Objective To investigate the main risk factors influencing the pre-hospital delay of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) for preventing methods.Methods A retrieval was done across the epidemiologic studies on pre-hospital delay of AIS patients during 2004 to 2015 using the key words of ischemic stroke,prehospital delay,treatment delay.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,the literature was collected and the literature quality was assessed.The data were extracted for meta-analysis by RevMan software.Results Sixteen epidemiologic studies were included.Totally,there were 2,966 cases of prehospital delay and 2,468 cases of non-delay.The pooled OR values and 95％ CI by multivariate analysis were as follows:the degree of awareness of stroke was 0.5 (0.3,0.82),emergency medical service (EMS) was 0.49 (0.29,0.85),National Institute of Health Stroke scale (NHISS) score 0.58 (0.36,0.95),outpatient visit as first visit 4.28 (1.44,12.74),distance 0.76 (0.61,0.95),medical history of ischemic stroke 0.37 (0.18,0.79) (with significant differences in OR value,P＜0.05).Conclusions The protective factors for pre-hospital delay of acute ischemic stroke patients include:strengthened awareness of stroke,effective EMS,high NHISS score,short distance,medical history of ischemic stroke.The main risk factor is that their outpatient visit is their first visit for medical treatment.Therefore,we need to enhance the health education to the patients and their families about awareness of stroke,improve the use of EMS and build complete and efficient green path for the stroke patient.

Objective To observe the efficacy of oropharyngeal muscle exercise for relieving obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS) among stroke survivors.Methods Fifty stroke survivors with moderate OSAS were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group,each of 25.Both groups were given routine drugs and rehabilitation,while the observation group was additionally provided with oropharyngeal muscle exercises during the daytime for 20 minutes twice a day for6 weeks.The control group received deep breathing therapy.Before and after the 6 weeks of treatment,both groups were evaluated using polysomnography.Their sleep quality and daytime sleepiness were measured using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index and the Stanford sleepiness scale.Any changes in the patients' pharyngeal morphology after exercise were evaluated using MRI.Results After the oropharyngeal muscle exercises,the apnea hypoventilation index and minimum SaO2 ％,the snore index and sleep quality improved significantly.Daytime sleepiness was significantly relieved.Some structural remodeling of the pharyngeal airvay was observed by MRI,including significantly larger retropalatal distance and shorter length of the soft palate.The retropalatal distance was positively and correlated with the duration of exercise while the length of soft palate correlated negatively.Conclusion Exercising the oropharyngeal muscles is a promising alternative treatment for stroke survivors with moderate OSAS.It improves the morphology of the oropharynx to relieve obstruction during sleeping.

Objective:To investigate the individual and combined effects of calf circumference and vitamin D levels on all-cause mortality risk in community-dwelling older adults based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey.Methods:The calf circumference was measured in the baseline survey in 2012 and 2014.Low calf circumference was defined as <34 cm for men or 33 cm for women at screening.Vitamin D deficiency was defined as plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D]levels <50 nmol/L.All participants were followed up until 2018, when death outcomes and survival time were collected.Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyze the effects of calf circumference and 25(OH)D levels on the risk of all-cause mortality.Results:A total of 3 052 older adults were included in the analysis, of which 1 960(64.22%)had low calf circumference and 2 245(73.56%)had vitamin D deficiency.After 10 559.9 person-years of follow-up period, 1 312 death events were recorded.After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, physical activities, cognitive function, and multiple chronic diseases, calf circumference and 25(OH)D levels were negatively associated with the risk of all-cause mortality(both P<0.05). In the combined analysis, compared with the normal group, the risk of death was highest in the participants with both low calf circumference and vitamin D deficiency, which was higher than those with low calf circumference or vitamin D deficiency alone, with a hazard ratios( HR)(95% CI)of 2.51(1.81-3.45), 1.71(1.22-2.42)and 1.53(1.09-2.15), respectively.There was a significant additive interaction between low calf circumference and vitamin D deficiency on mortality(RERI>0). Conclusions:Low calf circumference and vitamin D deficiency are associated with higher mortality.Older adults with combined conditions had a even higher risk of death.Attention should be paid to joint screening and comprehensive intervention for older adults with both low calf circumference and vitamin D deficiency.