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.

Low-dose estrogen therapy significantly reduced the progression of fatty buildup in the arteries leading to the heart

“We’ve shown that you can get the same reduction in coronary artery atherosclerosis with standard-dose or low-dose estrogen,” said Thomas B. Clarkson, D.V.M., one of the investigators. “It is very significant.”

10 Oct 2004

Walking fast after stroke improves rehabilitation

Stroke survivors who walked fast in a rehabilitation program improved their overall walking ability, according to a small study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

8 Oct 2004

Aspirin might well be considered the top utility player in the medicine cabinet

This cheap over-the-counter drug can be used not only for fever, pain and arthritis, but to prevent heart attack, stroke or angina. It also may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Yet aspirin also has side effects worth considering, and its very accessibility may hamper its use.

8 Oct 2004

Canadian Rheumatology Association issues statement on Vioxx alternatives

The Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) has issued a statement to its 350 members and other interested parties, recommending alternative treatment considerations in the wake of the worldwide recall of Merck's rofecoxib, (Vioxx(R)) last week.

7 Oct 2004

EMEA statement following withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib)

EU regulators met with the marketing authorisation holder of Vioxx (rofecoxib), Merck Sharp & Dohme, on 4-5 October 2004 at the informal meeting of the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) held in Scheveningen, The Netherlands.

6 Oct 2004

Testosterone may help men recover from a stroke

Testosterone – the hormone responsible for male sexual characteristics – may help him recover from a stroke, according to preliminary animal research at Saint Louis University

5 Oct 2004

Women who take the hormone therapy estrogen plus progestin have double the risk for venous thrombosis

Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., of the University of Vermont, Colchester, Vt., and colleagues examined the effects of postmenopausal hormone therapy on VT in the presence of other thrombosis risk factors, such as age and obesity.

5 Oct 2004

University of Florida researchers reveal secret lives of genes during spinal injury

The body attempts to heal a damaged spinal cord in much the same way it repairs skin after simple cuts and scrapes, an insight that may lead to new treatments for the thousands of people paralyzed each year because of spinal cord injuries, say scientists at the University of Florida Health Science Center.

5 Oct 2004

Natural alternatives to osteoarthritis drug

The recall of Vioxx should come as a major sign of the need to look for safer alternatives for osteoarthritis treatment, according to the Director of the Australian Centre for complementary Medicine Education and Research (ACCMER), Professor Stephen Myers.

5 Oct 2004

Neurologists have discovered a drug application smart enough to alleviate orthostatic hypotension

Mayo Clinic neurologists have discovered a drug application smart enough to alleviate orthostatic hypotension -- problems with sinking blood pressure when standing up from a sitting position -- without the unwanted effect of also causing patients' blood pressure to soar when lying down.

5 Oct 2004

Immediate voluntary world-wide withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib)

Pharmaceutical company, Merck Sharp & Dohme has announced an immediate voluntary world-wide withdrawal of the drug, Vioxx (rofecoxib), commonly used for patients with rheumatoid or osteoarthritis.

4 Oct 2004

Portion of the brain devoted to vision may play a prominent role in processing the spoken word in blind people

The findings yield important information about the brain's ability to compensate for lost function. The study appears in the October 3, 2004 online issue of Nature Neuroscience1 and in the journal's November issue.

4 Oct 2004

A child's risk of becoming obese may begin before birth and continue throughout infancy

A child's risk of becoming obese may begin before birth and continue throughout infancy and early childhood - critical periods for cellular growth and development, according to research results discussed during a national conference and outlined in the October supplement to Pediatrics.

4 Oct 2004

MHRA advice following withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued advice following the withdrawal of a widely-used pain-killer and anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx (rofecoxib).

4 Oct 2004

Data demonstrate that Celebrex does not increase the risk of heart attack or stroke in patients with arthritis and pain

Pfizer has said that three large long-term Celebrex (celecoxib capsules) studies involving more than 6,000 patients have not shown any significant safety issues and are expected to continue to completion.

4 Oct 2004

Vitamin supplements not effective in protecting against gastro-intestinal cancer

A systematic review and meta-analysis (pooled analysis) of previously published randomised trials in this week’s issue of THE LANCET provides strong evidence that antioxidant supplements (such as vitamin supplements) are not effective in protecting against gastro-intestinal cancer.

30 Sep 2004

Studies confirm that chronic kidney disease independently increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease

A pair of new epidemiology studies confirms that chronic kidney disease independently increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, even among people with early kidney disease and after considering other risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.

29 Sep 2004

Millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at increased risk for type 2 diabetes

About 40 percent of adults ages 40 to 74 - or 41 million people - have pre-diabetes, a condition that raises a person’s risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

29 Sep 2004

Scientists develop rapid-fire tests for botulinum toxin

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a pair of rapid-fire tests for botulinum toxin, a feat that could underpin new technologies to thwart bioterrorism and spur the development of agents to blunt the toxic action of the world's most poisonous substance.

29 Sep 2004

Should medical knowledge be extended to enhance the lives of those who are already healthy?

This question and others are addressed in three articles about cosmetic neurology in the September 28 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Sep 2004

Stroke News and Research

Further Reading

Low-dose estrogen therapy significantly reduced the progression of fatty buildup in the arteries leading to the heart

Walking fast after stroke improves rehabilitation

Aspirin might well be considered the top utility player in the medicine cabinet

Canadian Rheumatology Association issues statement on Vioxx alternatives

EMEA statement following withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib)

Testosterone may help men recover from a stroke

Women who take the hormone therapy estrogen plus progestin have double the risk for venous thrombosis

University of Florida researchers reveal secret lives of genes during spinal injury

Natural alternatives to osteoarthritis drug

Neurologists have discovered a drug application smart enough to alleviate orthostatic hypotension

Immediate voluntary world-wide withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib)

Portion of the brain devoted to vision may play a prominent role in processing the spoken word in blind people

A child's risk of becoming obese may begin before birth and continue throughout infancy

MHRA advice following withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib)

Data demonstrate that Celebrex does not increase the risk of heart attack or stroke in patients with arthritis and pain

Vitamin supplements not effective in protecting against gastro-intestinal cancer

Studies confirm that chronic kidney disease independently increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease

Millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at increased risk for type 2 diabetes

Scientists develop rapid-fire tests for botulinum toxin

Should medical knowledge be extended to enhance the lives of those who are already healthy?

Hasret Altan-Martin

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