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.

HealthGrades releases Fifth Annual HealthGrades Women's Health in American Hospitals study

Large variations among hospitals persist in the quality of maternity and cardiac care for women, according to a new study released today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization.

24 Jun 2008

Subtle but detectable neurological abnormalities appear to predict risk of death in older individuals

Subtle but clinically detectable neurological abnormalities, such as reduced reflexes and an unstable posture, may be associated with the risk of death and stroke in otherwise healthy older adults, according to a report in the June 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

24 Jun 2008

Researchers create molecule that nudges nerve stem cells to mature

Inspired by a chance discovery during another experiment, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created a small molecule that stimulates nerve stem cells to begin maturing into nerve cells in culture.

24 Jun 2008

Drug rapamycin reverses mental retardation caused by tuberous sclerosis complex

UCLA researchers discovered that an FDA-approved drug reverses the brain dysfunction inflicted by a genetic disease called tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Because half of TSC patients also suffer from autism, the findings offer new hope for addressing learning disorders due to autism. Nature Medicine publishes the findings in its online June 22 edition.

23 Jun 2008

Management of hypertension immediately after stroke

A research project at the University of Leicester in conjunction with the University of East Anglia, indicates that early reduction of high blood pressure following stroke is feasible and safe, and both Labetalol & Lisinopril were found to be suitable a medications for this purpose.

23 Jun 2008

Could Gleevec help stroke victims?

For over a decade, the drug called tPA has proven its worth as the most effective emergency treatment for the most common kind of stroke. But its promise is blemished by two facts: tPA can cause dangerous bleeding in the brain, and its brain-saving power fades fast after the third hour of a stroke.

23 Jun 2008

Experts paint a depressing future for Australian diabetics

New research presented at an international conference has predicted that almost a third of Australians with diabetes will die from the disease in the next decade.

18 Jun 2008

Life expectancy in U.S. reached record high of 78.1 years in 2006

Life expectancy for U.S. residents reached a record high of 78.1 years in 2006, compared with a previous record high of 77.8 years in 2005, according to a preliminary report released on Wednesday by the National Center for Health Statistics at CDC, the Washington Post reports. For the report, Melonie Heron, a NCHS demographer, and colleagues analyzed 95% of the death certificates collected in the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in 2006.

17 Jun 2008

Hearing loss twice as common in adults with diabetes

Hearing loss is about twice as common in adults with diabetes compared to those who do not have the disease, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

16 Jun 2008

High blood pressure treatment effective in reversing vascular damage

A hypertension medication called olmesartan medoxomil is effective in reversing the narrowing of the arteries that occurs in patients with high blood pressure, according to a new study.

16 Jun 2008

Unique brain maps to assist surgery and research

Researchers from the Howard Florey Institute in Melbourne are developing new technology to create individualised brain maps that will revolutionise diagnosis of disease and enhance the accuracy of brain surgery.

16 Jun 2008

EUROACTION Trial: A comprehensive approach to cardiovascular prevention

The single largest research project ever to be undertaken by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), EUROACTION, showed that a multidisciplinary, family based and nurse coordinated programme made a real difference in improving lifestyle and reducing cardiovascular risk among coronary patients and people with a high risk of developing Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).

15 Jun 2008

Women, Latinos face higher brain aneurysm risk

A type of stroke that can strike at any age, and kills one-third of its victims, appears to be more common in women and Mexican-Americans than in non-Hispanic white men, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Stroke Program.

15 Jun 2008

Age-adjusted death rates in U.S. down sharply in 2006

Age-adjusted death rates in the United States dropped significantly between 2005 and 2006 and life expectancy hit another record high, according to preliminary death statistics released today by CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

11 Jun 2008

Anti-estrogen drug therapy reduces risk of invasive breast cancer in older women

New analysis of a drug approved for osteoporosis prevention and treatment has provided definitive evidence that the medication is also effective as a breast cancer preventative for certain cancers.

11 Jun 2008

Reduced incidence of invasive breast cancer with Raloxifene among women at increased coronary risk

Women who took raloxifene were less likely to develop invasive estrogen-receptor (ER) positive breast cancer compared with women who did not, according to data from a randomized controlled trial published online June 10 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The drug did not reduce the risk of non-invasive cancer or invasive ER-negative cancers.

11 Jun 2008