide valid stroke incidence because they ensure exhaustiveness of case ascertainment. However, their results are difficult to extrapolate because they cover a small population. The French Hospital Discharge Database (FHDDB), which routinely collects administrative data, could be a useful tool for providing data on the nationwide burden of stroke. The aim of our pilot study was to assess the validity of stroke diagnosis reported in the FHDDB. All records of patients with a diagnosis of stroke between 2004 and 2008 were retrieved from the FHDDB of Dijon Teaching Hospital. The Dijon Stroke Registry was considered as the gold standard. The sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), and weighted kappa were calculated. The Dijon Stroke Registry identified 811 patients with a stroke, among whom 186 were missed by the FHDDB and thus considered false-negatives. The FHDDB identified 903 patients discharged following a stroke including 625 true-positives confirmed by the registry and 278 false-positives. The overall sensitivity and PPV of the FHDDB for the diagnosis of stroke were, respectively, 77.1 % (95 % CI 74.2–80) and 69.2 % (95 % CI 66.1–72.2). For cardioembolic and lacunar strokes, the FHDDB yielded higher PPVs (respectively 86.7 and 84.6 %; p < 0.0001) than those of other stroke subtypes. The PPV but not sensitivity significantly increased over the years (p < 0.0001). Agreement with the stroke registry was moderate (kappa 52.8; 95 % CI 46.8–58.9). The FHDDB-based stroke diagnosis showed moderate validity compared with the Dijon Stroke Registry as the gold standard. However, its accuracy (PPV) increased with time and was higher for some stroke subtypes.