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.

BU receives $2M grant to study MedRhythms' MOVIVE device for Parkinson's gait

Boston University (BU) today announced it has been awarded a $2 million research grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF).

27 Jan 2026

CTE should be recognized as new cause of dementia, study suggests

The largest study of its kind from the Boston University CTE Center reveals that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) should be recognized as a new cause of dementia.

27 Jan 2026

Missed stroke warning signs common among pregnant and postpartum women

More than 25% of pregnant or postpartum women who suffered an acute stroke had encounters with health care providers for stroke-related symptoms within the prior month but did not receive a timely diagnosis, finds University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine analysis published today in Stroke.

27 Jan 2026

Wildfire smoke significantly raises stroke risk among older adults

People exposed to wildfire smoke have a higher risk of suffering a stroke, according to research published in the European Heart Journal today (Tuesday).

27 Jan 2026

Game-changing discovery reveals how viruses may trigger ALS development

A large, multidisciplinary team led by researchers from Texas A&M University has made a potentially game-changing discovery about the development of devastating motor neuron diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

27 Jan 2026

Urate-lowering gout treatment can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke

A groundbreaking new study, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has found that medicines used to treat gout can also reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with gout.

27 Jan 2026

New 2026 guideline expands access to advanced acute ischemic stroke care

Expanded eligibility for advanced stroke therapies and new recommendations for diagnosing and treating stroke in children and adults are among the major updates in the new 2026 Guideline for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke from the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, published today in the Association's flagship journal Stroke.

26 Jan 2026

New trial tests strategies to protect heart health during prostate cancer therapy

City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States with its National Medical Center ranked among the nation's top cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report, has opened a phase 2 clinical trial comparing three different strategies for protecting heart health in prostate cancer patients who receive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a potentially lifesaving hormone therapy.

26 Jan 2026

Reducing sodium in common foods could prevent heart disease and stroke

Lowering sodium in packaged and prepared foods could significantly improve cardiovascular health and prevent many cases of heart disease, stroke and deaths in the general population in France and the U.K., according to two new research studies published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

26 Jan 2026

Why the age you start smoking matters as much as how much you smoke

Starting smoking at a younger age is associated with substantially higher risks of myocardial infarction, stroke, and death, even after accounting for cumulative smoking exposure. Early initiation also amplifies the cardiovascular harm of heavier smoking, indicating increased vulnerability when smoking begins in adolescence.

25 Jan 2026

Tips for staying heart-safe during cold weather

While grocery store shelves may be empty, firewood piles filled and cell phones charged, there may be a few more items to check off on your prep list for the upcoming winter storms.

24 Jan 2026

Short-term oatmeal diet improves cholesterol and metabolic health markers

A short-term oat-based diet appears to be surprisingly effective at reducing the cholesterol level. This is indicated by a trial by the University of Bonn, which has now been published in the journal Nature Communications.

23 Jan 2026

Scientists discover a non-classical platelet mechanism linked to severe infections

Platelets are small, anucleate blood cells that play an essential role in hemostasis. Their primary task is to recognize vascular injury, become activated, and aggregate via their surface receptor integrin αIIbβ3. This leads to the formation of a stable platelet plug that seals the wound and stops bleeding. When this process becomes dysregulated, however, it can result in vessel-occluding clots - so-called thromboses - which may cause myocardial infarction or stroke.

23 Jan 2026

Nearly half of adults now live with heart disease as obesity and diabetes surge

The 2026 American Heart Association Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics report shows that nearly half of adults are living with cardiovascular disease, with cardiometabolic risk factors projected to rise substantially by 2050. Despite progress in smoking reduction and cholesterol control, worsening obesity, diabetes, hypertension, sleep health, and persistent inequities threaten future cardiovascular health.

22 Jan 2026

Brain cell precursors show constant myelin-making drive

In experiments with mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists report new evidence that precursors of myelin-producing cells - one of the few brain cell types that continue to be produced in the adult brain - undergo differentiation widely and at a constant pace, rather than "as needed" in response to injury or advancing age.

22 Jan 2026

Smartwatches improve the detection of atrial fibrillation

Smartwatches with both PPG and ECG functionality improve the detection of atrial fibrillation in comparison with standard care.

22 Jan 2026

Gaps in stroke transfer system reduces survivors' chances of receiving critical treatment

Gaps in the U.S. stroke transfer system are drastically reducing survivors' chances of receiving critical treatment and increasing the likelihood that they will leave the hospital with a disability, according to a new study published in The Lancet Neurology.

21 Jan 2026