MicroRNAs have been identified as key regulators of gene expression and thus their potential in disease diagnostics, prognosis and therapy is being actively pursued. Deregulation of microRNAs in cerebral pathogenesis has been reported to a limited extent in both animal models and human. Due to the complexity of the pathology, identifying stroke specific microRNAs has been a challenge. This study shows that microRNA profiles reflect not only the temporal progression of stroke but also the specific etiologies. A panel of 32 microRNAs, which could differentiate stroke etiologies during acute phase was identified and verified using a customized TaqMan Low Density Array (TLDA). Furthermore we also found 5 microRNAs, miR-125b-2*, -27a*, -422a, -488 and -627 to be consistently altered in acute stroke irrespective of age or severity or confounding metabolic complications. Differential expression of these 5 microRNAs was also observed in rat stroke models. Hence, their specificity to the stroke pathology emphasizes the possibility of developing these microRNAs into accurate and useful tools for diagnosis of stroke.

Ischemic stroke is a multi-factorial disease where some patients present themselves with little or no risk factors. Blood microRNA expression profiles are becoming useful in the diagnosis and prognosis of human diseases. We therefore investigated the blood microRNA profiles in young stroke patients who presented with minimal or absence of risk factors for stroke such as type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Blood microRNA profiles from these patients varied with stroke subtypes as well as different functional outcomes (based on modified Rankin Score). These microRNAs have been shown to target genes that are involved in stroke pathogenesis. The findings from our study suggest that molecular mechanisms in stroke pathogenesis involving low or no risk ischemic stroke patients could differ substantially from those with pre-existing risk factors.

Malaysia is located in the heart of South East Asia with two land masses, Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia which are separated by the South China Sea. Stroke or cerebrovascular disease is Malaysia’s third leading cause of death. There were 47, 911 incident cases, 19,928 deaths, 443,995 prevalent cases, and 512,726 DALYs lost due to stroke in 2019. Successive national health and morbidity surveys from 2006 demonstrated a continuous rise in the prevalence of risk factors such as diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, and obesity. These risk factors are implicated in an increase in stroke incidence in those under 65 years of age, the largest increase of 53.3% and 50.4% in men and women, respectively, from the age strata of 35–39 years. The neurologist-to-patient ratio is 1:323,000 with the majority of neurologists working in urban centres. The healthcare system is provided predominantly by the public and private sectors. Concurrent use of traditional and complementary medicine is common and widely accepted. Challenges include delivering adequate care to rural communities, the low overall ischaemic stroke thrombolysis rates, and the high cost of thrombectomy devices for use in large vessel occlusions which have to be borne out-of-pocket by patients and their families. Effort is required to continue improving stroke care services in parallel with primary and secondary prevention strategies in the future, given the ageing population and the rising number of strokes in young adults nationally. Strategies include careful planning, inter-hospital cooperation, and increased allocation of resources from the government.

Background: There is a significant burden of stroke in Asia. Asia has the largest population in the world in 2023, estimated at 4.7 billion. Approximately 9.5–10.6 million strokes will be anticipated annually in the backdrop of a diverse group of well-developed and less developed countries with large disparities in stroke care resources. In addition, Asian countries are in varying phases of epidemiological transition. Summary: In this review, we examined recent epidemiological features of ischaemic stroke and intracerebral haemorrhage in Asia with recent developments in hyperacute stroke reperfusion therapy and technical improvements in intracerebral haemorrhage. The article also discussed the spectrum of cerebrovascular diseases in Asia, which include intracranial atherosclerosis, intracerebral haemorrhage, infective aetiologies of stroke, moyamoya disease, vascular dissection, radiation vasculopathy, and cerebral venous thrombosis. Key Messages: The review of selected literature and recent updates calls for attention to the different requirements for resources within Asia and highlights the breadth of cerebrovascular diseases still requiring further research and more effective therapies.

Background: Coughing due to respiratory tract infections may lead to internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection. Aim: We are presenting a patient with an unusual cough-induced ICA dissection. Case Report: A 42-year-old health care worker presented with bilateral hand numbness which resolved spontaneously. This initial episode was followed 9 days later with intermittent episodes of right hand and leg weakness with speech difficulty. Two days later, he had another episode of speech difficulty. One week prior to the first presentation, he had upper respiratory tract infection with ongoing strong bouts of coughing. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the brain showed early ischaemic changes at the left frontal and left parietal regions. MR angiography (MRA) showed high signal intensity at the left proximal ICA and poor flow beyond the left carotid bulb. Cerebral angiography revealed left ICA dissection. Conclusion: Proper identification of cough-induced extracranial ICA dissection is important because this is treatable.