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.

CU professor to interview epilepsy sufferers and their families in depth

Sara Shostak, assistant professor in the department of sociology, along with principal investigator Ruth Ottman, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, and other collaborators were recently awarded a $2 million grant from The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to learn more about these questions.

29 Feb 2012

Minimally invasive treatments to be showcased at SIR's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting

The Society of Interventional Radiology will feature minimally invasive scientific advances and new discoveries that may change the way dozens of diseases are treated at its 37th Annual Scientific Meeting March 24-29 at San Francisco's Moscone Center.

29 Feb 2012

Tips for people to ensure heart health

There's not just one way to ensure heart health. Instead, it takes a multifaceted approach that includes regular exercise, a balanced diet and other elements. But regardless of age, it is relatively easy to take steps that will contribute to heart - and overall - health.

29 Feb 2012

AAN, ALS Association announce creation of Richard Olney Clinician Scientist Development Award

The American Academy of Neurology Foundation and The ALS Association are announcing the creation of the Richard Olney Clinician Scientist Development Award in ALS, named after Richard K. Olney, MD, a leading neurologist and pioneer in clinical ALS research who died late last month of ALS, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

29 Feb 2012

Women use condoms less frequently during first year of college

Women gradually use condoms less frequently during their first year of college, according to a new study by researchers from The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine. This was particularly true for women who binge drink, have lower grade point averages or come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

29 Feb 2012

SWHR, NAMS encourage women to understand benefits and risks of hormone therapy

Hormone therapy (HT) remains the most effective treatment available for menopausal hot flashes and night sweats. The Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) and The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) encourage women to understand the benefits and risks of hormone therapy in order to decide if this therapy is right for them.

29 Feb 2012

New research shows how motor neurones are produced

The quest for treatments for motor neurone disease, spinal cord injury and strokes could be helped by new research that shows how key cells are produced.

28 Feb 2012

Stents not more beneficial than medications in stable coronary artery disease: Study

The placement of a stent to repair a narrowed artery in the heart has become routine worldwide. A new analysis of earlier clinical trials shows that inserting a stent has no benefit over standard medical care in treating stable coronary artery disease.

28 Feb 2012

Low levels of omega-3 in blood ‘ups’ risk of dementia and brain aging: Study

Researchers looked at 1,575 adults who averaged 67 years old and had no signs of dementia and had not had a stroke. They were given MRI brain scans and a battery of tests to measure memory and thinking abilities; they also had blood drawn to check the level of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or omega-3 fatty acids in their red blood cells. Those with the lowest levels of omega-3s showed signs of accelerated aging. They had lower brain volume, indicating shrinkage comparable to two additional years of aging. Compared with those with the highest blood levels of omega-3s, they scored lower on cognitive tests measuring such things as memory, problem solving, abstract thinking and multi-tasking.

28 Feb 2012

New guidelines for detection of rheumatic heart disease

The inaugural international guidelines for the diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease (RHD), a disease that affects tens of millions of people worldwide, have today been published by the World Heart Federation in Nature Reviews Cardiology.

28 Feb 2012

AF strong predictor of cognitive and functional decline in older people at risk of heart disease

An irregular heartbeat - atrial fibrillation - is a strong predictor of cognitive decline and the loss of independence in daily activities in older people at risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study in CMAJ.

28 Feb 2012

WATCHMAN device may prevent stroke in AF patients

In the United States alone, approximately 6 million people suffer from an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation (AF), and since the incidence increases with age, it is predicted that 15.9 million Americans will be affected by 2050. The most devastating side effect of AF is stroke, but a new device from Boston Scientific may prevent them from occurring.

28 Feb 2012

Diets low in omega-3 fatty acids linked with memory problems

A diet lacking in omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients commonly found in fish, may cause your brain to age faster and lose some of its memory and thinking abilities, according to a study published in the February 28, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Feb 2012

FDA assigns Priority Review designation to JRD's XARELTO sNDA

Janssen Research & Development, LLC (JRD) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has assigned a Priority Review designation to the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) filed on December 29, 2011 for XARELTO (rivaroxaban), an oral anticoagulant, to reduce the risk of thrombotic cardiovascular events in patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS).

27 Feb 2012

Anorexia on the rise among kids and anti-obesity campaigns blamed

According to Dr Jane Morris, chairwoman of the Scottish Eating Disorder Interest Group, healthy eating drives are causing anorexia in children. She said children were obsessing about their diet because of drives to combat obesity.

27 Feb 2012

KF scientist to speak at William Paterson University, March 1

John DeLuca, PhD, vice president for research at Kessler Foundation, is the featured speaker at the grand opening of the new Science Complex at William Paterson University's College of Science and Health. Dr. DeLuca, a well known expert in cognitive function, will discuss "Neuroimaging, Brain and Behavior: New Opportunities for the Future," on March 1, 2012 12:30 to 1:05 pm in the Science East Lecture Hall.

27 Feb 2012

CT scan as effective as MRI in predicting recurrent stroke risk

New research from the University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) shows that using a CT (computerised tomography) scan, doctors can predict if patients who have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke, with neurological symptoms such as weakness or speech issues, are at risk for another more severe stroke.

27 Feb 2012

Statins may reduce risk of depression in patients with heart disease

Patients with heart disease who took cholesterol-lowering statins were significantly less likely to develop depression than those who did not, in a study by Mary Whooley, MD, a physician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

27 Feb 2012

Citrus fruits may keep stroke at bay for women

In the study published last Thursday in Stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association, researchers analyzed the flavonoid intake of 69,622 women from the U.S.-based Nurses’ Health Study, which has followed nurses since 1976 to assess risk factors for cardiovascular disease and cancer. The total flavonoid intake of the 69,622 women was calculated after they completed food intake questionnaires collected every four years using a U.S. Department of Agriculture database. They found that during 14 years of follow up surveys beginning in 1990, 1,803 incidents of strokes were confirmed from the women.

26 Feb 2012

Dopamine therapy can boost creativity in patients with Parkinson's

Some Parkinson's Disease patients can suddenly become creative when they take dopamine therapy, producing pictures, sculptures, novels and poetry. But their new-found interests can become so overwhelming that they ignore other aspects of their everyday life, such as daily chores and social activities, according to research published in the March issue of the European Journal of Neurology.

24 Feb 2012