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.

Community-based physical activity interventions found to be cost-effective

Community-based physical activity interventions designed to promote more active lifestyles among adults are cost-effective in reducing heart disease, stroke, colorectal and breast cancers, and type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

16 Nov 2008

Researchers evaluate root canals versus extraction and dental implants

A new study addresses the growing controversy among dental health professionals regarding the best course of treatment when evaluating between a root canal or dental implant procedure.

16 Nov 2008

Alzheimer's gene apolipoprotein E4 slows export of amyloid-beta

The only known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease slows down the brain's ability to export a toxic protein known as amyloid-beta that is central to the damage the disease causes, scientists have found.

16 Nov 2008

Alzheimer's gene slows brain's ability to export toxic protein

13 Nov 2008

Rosuvastatin trial shows dramatic reduction in hidden heart disease

A Harvard-led study shows that the risk of heart attack and stroke among subjects with "silent heart disease" - and normal cholesterol levels - can be dramatically reduced by the use of an already widely prescribed class of drugs.

13 Nov 2008

Men's health - the facts

New research from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) could shed light on the reasons behind the poor state of men's health in Britain.

12 Nov 2008

Intraspinal implant of mesenchymal stem cells may not heal the demyelinated spinal cord

Multiple sclerosis is a disease caused by the loss of the myelinated sheath surrounding the nerve fibers of the spinal cord.

12 Nov 2008

Discovery of unique approach for delivering drugs to the brain - potential for Alzheimer's and stroke

Saint Louis University researchers have identified a novel way of getting a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease and stroke into the brain where it can do its work.

12 Nov 2008

Dual treatment for stroke leads to improved recovery rates, reduced mortality

It appears that stroke patients who receive both intravenous thrombolysis - a minimally invasive treatment that dissolves abnormal blood clots - and endovascular interventions - such as drugs and implanting medical devices - are much more likely to recover and have lower chances of dying, according to new research by the Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

12 Nov 2008

Without enzyme, biological reaction essential to life takes 2.3 billion years

All biological reactions within human cells depend on enzymes. Their power as catalysts enables biological reactions to occur usually in milliseconds. But how slowly would these reactions proceed spontaneously, in the absence of enzymes - minutes, hours, days? And why even pose the question?

12 Nov 2008

Neck arteries of obese children and teens look more like those of 45-year-olds

Researchers used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the inner walls of the neck (carotid) arteries that supply blood to the brain. Increasing carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) indicates the fatty buildup of plaque within arteries feeding the heart muscle and the brain, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.

11 Nov 2008

Elevated nonfasting triglyceride levels linked with higher risk of stroke

Elevated nonfasting triglyceride levels, previously associated with an increased risk for heart attack, also appear to be associated with an increased risk for ischemic stroke, according to a study in the November 12 issue of JAMA.

11 Nov 2008

Catheter ablation works better than drugs for heart rhythm disorder

Treating a common heart rhythm disorder by burning heart tissue with a catheter works dramatically better than drug treatments, a major international study has found.

11 Nov 2008

Damage inflicted by cholesterol crystals during cardiac attacks more widespread

Cholesterol crystals released in the bloodstream during a cardiac attack or stroke can damage artery linings much further away from the site of the attack, leaving survivors at greater risk than previously thought.

11 Nov 2008

Neuroprosthetic brain implants may help stroke patients overcome partial paralysis

Scientists have shown for the first time that neuroprosthetic brain implants may be able to help stroke patients with partial paralysis.

11 Nov 2008

Large trial on low-dose aspirin in diabetics

Type 2 diabetics treated with low-dose aspirin did not have a significantly lower incidence of atherosclerotic events than those who received placebo in this primary prevention trial of low-dose aspirin, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008. However, sub-group analyses showed a significant reduction with aspirin in both atherosclerotic events in those over 65 years of age, and a reduction in cerebrocardiovascular deaths.

11 Nov 2008

Folic acid does not offer any cardiovascular benefits

Folic acid is safe - but it lacks any cardiovascular benefits - according to researchers presenting at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008. The results from the Study of the Effectiveness of Additional Reductions in Cholesterol and Homocysteine (SEARCH), a 12,064-person, randomized study, were presented as a late-breaking clinical trial.

11 Nov 2008

Timing is everything for some heart attack patients

There is strong evidence that getting to the hospital quickly during a heart attack is critical, since early treatment saves both lives and heart muscle. And if the responsible coronary artery is completely blocked, it should be opened as soon as possible.

11 Nov 2008

Rivaroxaban shows promise in patients with acute coronary syndrome

Researchers reported on a study of a new oral anti-clotting agent - rivaroxaban - designed to identify doses that would be safe to test in subsequent Phase III efficacy and safety trials. The results of ATLAS ACS-TIMI 46 were presented as a late-breaking clinical trial at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008.

11 Nov 2008

Secondary prevention program may reduce risks after heart attack

An intensive, comprehensive, long-term secondary prevention program lasting up to three years after cardiac rehabilitation appears to reduce the risk of a second non-fatal heart attack and other cardiovascular events, according to a report in the November 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

11 Nov 2008