Rui Magalhães

University of Porto | UP · Department of Population Studies

Mortality statistics indicate that Portugal has the highest stroke mortality in Western Europe. Data on stroke incidence in Northern Portugal, the region with the highest mortality, are lacking. This study was designed to determine stroke incidence and case fatality in rural and urban populations in Northern Portugal. All suspected first-ever-in-a-...

Changes in meteorological parameters have been associated with cardiovascular mortality and stroke. The high incidence of stroke in Portugal may be modelled by short- or long-term weather changes whose effect may be different across stroke types and severity. Data include all patients with a first-ever-in-a-lifetime stroke registered in a populatio...

Background: The impact of public health interventions to reduce disability after stroke may be underestimated if only the modest effects on short-term disability are measured. We estimated the impact of differences in short-term functional outcome on long-term functional outcome. Methods: In a prospective community-based study from October 1998...

Objective Year 2000 marked a turning point in stroke prevention and treatment in Portugal. In face of high incidence rates stroke awareness campaigns, close surveillance of vascular risk factors and implementation of hospital stroke units were advanced by the National Health Authorities. To understand the effect of such measures, we assessed change...

Objective: A decline in TIA incidence would be expected mirroring stroke trends, but patient's awareness of symptoms/signs, improved diagnostic procedures and changes in severity of vascular disease may raise TIA incidence. We aimed to estimate changes in TIA incidence and 30-day stroke risk in Portugal. Methods: Data from two prospective commun...

BACKGROUND Large vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke prognosis improved following the 2015 endovascular therapy (EVT) trials. Blood-based biomarkers may improve outcome prediction. We aimed to assess plasma brain-derived tau (BD-Tau) performance in predicting post-EVT large vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke outcomes. METHODS We included 2...

Background Stroke readmissions are considered a marker of health quality and may pose a burden to healthcare systems. However, information on the costs of post-stroke readmissions has not been systematically reviewed. Objectives To systematically review information about the costs of hospital readmissions of patients whose primary diagnosis in the...

Perinatal depression is an important indicator of mothers’ mental health. Studies have been carried out to identify and characterize women at risk of such affective disorder. The aim of this study is to assess mothers’ adherence to our perinatal depression screening and eventual follow-up by a multidisciplinary team, including mental health and obs...

Objectives: To determine the cancer incidence after the first-ever cerebrovascular event (CVE) and compare it to the cancer incidence in the population from the same region. Methods: We evaluated 1069 patients with a first-ever CVE (Ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke and Transient Ischaemic Attack) from a prospective population registry of stroke...

Introduction Neurological manifestations are frequent after acquiring COVID-19 and may persist long-term as part of post–COVID-19 syndrome. Cognitive impairment, chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, and headache complaints are the most reported neurological features. During the COVID-19 pandemic, health care workers were particularly vulnerable due...

Introduction: We investigated the effects of matrix type and reagent batch changes on diagnostic performances and longitudinal trajectories of brain-derived tau (BD-tau). Methods: We evaluated (i) Cohort 1: paired EDTA plasma and serum from Alzheimer biomarker-positive older adults versus controls (n = 26); and (ii) Cohort 2: n = 79 acute ischem...

Peripheral neuropathy is a common problem in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Peripheral neuropathy’s prevalence in Parkinson’s disease varies between 4.8% - 55%, compared to 9% in the general population. It remains unclear whether peripheral neuropathy leads to decreased motor performance in Parkinson’s disease, resulting in impaired mobility an...

The animal cancer burden is essential for the translational value of companion animals in comparative oncology. The present work aims to describe, analyze, and compare frequencies and associations of tumors in dogs and cats based on the Animal Cancer Registry created by Vet-OncoNet. With 9079 registries, regarding 2019 and 2020, 81% (n = 7355) belo...

Background Early outcome prediction after acute ischemic stroke (AIS) might be improved with blood‐based biomarkers. We investigated whether the longitudinal profile of a multi‐marker panel could predict the outcome of successfully recanalized AIS patients. Methods We used ultrasensitive single‐molecule array (Simoa) to measure glial fibrillary ac...

Introduction and objectives Some atmospheric features have been linked to the triggering of myocardial infarction. Because data from the Temperate-Mediterranean is scarce, we sought to study whether meteorological parameters influence the incidence of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) as confirmed by primary percutaneous intervention in a...

Objectives Psychiatric diagnosis is based on clinical manifestations, resulting from patients’ internal state, their life situation, the evolution of their condition and the response to our interventions. There are currently few objective data which help to establish the diagnosis which is why this is based on diagnostic criteria such as the Diagno...

Background: Hospitalization and readmission rates after a first-ever-in-a-lifetime stroke (FELS) are considered measures of quality of care and, importantly, may give valuable information to better allocate health-related resources. We aimed to investigate the hospitalization pattern and the unplanned readmissions or death of hospitalized (HospS) a...

Background: Nosocomial infections (NI) are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Existing data on the impact of NI on patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is scarce. Aims: Determine the incidence, predictors, and prognosis of NI in a contemporary series of STEMI-patients. Methods: 1131 consecutive STEMI-patients tre...

Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) measurements in skin biopsy are performed manually by 1–3 operators. To improve diagnostic accuracy and applicability in clinical practice, we developed an automated method for fast IENFD determination with low operator-dependency. Sixty skin biopsy specimens were stained with the axonal marker PGP9.5 and...

Background COVID‐19 related acute neurological phenotypes are being increasingly recognized, with neurological complications reported in over 30% of hospitalized patients. However, multicentric studies providing a population‐based perspective are lacking. Methods We conducted a retrospective multicentric study in five hospitals in Northern Portuga...

Background: After a first-ever-in-a-lifetime stroke (FELS), hospital readmissions are common and associated with increased mortality and morbidity of stroke survivors, thus, raising the overall health burden of stroke. Population-based stroke studies on hospital readmissions are scarce despite it being an important healthcare service quality indica...

Objectives Psychiatric diagnosis is based on clinical manifestations, resulting from patients’ internal state, their life situation, the evolution of their condition and the response to our interventions. There are currently few objective data which help to establish the diagnosis which is why this is based on diagnostic criteria such as the Diagno...

Background: Transthyretin amyloidosis due to V30M mutation (ATTR-V30M) is the most frequent hereditary ATTR amyloidosis. Besides neurophysiological measures, there are no biomarkers to detect preclinical disease or monitor disease progression. CSF or plasma neurofilament light chain (pNfL) have recently been considered sensitive biomarkers to quant...

Aim: Remote ischemic conditioning may reduce acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing a coronary intervention. As preinfarct angina (PIA) might act as a preconditioning stimulus in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), we aimed to study whether PIA reduces AKI in accordance to pre-existing chronic kidney disease. Patie...

Background and aim: Stroke is a major health problem. Several studies reported sex differences regarding stroke. We aim to study this issue in an incidence stroke study. Methods: Data were retrieved from a community-based prospective register of patients that had a first ever stroke in a life time between October 2009 and September 2011. We stud...

Objective: To examine factors contributing to the sex differences in functional outcomes and participation restriction after stroke. Methods: Individual participant data on long-term functional outcome or participation restriction (i.e., handicap) were obtained from 11 stroke incidence studies (1993-2014). Multivariable log-binomial regression w...

Low levels of Soluble TNF-related apoptosis induced ligand (sTRAIL) seem to be related to worse prognosis after an acute coronary syndrome. PostConditioning (PostCond) may protect the heart from reperfusion injury. We sought to evaluate the impact of PostCond on sTRAIL in relationship to infarct size (area under the curve of Troponin T, AUCTnT) and...

Background: Women are reported to have greater mortality after stroke than men, but the reasons are uncertain. We examined sex differences in mortality at 1 and 5 years after stroke and identified factors contributing to these differences. Methods and results: Individual participant data for incident strokes were obtained from 13 population-base...

Introduction: As women suffer worse functional outcomes of stroke than men, they may also face more challenges with community reintegration but data are scarce. We examined sex differences in participation after stroke and which factors might account for these disparities.Methods: INSTRUCT is an individual participant data pooling study of incident...

Introduction: As women suffer worse functional outcomes of stroke than men, they may also face more challenges with community reintegration but data are scarce. We examined sex differences in participation after stroke and which factors might account for these disparities. Methods: INSTRUCT is an individual participant data pooling study of inciden...

Background and Rationale: It is uncertain why women suffer worse long-term outcomes after stroke than men. We examined sex differences in mortality and disability 1 and 5 years after stroke and identified factors contributing to these differences. Methods: Individual patient data meta-analysis of incident strokes (ischaemic and haemorrhagic) from 1...

The underutilization of manual thrombus aspiration (MTA) may have reduced the benefits of ischemic postconditioning (PostCon), as it reduces thrombus embolization. We aimed to assess the benefits of PostCon in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after the systematic utilization of MTA. A total of 87 patients were enroll...

Introduction: Mediterranean spotted fever, an ancient zoonotic disease raising current issues. This study aims to reevaluate the disease clinical picture and to identify prognostic factors related to severe disease. Material and methods: We evaluate cases admitted to a central hospital during 12-year period. The risk factors were determined by u...

strong>Introduction: Mediterranean spotted fever, an ancient zoonotic disease raising current issues. This study aims to reevaluate the disease clinical picture and to identify prognostic factors related to severe disease. Material and Methods: We evaluate cases admitted to a central hospital during 12-year period. The risk factors were determined...

Purpose: Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a new generation voltage-gated sodium channel blocker. It has completed one phase II clinical trial and three phase III clinical trials, two of which with 1-year open label extensions. ESL was approved in 2009 by the European Medicines Agency as adjunctive therapy in adults with partial-onset seizures with...

Background: Vestibular symptoms (VSs) are frequent complaints in patients attending ambulatory care and the emergency room. They may represent a peripheral vestibular disorder or a stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), yet many patients have VSs that cannot be clearly classified at presentation. This study aims to characterize and determine the...

Objectives Since liver transplant (LT) was introduced to treat patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy carrying the V30M mutation (ATTR-V30M), ocular and cardiac complications have developed. Long-term central nervous system (CNS) involvement was not investigated. Our goals were to: (1) identify and characterise focal neurological episodes (F...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia and is characterized by an uncontrolled atrial activity with consequent deterioration of cardiac mechanical function. Besides being associated to an increased risk of death, two major complications of AF determine its clinical importance: stroke and congestive heart failure. The incidence of AF...

Differences in stroke incidence and mortality between regions could stem from differences in the incidence of particular stroke types and long-term prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether different risk profiles and stroke types underlie the difference in stroke incidence and patient long-term survival in rural and urban populat...

Introduction: By 2002 Portugal had one of the highest mortality rates due to cerebrovascular diseases among the European Countries. Meanwhile, several strategies have been adopted to improve prevention and treatment in the acute phase, amongst which the Stroke Code. The purpose of this study is to describe how this measure has been used and its ou...

To compare the outcomes of drug-eluting (DES) vs. bare-metal (BMS) stents for stenting of native aorto-ostial lesions (AOL) and to identify predictors of major adverse cardio and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). A total of 181 patients (182 AOL) who underwent stenting of AOL were retrospectively identified: right-coronary artery in 130 (71.4%), left...

Introduction Changes in meteorological parameters have been associated with stroke occurrence. The incidence of primary intracerebral haemorrhages (PICH) seems to increase in days with cold/mild outdoor temperature. In Portugal, neurologists forward the hypothesis that the incidence of PICH increases in rainy days and not particularly low temperatu...

Background: Several studies conducted in hospital emergency departments have shown that most patients delay in responding to stroke symptoms. In the general population, recognition of stroke and the appropriate reactions are important for prevention and acute treatment, particularly in areas with a high stroke incidence. The objective of this stud...

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Journal of Neurology, 255 (Suppl 2); 55

Journal of the Neurological Sciences 283(1):292

European Journal of Neurology 14 (Suppl 1); 32

Cerebrovascular Diseases 23(Suppl 2):57

Cerebrovascular Diseases 23(Suppl 2):81

Tese de mestrado. Estatística Aplicada e Modelação. 2005. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto

White matter changes have several histopathologic correlates including cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical, laboratorial and neuroradiological profile of a CAA-related lobar hemorrhages case series. A cohort of 50 consecutive patients with cerebral lobar hemorrhages was studied and clinical, rad...

There are no community-based studies on the incidence of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) in Portugal. This study was designed to determine TIA incidence and the risk of stroke occurrence in rural and urban populations in northern Portugal. All suspected first-ever TIAs occurring between October 1998 and September 2000 in 18,677 residents in a rur...

Os gastos em medicamentos representaram em Portugal no ano de 1996 21,8% do orçamento atribuído ao Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), sendo o Estado o maior cliente da Indústria Farmacêutica (60%). Num conjunto de 10 países europeus (Espanha, Grécia, Alemanha, França, Finlândia, Suíça, Áustria, Suécia, Dinamarca e Portugal), o nosso país foi em 1993...