Strokes are classified as a group of brain disorders involving a loss of functions (neurologic deficits) that occur when the blood supply to any part of the brain is interrupted. Even a brief interruption to the circulation can cause decreases in brain function. The specific neurologic deficits may vary depending on the location, extent of the damage, and cause of the disorder. A stroke affects about 4 out of 1,000 people.
Intensive medical therapy more effective than stenting for preventing a second stroke — Results of NIH-funded clinical trial published in New England Journal of Medicine – Patients at a high risk for a second stroke who received intensive medical treatment had fewer strokes and deaths than patients who received a brain stent in addition to the medical treatment, a large nationwide clinical trial has shown.
‘Motivational’ interviews reduce depression, increase survival after stroke – Researchers revealed that patients who received several sessions of a “motivational interview” early after a stroke had normal mood, fewer instances of depression and greater survival rates at one year compared to patients who received standard stroke care.
Use of clot busters for stroke increased from 2005 to 2009, but still low — American Heart Association rapid access journal report – The use of clot-busting drugs to treat acute ischemic stroke increased from 2005 through 2009 – but is still low, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Large NIH funded rehabilitation study looks at getting stroke patients back on their feet – In the largest stroke rehabilitation study ever conducted in the United States, stroke patients who had physical therapy at home improved their ability to walk just as well as those who were treated in a training program that requires the use of a body-weight supported treadmill device followed by walking practice.
Most blacks report calling a friend, not 911, when facing the symptoms of a stroke – Most African-Americans report calling a friend instead of 911 when faced with the symptoms of a stroke, according to a new study that surveyed those hospitalized for a stroke.
Stroke survivors with irregular heartbeat may have higher risk of dementia – Stroke survivors who have an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation may be at higher risk of developing dementia than stroke survivors who do not have the heart condition, according to research published in the March 8, 2011, print issue of Neurology?, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Coffee drinking linked to reduced stroke risk in women — American Heart Association rapid access journal report – Drinking more than a cup of coffee a day was associated with a 22 percent to 25 percent lower risk of stroke, compared with those who drank less, in a study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Increasing triglyceride levels linked to greater stroke risk — Study finds higher cholesterol levels only increase risk of stroke in men – Increasing levels of non-fasting triglycerides are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke in men and women, revealed by researchers in Denmark.
Ischemic stroke hospitalizations decline in middle-aged, elderly, increases in young – The number of acute ischemic stroke hospitalizations among middle-aged and older men and women fell between 1994 and 2007, but sharply increased among those under age 35 – including teens and children – according to research presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2011.
Spike reported in number of people with HIV having a stroke – While the overall hospitalization rate for stroke has declined in recent years, the numbers have jumped dramatically for patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), suggesting they may be up to three times more likely to suffer a stroke than people uninfected by the virus that causes AIDS.
