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Too Much Alcohol at Midlife Raises Stroke Risk, Study Finds

Posted 1 day 2 hours ago by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 – Too much alcohol in middle age can increase your stroke risk as much as high blood pressure or diabetes, a new study suggests. People who average more than two drinks a day have a 34 percent higher risk of stroke compared to those whose daily average amounts to less than half a drink, according to findings published Jan. 29 in the journal Stroke. Researchers also found that people who drink heavily in their 50s and 60s tend to suffer strokes earlier in life than light drinkers or non-imbibers. "Our study showed that drinking more than two drinks per day can shorten time to stroke by about five years," said lead author Pavla Kadlecova, a statistician at St. Anne's University Hospital International Clinical Research Center in the Czech Republic. The enhanced stroke risk created by heavy drinking rivals the risk posed by high blood pressure or diabetes, the ... Read more

Related support groups: Ischemic Stroke, Ethanol, Dehydrated Alcohol, Ethyl Alcohol, Alcohol 5% in Dextrose 5%

Stroke Survivors Who Live Alone Face Higher Risk of Early Death: Study

Posted 7 days ago by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Jan. 23, 2015 – Stroke survivors – especially men – who live alone are at increased risk for premature death, a new study suggests. Researchers followed nearly 1,100 ischemic stroke survivors in Sweden for 12 years. An ischemic stroke occurs when the brain's blood flow is blocked. During the follow-up period, 36 percent of survivors who lived alone died, compared to 17 percent of those with partners. Among men, the rates were 44 percent and 14 percent, respectively. Even after adjusting for other known risk factors such as physical inactivity, heavy drinking and low levels of education, living alone was still associated with an increased risk of death in the study. "Among the conceivable causes are that people who live alone lead less healthy lives, are less prone to take their medication and tend to wait longer before going to the emergency room," study author Petra Redfors, ... Read more

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Eczema Linked to Other Health Problems

Posted 7 days ago by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Jan. 23, 2015 – Adults with eczema – a chronic, itchy skin disease that often starts in childhood – may also have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a new study. This increased risk may be the result of bad lifestyle habits or the disease itself. "Eczema is not just skin deep," said lead researcher Dr. Jonathan Silverberg, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. "It impacts all aspects of patients' lives and may worsen their heart-health," he said. The researchers found that people with eczema smoke and drink more, are more likely to be obese and are less likely to exercise than adults who don't have the disease. The findings also suggest that eczema itself may increase the risk for heart disease and stroke, possibly from the effects of chronic inflammation, he said. "It was ... Read more

Related support groups: Heart Disease, Ischemic Stroke, Eczema

Study Finds Link Between Cancer Diagnosis, Stroke Risk

Posted 8 Jan 2015 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7, 2015 – Newly diagnosed cancer patients are at increased risk for stroke in the months after they find out they have the disease. And the risk of stroke is higher among those with more aggressive cancer, a new study says. The findings come from an analysis of Medicare claims submitted between 2001 and 2009 by patients aged 66 and older who had been diagnosed with breast, colorectal, lung, prostate and pancreatic cancer. Compared to cancer-free seniors, those with cancer had a much higher risk of stroke. And the risk was highest in the first three months after cancer diagnosis, when the intensity of chemotherapy, radiation and other treatments is typically highest, the researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City said in a college news release. The risk of stroke was highest among patients with lung, pancreatic and colorectal cancers, which are often ... Read more

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Stent Treatment May Lower Stroke Disability

Posted 17 Dec 2014 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014 – Using a stent to capture and remove a stroke-causing blood clot is safe and improves recovery, Dutch researchers report. About one-third of patients who had the procedure – called intraarterial treatment – recovered from their stroke with only slight disability and were able to care for themselves, compared with just 19 percent of patients given regular care, the researchers found. "We knew already that we can open up blocked vessels with the treatment, but now we have proof that patients have better outcomes, they actually benefit by being less disabled and less handicapped," said lead researcher Dr. Diederik Dippel, a neurologist at Erasmus M.C. University Medical Center in Rotterdam. Dippel stressed that to be effective this treatment must be done in the first six hours after stroke symptoms start. And, the sooner the better. Unlike stents used to open ... Read more

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Memory Lapses May Signal Stroke Risk: Study

Posted 11 Dec 2014 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2014 – Memory lapses in people with higher levels of education may be associated with increased stroke risk, researchers report. The research included more than 9,100 people in the Netherlands, aged 55 and older, taking part in a long-term study. During the study, more than 1,100 of the participants suffered a stroke. Overall, memory problems were independently associated with a higher risk of stroke. The researchers also found that people with memory problems had a 39 percent higher risk of stroke if they also had a higher level of education. However, the study did not prove a cause-and-effect link. That level of risk is comparable to the association between memory problems and Alzheimer's disease among highly educated people, according to the authors of the study in the current issue of the journal Stroke. "Studies have shown how stroke causes memory complaints," ... Read more

Related support groups: Ischemic Stroke, Ischemic Stroke - Prophylaxis, Mild Cognitive Impairment

Special Ambulance Delivers Vital Stroke Care More Quickly

Posted 21 Nov 2014 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Nov. 21, 2014 – Stroke outcomes are better when patients are treated in an ambulance by a neurologist equipped with a CT scanner and clot-busting drugs, German researchers report. The sooner patients get the clot dissolver – tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) – the better the outcome after a stroke, the researchers noted. For the best outcome, the drug needs to be given within the first hour after stroke symptoms start, the researchers said. "The so-called 'golden hour' is associated with improved patient outcomes in terms of hospital discharge," said lead researcher Dr. Martin Ebinger, from the Center for Stroke Research at Charite-Universitatsmedizin in Berlin. "Our findings emphasize the importance of fast treatment in acute stroke," he said. Giving clot-busting drugs in a stroke emergency mobile unit (STEMO) substantially increases the number of stroke patients who get ... Read more

Related support groups: Ischemic Stroke, Activase, Cathflo Activase, Alteplase

Bed Position Matters for Stroke Patients, Report Shows

Posted 6 Nov 2014 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Nov. 6, 2014 – Hospital bed positioning can be critical in the first 24 hours after a person suffers an ischemic stroke, according to a new report. Researchers summarized the latest research on ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, which occurs when a clot blocks blood flow to the brain. The other type is a bleeding (hemorrhagic) stroke. "The period immediately following an acute ischemic stroke is a time of significant risk," neurologists from Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., said. "Meticulous attention to the care of the stroke patient during this time can prevent further neurologic injury and minimize common complications, optimizing the chance of functional recovery." Sitting upright can harm ischemic stroke patients because it decreases blood flow to the brain when it needs more blood, the researchers explained. This would suggest that it's ... Read more

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Healthy Lifestyle Choices May Cut Women's Stroke Risk

Posted 9 Oct 2014 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 8, 2014 – Women who follow five healthy habits can cut their stroke risk in half, new research suggests. After being followed an average of 10 years, women who ate a healthy diet, drank alcohol moderately, never smoked, remained physically active and had a healthy body weight were 54 percent less likely to have a stroke than women with none of these factors, said study author Susanna Larsson, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. While other studies have looked at single risk factors, "only a few studies have examined the combined effects of a healthy lifestyle on stroke risk," Larsson said. "We observed that the risk of stroke decreased steadily with an increasing number of healthy lifestyle habits," she said. While the study found an association between healthy habits and stroke risk, a causal link was not proven. The study is published in the ... Read more

Related support groups: Ischemic Stroke, Ischemic Stroke - Prophylaxis

Technology Helps 'Locked-In' Stroke Patient Communicate

Posted 8 Oct 2014 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 8, 2014 – People who've had severe strokes and have a condition called "locked-in" syndrome may benefit from a new technology that allows them to communicate with the outside world, according to new research. The new study reports on a male stroke patient with locked-in syndrome who was paralyzed and could not communicate. With the new "brain-computer interface" he was able to spell out messages to hospital staff and his family, and even respond to questions. There are caveats. This technology is expensive – about $10,000 a unit. Plus, it will be costly to train medical workers and family members to use it with a patient. Still, the man's experiences show that the technology "can be a viable communication option when all other methods have failed, and it can also improve quality of life," said report lead author Eric Sellers, director of the Brain-Computer Interface ... Read more

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Health Risks After Stroke May Linger for at Least 5 Years: Study

Posted 7 Oct 2014 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Oct. 7, 2014 – Stroke survivors remain at high risk for another stroke or other serious medical problems and death for at least five years, a new study suggests. The findings may mean that stroke survivors require closer follow-up to prevent these health problems, the Canadian researchers said. "This high long-term risk was surprising and shows that we need to develop better strategies and interventions for these patients to prevent as many of these serious problems as we can," study leader Dr. Richard Swartz, director of the University of Toronto stroke program, said in a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada news release. In the study, Swartz's team analyzed data from about 24,000 patients in Canada who suffered a stroke or mini-stroke, clinically known as a "transient ischemic attack" (TIA). All of the patients had already survived the "high-danger" period, which is ... Read more

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Study Links Potassium to Fewer Strokes in Older Women

Posted 4 Sep 2014 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Sept. 4, 2014 – Could eating foods rich in potassium, such as bananas and potatoes, help lower the risk of stroke and an earlier death for older women? Possibly, suggest the findings from a new study. But the research is too preliminary to confirm that potassium alone – and not a better overall diet – actually plays a major role in helping women avoid strokes and live longer. However, the study's findings were significant enough for one of the study's co-authors to make this recommendation: "Postmenopausal women should eat more potassium-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, milk and unprocessed meats in order to lower their risk of stroke and death," said Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, professor emerita with the department of epidemiology & population health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Potassium is an important mineral that helps the body ... Read more

Related support groups: Ischemic Stroke, Klor-Con, Potassium Chloride, Ischemic Stroke - Prophylaxis, Klor-Con M20, Klor-Con M10, Klor-Con 10, Micro-K 10, K-Dur, Slow-K, K + Potassium, Micro-K, K-Tab, K-10, K-Dur 10, KCl-20, K-Dur 20, Kaochlor S-F, Klor-Con 8, KCl

Mental Decline a Risk Factor for Stroke, Study Suggests

Posted 25 Aug 2014 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Aug. 25, 2014 – Declining mental skills appear to raise a person's odds for a stroke, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed data from 18 studies – most conducted in Europe or North America – and found that people with memory and thinking problems were 39 percent more likely to suffer a stroke than those with normal mental function. When the team broadened its definition of mental decline (clinically called "cognitive impairment"), the connection to stroke got even stronger. The findings did not prove cause-and-effect, however. "This risk increased to 64 percent when a broadly adopted definition of cognitive impairment was used," wrote a team led by Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele, chair of the neurology department at the Medical University of South Carolina. "Given the projected substantial rise in the number of older people around the world, prevalence rates of cognitive impairment ... Read more

Related support groups: Ischemic Stroke, Mild Cognitive Impairment

Less Educated Smokers at Greatest Risk for Stroke, Study Finds

Posted 14 Aug 2014 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Aug. 14, 2014 – Among smokers, those with the least education are at the greatest risk for stroke, Danish researchers report. "The combined effect of low educational level and smoking on the risk of stroke is the most surprising finding of our paper," said study author Helene Nordahl, an epidemiologist in the department of public health at the University of Copenhagen. She added that reducing smoking among those with the least education could potentially reduce strokes more than targeting smoking in those with the most schooling. Although the study included Danish participants, Nordahl believes her findings are applicable to other countries. "Since the most disadvantaged groups are often exposed to a wide number of stroke risk factors, it seems plausible that these people are at increased risk of stroke, not only in Denmark but also in the U.S.," Nordahl said. Other factors ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking, Ischemic Stroke

Mental Decline Often Precedes a Stroke, Study Finds

Posted 8 Aug 2014 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Aug. 7, 2014 – Age-related declines in memory and thinking abilities may increase a senior's risk of stroke and death, researchers say. Their new study included more than 7,200 Americans older than 65 who were given tests every three years to evaluate their short- and long-term memory, attention, awareness and other mental functions. Those with lower test scores were 61 percent more likely to suffer a stroke than those with higher scores. Compared to whites, blacks with mental decline had a five-fold higher risk of stroke. After a stroke, mental function declined nearly twice as fast as before a stroke. Stroke coupled with mental decline increased the risk of death, according to the study published Aug. 7 in the journal Stroke. "Stroke in old age can be caused by poor cognitive function; whereas, faster decline in cognitive function can be caused by stroke," lead author Kumar ... Read more

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