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.

New generation antidepressants may increase risk of adverse outcomes in elderly

Older people taking new generation antidepressants are at more risk of dying or suffering from a range of serious health conditions including stroke, falls, fractures and epilepsy, a study involving researchers at The University of Nottingham has found.

3 Aug 2011

FDA grants IDE approval for Apnex HGNS System to treat obstructive sleep apnea

Apnex Medical, Inc., received investigational device exemption (IDE) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin a clinical study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of its Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation System to treat obstructive sleep apnea.

3 Aug 2011

Pfizer second-quarter revenues decrease 1% to $17.0 billion

Pfizer Inc. today reported financial results for second-quarter 2011. As a result of Pfizer's decision to sell the Capsugel business, all revenues and expenses related to Capsugel in all periods presented are reflected in a single line, Discontinued operations - net of tax.

3 Aug 2011

Roundup: Atlanta hospital facing questions about extending dialysis care to immigrants; Fla. to limit HMO choices for state workers

The agreement providing dialysis for immigrants who were former Grady patients expires at the end of August, and it's unclear what will happen next. ... Grady's financial situation has deteriorated recently, and its losses this year could reach $20 million or more. Meanwhile, the hospital continues to shoulder an enormous financial burden in caring for uninsured patients, including immigrants, providing more than $200 million in indigent care annually.

3 Aug 2011

Scientists look to create blood platelets from stem cells to study genetics of blood clotting disorders

Johns Hopkins scientists have launched a pioneering research program to create, for the first time, human platelet cells from stem cells in order to study inherited blood clotting abnormalities ranging from clots that cause heart attacks and stroke to bleeding disorders. The study is funded by a $9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part of a nationwide initiative to examine how genetic variations cause heart, lung and blood diseases.

2 Aug 2011

Smoking doubles risk of atrial fibrillation

Results from a large, United States based cohort study show that current smokers double their risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) compared to people who have never smoked, after more than 13 years of follow-up. The study, published in the August edition of HeartRhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, indicates a trend towards significantly lower risk of developing AF for those who quit smoking cigarettes versus those who continue to smoke.

2 Aug 2011

AtriCure second quarter revenue increases 18.2% to $16.8 million

AtriCure, Inc., a medical device company and a leader in cardiac surgical ablation systems and systems for the exclusion of the left atrial appendage, today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2011. Revenue was $16.8 million, reflecting 18.2 percent growth over the second quarter of 2010.

2 Aug 2011

Enrollment commences in St. Jude Medical's atrial fibrillation stroke prevention trial

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced that the first patient was enrolled in the EAST (Early comprehensive Atrial fibrillation Stroke prevention Trial) clinical trial.

2 Aug 2011

MindFrame receives CE mark approval for Capture LP and Flow LP devices

MindFrame Inc. today announces receiving CE mark approval for the MindFrame Capture LP™ and MindFrame Flow LP™ devices. Part of the comprehensive portfolio of MindFrame Therapy Solutions™, these low profile devices can be deployed through a smaller microcatheter to improve access through tortuous vessel anatomies.

2 Aug 2011

Smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes in middle age linked to brain damage

A new study suggests smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and being overweight in middle age may cause brain shrinkage and lead to cognitive problems up to a decade later.

2 Aug 2011

Statins may help protect young people from future strokes

New research indicates cholesterol lowering drugs known as statins may help prevent future strokes among young people who have already had a stroke.

2 Aug 2011

Mobile health software effectively helps manage diabetes

An interactive computer software program appears to be effective in helping patients manage their Type 2 diabetes using their mobile phones, according to a new study by University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers.

1 Aug 2011

Stealth presents Bendavia at AHA's Cardiovascular Scientific Sessions

Stealth Peptides Inc. (Stealth), a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing innovative mitochondrial therapies for diseases with unmet medical needs, presented its lead clinical candidate, Bendavia, during the 2011 American Heart Association's (AHA) Cardiovascular Scientific Sessions.

1 Aug 2011

Intensive glycaemic control may negatively affect a person's quality of life

Research published in The Cochrane Library found that the risk of death and cardiovascular disease, such as stroke, was unchanged whether glucose control was intense or conventional.

1 Aug 2011

Mobile health technology may help patients manage Type 2 diabetes

1 Aug 2011

Therapeutic hypothermia might not be effective for children after heart attack

Intravenous delivery of cold fluids to reduce body temperature quickly after a heart attack and improve neurologic outcomes may not be as effective in children as it is in adults, according to a study reported in Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

30 Jul 2011

Study shows disparity between hospital costs and reimbursement

Study results released today at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery 8th Annual Meeting reveals that treatment costs for some neurovascular conditions remain higher than reimbursement in the form of Medicare payments.

30 Jul 2011

National campaign to eradicate child heat stroke deaths in vehicles

Safe Kids USA today called on government, advocacy groups, automakers and car seat manufacturers to combine efforts to eliminate child heat stroke deaths in vehicles by 2013.

30 Jul 2011

New fluorescent tool can track mysterious workings of cellular RNAs

The ability to tag proteins with a green fluorescent light to watch how they behave inside cells so revolutionized the understanding of protein biology that it earned the scientific teams who developed the technique Nobel Prizes in 2008.

30 Jul 2011

First cardiac ablation procedure using Thermocool SmartTOUCH catheter performed at Mount Sinai

The Mount Sinai Medical Center has become the first hospital on the east coast to perform a cardiac ablation procedure using the Thermocool Smarttouch Contact Force-Sensing Catheter for the treatment of symptomatic, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), or periodic rapid and irregular heartbeats.

30 Jul 2011