Background: Serum levels of pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal (NT) proBNP are measured at admission to assess likelihood of acutely decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Pro-BNP, released by myocardium due to cardiac wall distention, is cleaved into the active BNP and inactive NT-proBNP forms. Elevated NT-proBNP levels on initial presentation are a reliable marker of [...]

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive disease resulting in a broad range of functional and structural renal and cardiac alterations. Chronic kidney disease is with associated proteinuria, microalbuminuria and hemoglobinuria. Cardiac complications include diastolic heart disease, dysrhythmia and sudden death. In patients with advancing age, cardio-renal dysfunction can have substantial effects on [...]

Background: The knowledge regarding the association between increased blood pressure variability (BPV) and risk of subsequent clinical outcomes following acute ischemic stroke is not entirely clear. We constructed a cohort of patients hospitalized for new AIS to examine the effect of systolic BPV (SBPV) on the risk of dependency at discharge and 1 year readmission [...]

Background: Among survivors of ischemic stroke (IS), the cumulative long-term burden of readmissions, determinants of readmission, and clinical consequence of hospital readmission remain poorly understood. we aimed to investigate 1) the cumulative incidence of readmission; 2) at-risk patient for readmission, 3) the effect of readmission on subsequent mortality; and 4) whether the days spent in [...]