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.

Alzheimer’s disease is not prevented by ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba extract does not significantly reduce the likelihood of diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in older people, according to the results of the largest ever Alzheimer’s prevention study in Europe, published in The Lancet Neurology.

6 Sep 2012

Preliminary research findings from Kessler Foundation’s Ekso device study on SCI

Kessler Foundation has released preliminary research findings from its clinical study of the wearable robotic exoskeletal device, Ekso. Gail Forrest, PhD, assistant director of Human Performance and Engineering Research, presented the Ekso research data on September 3, at the meeting of the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals at the Rio Suites in Las Vegas. Dr. Forrest directs mobility research at the Foundation, including activity-based locomotor therapy, functional electrical stimulation, and treadmill training with the LokomatPro v6, as well as Ekso.

6 Sep 2012

Eliminating jnk3 enzyme leads to 90% reduction in Alzheimer's plaque-forming compounds

Scientists have found that eliminating an enzyme from mice with symptoms of Alzheimer's disease leads to a 90 percent reduction in the compounds responsible for formation of the plaques linked to Alzheimer's disease.

6 Sep 2012

NSA launches new Faces of Stroke mini-campaign

National Stroke Association has launched a new Faces of Stroke(SM) mini-campaign designed to educate about the connection between stroke and Afib, a type of irregular heartbeat that increases risk of stroke by five times.

6 Sep 2012

Researchers identify HIF2α gene mutation in cancer tumor cells

For the first time, a mutation in HIF2α, a specific group of genes known as transcription factors that is involved in red blood cell production and cell metabolism, has been identified in cancer tumor cells.

6 Sep 2012

SSM Center for Sleep Disorders, NovaSom announce first AccuSom Deliver partnership

NovaSom, Inc., the leader in home sleep testing and cost-saving solutions for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) management, announces its first AccuSom Deliver partnership with SSM Center for Sleep Disorders, a service of SSM Health Care - St. Louis, making convenient, efficient Out-of-Center Sleep Testing (OCST) available to patients at seven locations throughout the area beginning October 1, 2012.

6 Sep 2012

Two UNC autism researchers receive $12.6 million in grants from ACE program

Two autism researchers in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have each been awarded $12.6 million grants in the latest round of funding from the National Institutes of Health's Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) research program.

6 Sep 2012

Final push needed to eliminate malaria in Sri Lanka

Malaria has almost been eliminated in Sri Lanka, say researchers, who hope that the disease will be completely eradicated from the island by 2014.

5 Sep 2012

Etiologic work-up crucial after stroke

An elusive stroke etiology does not diminish the importance of a full work-up, say researchers.

5 Sep 2012

Long-term cardiac impact of Japan quake revealed

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of north-eastern Japan led to a significantly increased weekly occurrence of cardiovascular disease in the months after the event, study findings show.

5 Sep 2012

Pediatric central line infections reduced by ‘best practice’ guidelines

The number of central line-associated bloodstream infections sustained by hospitalized children with cancer can be substantially reduced by encouraging staff to follow simple “best practice” regulations, say researchers.

4 Sep 2012

FDA approves Novartis’ Exelon Patch to treat mild to moderate AD

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a higher dose of Exelon Patch (rivastigmine transdermal system) for the treatment of people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

4 Sep 2012

People with normal blood sugar range may be at increased risk of brain shrinkage

People whose blood sugar is on the high end of the normal range may be at greater risk of brain shrinkage that occurs with aging and diseases such as dementia, according to new research published in the September 4, 2012, print issue of Neurology-, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Sep 2012

Prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking may promote obesity in adolescents

Prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking appears associated with an increased risk for adolescent obesity, and is possibly related to subtle structural variations in the brain that create a preference for eating fatty foods, according to a report published Online First by Archives of General Psychiatry, a JAMA Network publication.

4 Sep 2012

Exercise paves way to healthy old age

Middle-aged people who have a high level of physical fitness have a significantly lower and later incidence of chronic conditions in old age than those who are less fit, report researchers.

3 Sep 2012

Relocating intensive care nurseries reduces late-onset sepsis rates

Relocating to a newly designed neonatal intensive care nursery significantly reduces severe late-onset sepsis rates in very-preterm and/or very-low-birthweight infants, although it remains relatively common, conclude Australian scientists.

3 Sep 2012

Heart rate marks out poststroke survival

The heart rate of stroke survivors may give an indication of their long-term prognosis, report researchers.

3 Sep 2012

Astellas Pharma receives FDA approval for Xtandi to treat metastatic CRPC

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Xtandi (enzalutamide) to treat men with late-stage (metastatic) castration-resistant prostate cancer that has spread or recurred, even with medical or surgical therapy to minimize testosterone.

1 Sep 2012

Roundup: Flurry of health bills as Calif. legislature winds down; Kansas City health data exchange opens up

The window to save the Healthy Families program is narrowing to a small slit, with just a single day left to pass bills. ... Today -- until midnight tonight -- is the last day for legislation to be passed this year. The governor has until the end of September to veto or approve bills.

1 Sep 2012