Imagine you’re an archaeologist trying to uncover the secrets of an ancient tomb. In order to understand the tomb’s history and purpose, you analyze the artifacts found inside and use them to piece together a story. Similarly, scientists have developed a new scoring system, called TIPS, to predict the occurrence of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) in patients with ischemic stroke. TIPS combines both inflammatory and thrombus biomarkers to give a comprehensive picture of the patient’s risk. The study, conducted on over 800 patients, found that a high TIPS score was associated with a greater likelihood of SAP and higher mortality rates. The TIPS score outperformed other clinical scores and biomarkers currently used in practice. This research suggests that by using TIPS, healthcare providers may be able to identify patients at high-risk for SAP after ischemic stroke early on. To learn more about this fascinating study, check out the full article!
BackgroundInflammation and thrombosis are involved in the development of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP). Our aim was to evaluate the predictive value of a novel, simplified, thrombo-inflammatory prognostic score (TIPS) that combines both inflammatory and thrombus biomarkers in the early phase of ischemic stroke (IS).MethodsThe study population consisted of 897 patients with a first diagnosis of IS admitted to the emergency department of five tertiary hospitals in China. Of these, the data from 70% of patients was randomly selected to derive the model and the other 30% for model validation. A TIPS of “2” was indicative of high inflammation and thrombosis biomarkers and “1” of one biomarker, with “0” indicative of absence of biomarkers. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the association between TIPS and SAP.ResultsThe TIPS was an independent predictor of SAP and 90-day mortality, with the incidence of SAP being significantly higher for patients with a high TIPS. The TIPS provided superior predictive value for SAP than clinical scores (A2DS2) and biomarkers currently used in practice, for both the derivation and validation sets. Mediation analysis revealed that TIPS provided a predictive value than either thrombotic (NLR) and inflammatory (D-dimer) biomarkers alone.ConclusionThe TIPS score may be a useful tool for early identification of patients at high-risk for SAP after IS.
Dr. David Lowemann, M.Sc, Ph.D., is a co-founder of the Institute for the Future of Human Potential, where he leads the charge in pioneering Self-Enhancement Science for the Success of Society. With a keen interest in exploring the untapped potential of the human mind, Dr. Lowemann has dedicated his career to pushing the boundaries of human capabilities and understanding.
Armed with a Master of Science degree and a Ph.D. in his field, Dr. Lowemann has consistently been at the forefront of research and innovation, delving into ways to optimize human performance, cognition, and overall well-being. His work at the Institute revolves around a profound commitment to harnessing cutting-edge science and technology to help individuals lead more fulfilling and intelligent lives.
Dr. Lowemann’s influence extends to the educational platform BetterSmarter.me, where he shares his insights, findings, and personal development strategies with a broader audience. His ongoing mission is shaping the way we perceive and leverage the vast capacities of the human mind, offering invaluable contributions to society’s overall success and collective well-being.