European journal of neurology : the official journal of the European Federation of Neurological Societies
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Inflammatory processes, which kindle endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis, may facilitate the development of cardiovascular disease, including ischaemic stroke. Evident stroke risk factors may not be identified in up to 40% of stroke patients, especially in the younger population. Inflammation remains to be established as a stroke risk factor. In this study, it was assessed whether chronic osteomyelitis (COM), an infectious disease with chronic inflammation, increases stroke risk. ⋯ This is the first report linking COM to an increased risk of developing stroke. Results suggest that COM is a significant stroke risk factor and call for closer attention to this group of patients for more rigorous stroke prevention, especially in the younger age group.
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Cluster headache (CH) is a primary headache disorder characterized by severe attacks of unilateral pain following a chronobiological pattern. There is a close connection with sleep as most attacks occur during sleep. Hypothalamic involvement and a particular association with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep have been suggested. Sleep in a large, well-characterized population of CH patients was investigated. ⋯ To date, this is the largest study of sleep in CH. It is demonstrated that REM sleep is affected which is in line with our current understanding of CH and hypothalamic involvement in the regulation of this sleep stage. Further, fewer arousals were found in CH patients but no association between apnea events or specific sleep stages. The findings support a central role of the hypothalamus and arousal systems in CH.