Stroke News and Research

RSS

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.

Twelve states currently have adult obesity rate above 30%

Twelve states currently have an adult obesity rate above 30 percent, according to a new analysis released today by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

13 Aug 2012

Biosense Webster launches new CARTO 3 Multi-Electrode Mapping Version

Biosense Webster, Inc., a worldwide leader in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, announced the launch of the new CARTO 3 MEM (Multi-Electrode Mapping) Version in the United States.

13 Aug 2012

Positive results from Acorda post-marketing commitment study of dalfampridine-ER for MS

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced top line results from a post-marketing commitment study evaluating a 5mg dose of dalfampridine-ER to improve walking in people with multiple sclerosis. The study failed to confirm efficacy of the 5mg dose.

13 Aug 2012

FDA clears Stryker’s Trevo Pro Retriever to treat acute ischemic stroke

Stryker Neurovascular announced today that its Trevo Pro Retriever has been granted 510(k) market clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Trevo Pro Retriever is the next generation in clot removal technology from Stryker, utilizing proprietary Stentriever Technology for optimized clot integration and retrieval in patients experiencing acute ischemic stroke.

From Stryker 13 Aug 2012

Migraines not associated with cognitive decline

Migraines currently affect about 20 percent of the female population, and while these headaches are common, there are many unanswered questions surrounding this complex disease. Previous studies have linked this disorder to an increased risk of stroke and structural brain lesions, but it has remained unclear whether migraines had other negative consequences such as dementia or cognitive decline.

12 Aug 2012

Heat wave safety tips from Children's Hospital Los Angeles

With July 2012 on record as being one of the hottest months in U.S. history and the August heat showing no let up in many parts of the country, how can parents protect their children's health during a heat wave? "While kids and teens may think of themselves as invincible, they're prone to heat-related illnesses," says Megan Summers, a registered nurse in the Children's Hospital Los Angeles' Rehabilitation Unit.

12 Aug 2012

Genentech receives FDA approval for Lucentis to treat diabetic macular edema

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced that Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), an eye condition in people with diabetes that causes blurred vision, severe vision loss and sometimes blindness

12 Aug 2012

Grapes reduce key risk factors for heart disease in men with metabolic syndrome

Consuming grapes may help protect heart health in people with metabolic syndrome, according to new research published in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers observed a reduction in key risk factors for heart disease in men with metabolic syndrome: reduced blood pressure, improved blood flow and reduced inflammation. Natural components found in grapes, known as polyphenols, are thought to be responsible for these beneficial effects.

10 Aug 2012

Statins: cardiovascular benefits outweigh diabetes risk

The benefits of taking statins to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease outweigh the increased risk of developing diabetes experienced by some patients who take these cholesterol-lowering drugs, according to an Article published Online First in The Lancet.

10 Aug 2012

Clinical trials to test safety of 3K3A-APC in patients with ischemic stroke

Clinical trials start this week for a stroke drug initially created by a team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and the University of Southern California (USC), and further developed by biotech company ZZ Biotech.

9 Aug 2012

Scientists develop new way to study role of GABA-A receptors in various disorders

A new way to study the role of a critical neurotransmitter in disorders such as epilepsy, anxiety, insomnia, depression, schizophrenia, and alcohol addiction has been developed by a group of scientists led by Gong Chen, an associate professor of biology at Penn State University.

9 Aug 2012

FDA approves label changes for Stryker Wingspan Stent System

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved changes to the labeling for the Stryker Wingspan Stent System, including the indications for use. These changes, which the FDA outlined in a safety communication also issued today, specify a more limited group of patients who may benefit from the system.

From Stryker 9 Aug 2012

Berlin Heart EXCOR Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device proves effective and life-saving

A tiny heart pump that maintains blood flow in babies and small children with serious heart failure proved effective and life-saving in a pioneering study involving 17 institutions led by Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM).

9 Aug 2012

FDA approves Codman’s MEDSTREAM Programmable Infusion System

Codman & Shurtleff, Inc. (Codman), the global neurological device company, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval through a PMA supplement for its MEDSTREAM Programmable Infusion System, an implantable infusion pump and catheter system used in the treatment of spasticity, a movement disorder often caused by stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury.

9 Aug 2012

Immigration influences HIV diagnosis demographics

HIV-positive individuals born outside the USA are a heterogenous population but have significant demographic differences to infected patients born within in the USA, research reveals.

8 Aug 2012

Ischemic lesions signal preventive needs in ICH patients

The finding of new ischemic lesions in patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage identifies patients at the greatest need of preventive therapy, research published in Neurology suggests.

8 Aug 2012

‘Green’ disinfectant shows promise against hospital-acquired infections

Research shows that the polyhexamethylene-guanidine hydrochloride-based disinfectant Akwaton effectively destroys Bacillus subtilis spores even at low concentrations.

8 Aug 2012

Technology for assessing Bradykinesia response to novel therapies in Parkinson’s Disease to be developed by Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies

Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies announced today that they have received $1.5 million in funding to commercialize a technology for Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients that will better assess motor symptoms in response to new deep brain stimulation (DBS) and pharmaceutical therapies.

8 Aug 2012

HCRI announces successful completion of randomization in DAPT Study

The Harvard Clinical Research Institute (HCRI) announced today the successful completion of randomization in the DAPT Study, with the total number of patients randomized exceeding the upper goal set for the Study.

8 Aug 2012

Healthcare professionals receive SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress abstract awards

Results of the highly anticipated Best Oral Presentation and Best Poster Awards were announced at SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress 2012, held on 3 and 4 August 2012 at the Raffles City Convention Centre.

8 Aug 2012