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.

Studies indicate why females do not fare as well as men in undergoing angioplasty for heart attacks

Age, condition and treatment delay are among the reasons women who undergo angioplasty for heart attack often do not fare as well as do men, according to two studies presented today at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 32nd Annual Scientific Sessions.

6 May 2009

Anti-clotting action of clopidogrel (Plavix) reduced by common heartburn drugs

The anti-clotting action of the medication clopidogrel (Plavix) can be compromised by common drugs for the treatment of heartburn and ulcers resulting in a roughly 50% increase in the combined risk of hospitalization for heart attack, stroke and other serious cardiovascular illnesses, according to a new study presented today at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 32nd Annual Scientific Sessions.

6 May 2009

Results from study comparing safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents and bare-metal stents

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) announced that its landmark study comparing the safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents and bare-metal stents was published today in The New England Journal of Medicine.

6 May 2009

Research shows why certain atherosclerotic lesions can turn deadly

A common misconception about arterial plaque is that it inevitably leads to a heart attack or a stroke. New research at Columbia University Medical Center, however, sheds light on why so few plaques in any given individual actually cause a problem. Furthermore, the research has identified a key protein that may promote the conversion from benign to dangerous plaques.

5 May 2009

Drugs designed to tackle endoplasmic reticulum stress might be useful in treating heart disease

Researchers say they have evidence to explain what separates your average blood vessel plaque from those that are at high risk for triggering the development of dangerous - even fatal - blood clots.

5 May 2009

New method a dream come true for sleep apnea patients

Researchers from the University of Sydney have found the first hard evidence that the special masks doctors prescribe to patients with sleep apnea - a disorder that can cause interrupted breathing leading to choking and even death while asleep - actually work.

4 May 2009

New, more effective and less costly method for testing drugs for potential toxicity

Adverse reactions to drugs represent one of the leading causes of death in the United States. But there may be a way to predict who is most likely to suffer a toxic side effect to a drug before they have even taken it.

4 May 2009

Women live longer but quality of life is often poor

According to scientists in the United States women may live longer lives but the quality of their lives is often poor.

3 May 2009

Discovery of gene associated with narcolepsy

Scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health have identified a gene associated with narcolepsy, a disorder that causes disabling daytime sleepiness, sleep attacks, irresistible bouts of sleep that can strike at any time, and disturbed sleep at night. The gene has a known role in the immune system, which strongly suggests that autoimmunity, in which the immune system turns against the body's own tissues, plays an important role in the disorder.

3 May 2009

Women live longer, not better, largely because of obesity and arthritis

Obesity and arthritis that take root during early and middle age significantly contribute to women's decreased quality of life during their senior years, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

3 May 2009

Out-of-pocket costs reduce patients' willingness to start treatment for their chronic illnesses

Patients newly diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol are significantly more likely to delay initiating recommended drug treatment if they face higher co-payments for medications, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

30 Apr 2009

Study suggests left-side bias in visual expertise

Facial recognition is not as automatic as it may seem. Researchers have identified specific areas in the brain devoted solely to picking out faces among other objects we encounter.

30 Apr 2009

Smoking, hypertension and BMI are the leading preventable risk factors for premature mortality in the U.S.

The researchers found that smoking is responsible for 467,000 premature deaths each year, high blood pressure for 395,000, and being overweight for 216,000. The effects of smoking work out to be about one in five deaths in American adults, while high blood pressure is responsible for one in six deaths.

30 Apr 2009

Genes that influence brain cell connections linked to autism

In three studies, including the most comprehensive study of autism genetics to date, investigators funded in part by the National Institutes of Health have identified common and rare genetic factors that affect the risk of autism spectrum disorders.

30 Apr 2009

Protein effects of hormone replacement therapy uncovered

An in-depth proteomic analysis of the sera of 50 participants from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) hormone replacement therapy trial provides some explanations for the trial's clinical results.

30 Apr 2009

Obstructive sleep apnea leads to poorer prognosis after stroke

Stroke victims tend to do worse if they also have diagnosed or undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea prior to having the stroke, according to a study presented April 28, 2009, at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) annual meeting in Seattle.

30 Apr 2009

Arterial disease of the leg frequently overlooked in patients with heart disease

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) of the legs, in which the arteries become blocked with plaque and blood supply to the legs is reduced, affects eight million people in the U.S. Early detection of PAD is important because it can limit the ability to walk and exercise, it may place patients at greater risk for limb loss and it increases the chance of having a heart attack or stroke.

30 Apr 2009

Urine proteome pattern may predict coronary artery disease

Proteome analysis, a screening requiring only a patient's urine specimen, shows promise as a reliable and noninvasive way to diagnose atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease in the future, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Annual Conference 2009.

30 Apr 2009

Researchers identify atrial fibrillation as a stroke predictor in black patients

Predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) might offer physicians a better way to prevent stroke in blacks, according to a new study done by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

29 Apr 2009

New findings on COX-2 inhibitor side effects

In searching for a simple way to identify individuals with smoking-related lung injury, scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have stumbled upon a potential explanation for why the class of pain-relievers known as COX-2 inhibitors increases the risk of heart problems among users.

29 Apr 2009

Stroke News and Research

Further Reading

Studies indicate why females do not fare as well as men in undergoing angioplasty for heart attacks

Anti-clotting action of clopidogrel (Plavix) reduced by common heartburn drugs

Results from study comparing safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents and bare-metal stents

Research shows why certain atherosclerotic lesions can turn deadly

Drugs designed to tackle endoplasmic reticulum stress might be useful in treating heart disease

New method a dream come true for sleep apnea patients

New, more effective and less costly method for testing drugs for potential toxicity

Women live longer but quality of life is often poor

Discovery of gene associated with narcolepsy

Women live longer, not better, largely because of obesity and arthritis

Out-of-pocket costs reduce patients' willingness to start treatment for their chronic illnesses

Study suggests left-side bias in visual expertise

Smoking, hypertension and BMI are the leading preventable risk factors for premature mortality in the U.S.

Genes that influence brain cell connections linked to autism

Protein effects of hormone replacement therapy uncovered

Obstructive sleep apnea leads to poorer prognosis after stroke

Arterial disease of the leg frequently overlooked in patients with heart disease

Urine proteome pattern may predict coronary artery disease

Researchers identify atrial fibrillation as a stroke predictor in black patients

New findings on COX-2 inhibitor side effects

The Critical Role of Sample Storage in Drug Discovery and Development

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

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