Treatment Effects in Analysis of Pooled Individual Patient Data From Randomized Trials of Device Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale —Reply

In Reply We agree with Drs Rigatelli and Zuin that the PFO-Associated Stroke Causal Likelihood (PASCAL) Classification System used in our study does not include every attribute of potential relevance to the causal relatedness of a discovered PFO to an index stroke, such as Eustachian valve prominence or tunnel length. We would add to their list of PASCAL-omitted variables with a putative association with paradoxical embolism: Valsalva at stroke onset, recent history of prolonged immobility, history of sleep apnea, and presence of venous thrombophilia, to mention only a few.
Source: JAMA - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research