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.

Study looks at differences in brain structure between karate practitioners

Brain scans have revealed distinctive features in the brain structure of karate experts, which could be linked to their ability to punch powerfully from close range. Researchers from Imperial College London and UCL (University College London) found that differences in the structure of white matter - the connections between brain regions - were correlated with how black belts and novices performed in a test of punching ability.

16 Aug 2012

Low adropin levels may increase risk of metabolic disease

Working with a national team of researchers, a scientist from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute has shown for the first time a link between low levels of a specific hormone and increased risk of metabolic disease in humans.

16 Aug 2012

Combination of exercise and S-nitrosoglutathione improves recovery from stroke

In a study published in the current issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience scientists report that a therapy combining exercise with the neurovascular protective agent S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) improved recovery from stroke in a rat model. GSNO is a compound found naturally in the body and it has no known side effects or toxicity.

16 Aug 2012

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals receives new U.S. patents for trans sodium crocetinate

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC, a biotechnology company focused on innovative cancer treatments, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted it patent numbers 7919527 and 8030350, entitled "Bipolar Trans Carotenoids Salts and Their Uses" and "Trans Carotenoids, Their Synthesis and Uses," respectively.

16 Aug 2012

Computer and web-based weight management programmes show promise against obesity

Computer and web-based weight management programmes may provide a cost effective way of addressing the growing problem of obesity, according to a team of seven researchers who undertook a Cochrane systematic review. The researchers, from Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, USA, found that delivering weight loss or weight maintenance programmes online or by computer helped overweight and obese patients lose and/or maintain weight.

16 Aug 2012

Nurse-led HIV care benefits patients

Expansion of the role of primary care nurses to allow them to initiate and represcribe antiretroviral therapy to HIV patients improves health outcomes and quality of patient care, write researchers in The Lancet.

15 Aug 2012

Tranexamic acid reduces bleeding in off-pump coronary bypass surgery

Patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting who are given a tranexamic acid infusion show a modest reduction in postoperative bleeding and blood transfusion relative to their placebo-treated peers, a clinical trial shows.

15 Aug 2012

Healthy lifestyle provides stroke prevention across hypertensive states

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle significantly decreases the risk for stroke in both men and women who differ in their hypertension status and use of antihypertensive drug treatments, a study shows.

15 Aug 2012

Kessler Foundation investigates Ekso's new capabilities for autonomous use by people with SCI

Kessler Foundation has begun testing the upgraded Ekso in individuals unable to walk due to spinal cord injury. Ekso, a wearable, battery-powered robotic exoskeletal device, has been undergoing clinical investigation at Kessler since October 2011, when the research team received the second commercial unit distributed by Ekso Bionics.

15 Aug 2012

Online weight management programmes show promise

15 Aug 2012

U of U researchers receive NIH grant to study cellular and molecular causes of blood clots

University of Utah Department of Medicine researchers have received $16 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to set up a translational research center to study the cellular and molecular causes of blood clots, a serious threat to millions of people who have diabetes, are obese or have other metabolic disorders.

15 Aug 2012

Compounds in cocoa may help decrease blood pressure

Compounds in cocoa may help to reduce blood pressure, according to a new systematic review in The Cochrane Library. The researchers reviewed evidence from short-term trials in which participants were given dark chocolate or cocoa powder daily and found that their blood pressure dropped slightly compared to a control group.

15 Aug 2012

Insurance status affects survival after cardiac event

Patients admitted to hospital with an acute cardiac event have higher rates of mortality if they are underinsured compared with those who have private insurance, show US study results.

14 Aug 2012

HAS-BLED proves predictive ability

Researchers say that the HAS-BLED score is a significant predictor for intracranial hemorrhage when compared with the HEMORR2HAGES and ATRIA scores, supporting international guideline recommendations.

14 Aug 2012

National HCGNE announces $1.38M in awards to Claire M. Fagin Fellows, Patricia G. Archbold Scholars

The National Hartford Centers of Gerontological Nursing Excellence (HCGNE) today announced $1.38 million in awards to the latest cohort of Claire M. Fagin Fellows and Patricia G. Archbold Scholars studying gerontological nursing in academic settings across the U.S.

14 Aug 2012