Stroke News and Research

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A stroke is a medical emergency. Strokes happen when blood flow to your brain stops. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. There are two kinds of stroke. The more common kind, called ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. The other kind, called hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain. "Mini-strokes" or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), occur when the blood supply to the brain is briefly interrupted.

Recreational drugs significantly increase the risk of stroke

The recreational drugs cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines significantly increase the risk of stroke – including among younger users – Cambridge researchers have concluded after analyzing data from more than 100 million people.

9 Mar 2026

Pregnancy complications increase heart health risks for women with high stress

Women who experience pregnancy complications, like preeclampsia, pre-term birth, stillbirth or having a baby that is small for gestational age, may face an increased risk for cardiovascular disease later in life.

9 Mar 2026

Med14 protein drives GLP-1 benefits in pancreatic beta cells

GLP-1s are building a reputation as "wonder drugs." First characterized for their ability to improve insulin release and treat diabetes, the drugs were later found to promote weight loss and improve cardiovascular health.

6 Mar 2026

NIH grant supports research on immune-related receptor in neurons

Florida Atlantic University has received a $2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate how an immune-related receptor in neurons plays a fundamental role in brain function, behavior and psychiatric health.

6 Mar 2026

MIMETAS publishes breakthrough study on 3D blood-brain barrier model with unidirectional flow

Scientists at MIMETAS have published a new study describing a scalable, self-assembling human blood-brain barrier (BBB) model that combines physiological relevance with high-throughput capability.

5 Mar 2026

Improving biological age gap may help protect long-term brain health

Improving the gap between your biological age and your chronological age is associated with a lower risk of stroke and improvements in signs of damage in the brain, according to a preliminary study released March 5, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

5 Mar 2026

New microscope captures 3D blood flow and oxygenation at single-cell resolution

The brain relies on real-time delivery of oxygen and nutrients through its microvasculature, which threads through neural tissue like electrical wires.

5 Mar 2026

Youth football accounts for nearly one in five sports-related brain injuries

Youth football accounts for the largest share of sports‑related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in children and young adults, nearly one in every five TBIs, according to a preliminary study released March 4, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

5 Mar 2026

Researchers find novel path to treat Rett syndrome

A team of researchers at Texas Children's Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI) and Baylor College of Medicine report in Science Translational Medicine a potential new approach to treat Rett syndrome – offering early promise for a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that currently has no cure.

5 Mar 2026

Wearable sensors as a tool for MS monitoring

Wearable sensors may help identify people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are more likely to have worsening disability and loss of brain volume, according to a study published on March 4th, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Mar 2026

Low-intensity preconditioning boosts neurological outcomes

The team led by Prof. Lin Zhu from Guangzhou Sport University have demonstrated that 4-week low-intensity treadmill exercise before the onset of an ischemic stroke can significantly reduce brain injury and improve neurological outcomes.

4 Mar 2026

A hidden movement map discovered in the brain’s insula

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a hidden "movement map" deep within the brain - a discovery that could help surgeons reduce side effects from epilepsy procedures and guide future treatments for speech and movement disorders.

4 Mar 2026

New study examines blood clot risks for female astronauts in microgravity

Just a few days in simulated microgravity can subtly change the way women's blood clots, sparking bigger questions about health monitoring protocols for astronauts who can spend six months or more in orbit, say Simon Fraser University researchers.

4 Mar 2026

Mathematical model identifies how estrogen protects women from high blood pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects more than one billion people worldwide and is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke.

4 Mar 2026

Childhood cavities and gum disease raise adult heart disease risk

The link between childhood oral health and adult heart disease underscores the need for preventive dental care to enhance lifelong cardiovascular health.

4 Mar 2026

Canadian wildfire pollution associated with increased stroke severity

Short-term surges in air pollution in New Jersey from the 2023 Canadian wildfires were associated with a higher stroke rate and more serious strokes, according to a preliminary study released March 3, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

3 Mar 2026

Study finds association between groundwater age and Parkinson’s risk

People whose drinking water came from newer groundwater had a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease than those whose drinking water came from older groundwater, according to a preliminary study released March 2, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

2 Mar 2026

Can brain training prevent dementia? Long-term trial shows speed training with boosters makes a difference

A 20-year follow-up of older adults in the ACTIVE randomized trial linked to Medicare claims found that speed of processing cognitive training with booster sessions was associated with a significantly lower risk of diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Memory and reasoning training did not show comparable long-term reductions in dementia risk.

2 Mar 2026

Poor oral health in childhood linked to higher incidence of cardiovascular disease in adulthood

A tooth cavity and bleeding gums is a common scenario among Danish children – and one that researchers now connect to health problems long after the last baby tooth has left the mouth.

2 Mar 2026

The surprising neurological benefits of GLP-1s

For people with chronic migraine, taking glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 drugs, for other conditions such as diabetes and weight loss, was associated with fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations overall, and with less need for medications used to stop and prevent migraine attacks, according to a preliminary study released March 1, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

2 Mar 2026