Recent Stroke news from ScienceDaily:

 

More Stroke News

 

  • Older moms told to avoid estrogen pill in weeks after baby arrives. New government guidelines suggest that women who have recently given birth and are older than 34 or who had a C-section steer clear of certain types of oral contraceptives. Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that birth control pills containing estrogen could boost the risk of a blood clot when taken by some new mothers within six weeks of a baby’s birth–msnbc.com
  • In the ‘Stroke Belt,’ Erosion of Memory Is More Likely Too. People in a large area of the American South have long been known to have more strokes and to be more likely to die from them than people living elsewhere in the country. Now, a large national study suggests the so-called stroke belt may have another troubling health distinction. Researchers have found that Southerners there also are more likely to experience a decline in cognitive ability over several years — specifically, problems with memory and orientation. New York Times 
  • Smoking increases risk of peripheral arterial disease in women, even 20 years after quitting. Any women looking for (yet another) reason to quit smoking — or better yet, never to start — might be interested in this:  Researchers at the Harvard Medical School have found that the more a woman smokes, the more likely she is to develop peripheral artery disease, a debilitating condition where narrowing of the arteries restricts blood flow to the extremities and increases the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke and mini-stroke–Los Angeles Times
  • Carotid Artery Interventions For Cerebrovascular Disease Compared. New data in the June 2011 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery reveals that carotid endarterectomy (CEA) may be the preferred treatment for women who require intervention for cerebrovascular disease–Medical News Today (June 6, 2011)
  • A case study supports the treatment with tPA in ischemic stroke in cases that meet the American Heart Association Guidelines and the FDA approved standard that treatment begin within three hours of onset of symptoms – New England Journal of Medicine
  • A recent study shows that Body-Weight–Supported Treadmill Rehabilitation after Stroke is not superior to progressive exercise at home managed by a physical therapist – The New England Journal of Medicine
  • Stroke is something you can avoid. Eleven strategies to help reduce your risk of stroke. The Orange County Register Reprinted by AARP.

  • “Head-worn device uses sonar to rapidly diagnose stroke” – Gizmag
  • More evidence that a healthy Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of ischemic stroke – Journal Watch
  • Antiphospholipid syndrome plus rheumatic fever: a higher risk factor for stroke? APS patients who have had rheumatic fever in the past may be at higher risk for stroke, a recent indicates, but further research is needed–Medline Plus
  • Mounting evidence suggests that discontinuation of aspirin therapy may increase stroke risk – Neurology and MedIndia.net
  • Strokes are more fatal to women than breast cancer but can be prevented. Stroke is the No. 3 killer of Americans each year, and a quarter of all strokes occur in people younger than 65. Perhaps more startling is the fact that 55,000 more women than men have strokes each year. More women die from stroke, too. In fact, stroke kills more women than breast cancer–St. Louis Post-Dispatch