Do You Know You're Having a Stroke? MarketWatch - Nov 25, 2008 "Time is crucial in treating stroke," says Latha Stead, MD, emergency medicine specialist and lead author of the study. ...
Drugs you can't have Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand - Nov 30, 2008 There is another drug, called bevacizumab (marketed as Avastin), which was developed as a drug for colon cancer, but turns out to be brilliant at treating...
Both Tylenol and Advil are good to use for pain News Chief, FL - Nov 30, 2008 They are very good at treating pain. Most people who are in pain will turn to these medications or aspirin. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) was discovered more than ...
St. Mary's Pearl machine helps treat stroke patients MU The Parthenon (registration), WV - Nov 6, 2008 ... the neuroscience center at St. Mary's, said a stroke patient has a short window of time for treatment to prevent permanent brain damage or even death. ...
New test red-flags stroke risks Tribune Review, PA - Nov 10, 2008 None of those improvements matter if patients don't get to hospitals for treatment before permanent brain damage occurs. "A lot of people don't realize that ...
Brain Conditions Benefit When Guard is Down Ivanhoe, FL - Nov 16, 2008 In mice with stroke, PACAP27 already circulating in the body was able to enter the brain and minimize the damage. In mice with Alzheimer?s disease, ...
HEALTH BRIEFS for Nov. 23 phillyBurbs.com, PA - Nov 23, 2008 The $30 million center includes new state-of-the-art equipment for the treatment of stroke and cerebrovascular disease, including the area?s only biplane ...
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Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: stroke damage + stroke treatment + stroke Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)
MEDICINE: Telemedicine boosted by stroke study North County Times - Californian, CA - Aug 4, 2008 By BRADLEY J. FIKES - Staff Writer | Monday, August 4, 2008 12:17 PM PDT ∞ Diagnosis of stroke patients has been dramatically improved through a program ...
Ten Percent of Healthy People Injured from Silent Strokes Voice of America - Aug 4, 2008 This week, we will tell about a brain injury known as silent stroke. We will also tell about melanoma -- the most deadly form of skin cancer. ...
Stick out your tongue Brantford Expositor, Canada - He had had a small stroke and unfortunately had not seen a doctor for speedy treatment. The first three hours following a stroke are of vital importance in ...
A Successful Patient Story from Westbury (UK) Shows the ... PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - Aug 4, 2008 VRT is an FDA-cleared, patented, non-invasive rehabilitation that may restore visual field defects after brain or optic nerve damage due to stroke, ...
Stroke victims only get the right drugs 1 per cent of the time Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - Jul 21, 2008 The statistics were disclosed as guidelines to be published this week will stipulate that all stroke victims must receive potentially life-saving treatment...
Spotting a stroke Manchester Evening News, UK - Jul 28, 2008 However, new understanding of the medical condition and developments in treatment to prevent long-term brain damage once a stroke has taken place, ...
Response To 'New Study Finds Smoking Predicts Increased Stroke... Medical News Today (press release), UK - Jul 31, 2008 The charity funds research into prevention, treatment, better methods of rehabilitation and helps stroke patients and their families directly through its ...
Have high blood pressure? Then get tested for diabetes Gather.com, MA - Among people with diabetes, controlling blood pressure cuts in half the chances of having a heart attack or stroke or dying of heart disease. ...
Fast action, clot busters can save vision in Johns Hopkins ... Baltimore Sun, United States - Jul 20, 2008 She rushed to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where doctors told her there was nothing they could do to restore her vision - she had suffered an "eye stroke" from a ...
Early stroke treatment associated with better outcome The NINDS rt-PA Stroke Study - JR Marler, BC Tilley, M Lu, TG Brott, PC Lyden, JC … - Neurology, 2000 - AAN Enterprises ... between emergency department admission and treatment of acute ischemic stroke. ... Tissue
plasminogen activator reduces neurological damage after cerebral ...
Treatment-Induced Cortical Reorganization After Stroke in Humans - J Liepert, H Bauder, WHR Miltner, E Taub, C … - Stroke, 2000 - Am Heart Assoc ... of disadvantageous cortical reorganization produced with nervous system damage. ... to
be efficacious in chronic stroke patients ... the appearance of a treatment effect ...
Timing for Fever-Related Brain Damage in Acute Ischemic Stroke - J Castillo, A Davalos, J Marrugat, M Noya - Stroke, 1998 - Am Heart Assoc ... value associated with greater cerebral damage; when hyperthermia ... symptom onset was
related to stroke outcome and ... subsequent intervals as a result of treatment. ...
Reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion without craniectomy in rats - EZ Longa, PR Weinstein, S Carlson, R Cummins - Stroke, 1989 - Am Heart Assoc ... S. Nagel, S. Schwab, and M. Schwaninger Hyperbaric Oxygen Reduces Blood-Brain Barrier Damage and Edema After Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia Stroke, August 1 ...
Pathobiology of ischaemic stroke: an integrated view - U Dirnagl, C Iadecola, MA Moskowitz - Trends in Neurosciences, 1999 - Elsevier ... The important role of oxygen free-radicals in cell damage associated with stroke
is underscored by the fact that even delayed treatment with free-radical ...
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Treating Stroke: How to Reduce the Damage
We have all heard the expression, "time is money." But if you have just suffered a stroke, time is actually brain. The longer you wait to receive medical help after a stroke, the higher your chances of brain injury and/or paralysis. Learning to recognize the early warning signs, and react quickly, is an important key to reducing the damage of stroke.
Below, two neurologists discuss how to recognize the earliest signs of stroke, and how to respond effectively. First, what is meant by the term "acute stroke"?
DARA JAMIESON, MD: "Acute stroke" refers to the process of brain damage that occurs by the minute during a stroke, or "brain attack". The patient will notice the sudden onset of neurologic symptoms. One minute the patient may be home relaxing and all of a sudden she may notice an inability to move the right side of her body, or she may experience difficulty speaking. That's an example of a patient who is having an acute stroke, and needs to recognize the symptoms immediately, get to the hospital, and get treatment immediately.
A person suffering these symptoms should call 911 immediately, and should not wait?
RALPH L. SACCO, MD: If you have these neurologic symptoms, then you need to call right away. You don't want to wait. The key for stroke treatment is to receive medical treatment in less than three hours. That's why we use the term "time is brain." The most effective therapy we have only works if you get it within three hours.
What happens once the person calls 911?
In most cities, a 911 call will prompt an ambulance to get the patient to the hospital right away. At the hospital the patient will be stabilized, and then the key is to find out what kind of stroke it is. Often, a brain scan will be done, which can tell us whether it's a bleeding stroke or an ischemic stroke. If it's an ischemic stroke -- which constitute nearly 85% of strokes -- then the patient may be a candidate for a clot-busting medicine to reduce the damage from stroke and improve outcome.
How do these clot-busting medicines work and what are they?
DARA JAMIESON, MD: The clot-busting medicines are given intravenously to people who meet certain criteria. The patient has to have significant (neurologic) deficit, be treated within three hours of the onset of the stroke symptoms, and be medically stable. The patient must have normal to only slightly elevated blood pressure and not have any history of bleeding problems.
How do the clot-busting medications work?
DARA JAMIESON, MD: They are given intravenously, and they go into the artery that is clogged and dissolve the clot, which permits normal blood flood to the brain.
Can medication reverse or minimize the damage already done by stroke?
DARA JAMIESON, MD: Studies have shown that the clot-busting drugs yield improvement at three months, not instantly, at the bedside. But it's important to understand that damage from stroke is a continuous process. The brain damage occurs in a cascade of different events that occur within brain cells, so different things may occur at different times. The faster you respond with medical care, the more likely you are to preserve brain cells.
You mentioned that 85% of patients have an ischemic attack. What about the other 15%? How are they treated if the clot-busting drugs are not an option?
RALPH L. SACCO, MD: The other 15% of stroke victims have what is called a "bleeding stroke". We have fewer treatments available for bleeding stroke. But there are things that we do to stabilize bleeding stroke victims in the hospital, to try to prevent further injury. In some cases, surgery is an option, to evacuate the blood clots.
Are bleeding strokes much more serious than ischemic attacks?
RALPH L. SACCO, MD: Yes, and there is a much greater chance of actually dying from a stroke if it's a bleeding stroke.
Is the level of damage to the brain determined by the area of the brain that is affected?
DARA JAMIESON, MD: There are certain areas of the brain that have many more functions. For instance, if you have a stroke in your brain stem or the lower part of the brain, chances are you will have a more serious outcome. That's an area of the brain that is very densely packed with cells that are regulating things in your face, such as your eyes and your speech. It's an area where cells regulate breathing and heart rate.
If you have a stroke that is in the front part of your brain, you may actually have a large stroke but have relatively small problems.
Those who have strokes on the left side of the brain will most often experience speech problems.
Is it recommended that people suffering from stroke take aspirin right away?
RALPH L. SACCO, MD: We're not sure yet. It's often done, and we know that it has at least a small effect. In studies, stroke victims who took aspirin within 48 hours of a stroke had a better outcome at six months than those who didn't. But it is small. I think the main thing really is to get medical treatment first. For example, if you had a bleeding stroke, you don't want to be taking aspirin before you call 911. Medicines, like aspirin, can be given once you receive medical treatment and the diagnosis is established.
Why do you think there is so much more public awareness about heart attack than stroke? Why are people so much less likely to seek treatment quickly after a stroke?
DARA JAMIESON, MD: One of the problems with stroke is that there is no pain. Pain is something that gets people to the emergency room because pain hurts and you want to find a way to get rid of it. But if you have transient weakness or numbness, it's pretty easy to rationalize it away.
But if you ask people what are they most scared of -- a heart attack or stroke -- most people will tell you they're most scared of having a stroke because it's going to leave them with a deficit that's going to take them away from their family, their job, and their life as they know it. It's difficult to get people to understand how important it is to recognize the warning signs and get help.
