The American Heart Association's International Stroke Conference
The American Heart Association's annual International Stroke Conference was held from Feb. 12 to 14 in San Diego and attracted nearly 4,000 participants from around the world, including cerebrovascular research and practice experts. The conference featured more than 1,500 presentations that emphasized basic, clinical, and translational medicine as well as providing insight into the prevention, management, and treatment of strokes.
In one study, Richard Bernstein, M.D., of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues found that using an implantable cardiac monitor, the Reveal XT, improved the detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) after an ischemic stroke of unknown cause.
"Detecting AF prompts a change in medical therapy from aspirin-like drugs to anticoagulant drugs, which are more effective at preventing strokes in patients with AF," said Bernstein. "By three years, the implantable device found that 30 percent of the patients had AF, whereas we only found 3 percent of patients with AF using standard cardiac monitoring techniques."
Several authors disclosed financial ties to Medtronic, the manufacturer of the Reveal XT.
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In another study, Devin Brown, M.D., of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues found that stroke patients whose stroke-related injury is located in the brainstem have a higher prevalence of sleep apnea than those with stroke-related injury elsewhere in the brain.
"Similarly, brainstem location of stroke-related injury was also linked to severity of sleep apnea," said Brown. "Clinicians should have a high suspicion for sleep apnea in any ischemic stroke patient, but even more so in those with brainstem stroke. However, because no definitive study has proven the benefits of sleep apnea treatment with respect to stroke outcomes, routine sleep apnea screening is not yet part of guidelines."
Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
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Gregg Fonarow, M.D., of the University of California in Los Angeles, and colleagues examined data from hospitals that have adopted Target: Stroke, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's national quality initiative. The primary aim of Target: Stroke is to increase the number of stroke patients treated with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute ischemic stroke within 60 minutes of hospital arrival.
"The study demonstrated that patients received stroke therapy significantly faster in hospitals that participated in Target: Stroke," said Fonarow. "Between 2010 and 2013, the time between hospital arrival and use of tPA (door-to-needle time) dropped by 15 minutes, from 74 to 59 minutes, in hospitals that participated in Target: Stroke."
This study also found that the percentage of patients treated within the recommended timeframe increased from less than one-third before Target: Stroke to more than half afterwards.
"The Target: Stroke program goal of 50 percent or more patients having door-to-needle times within 60 minutes was successfully achieved. Faster treatment was associated with improved patient outcomes and fewer complications, including death," said Fonarow. "These findings further reinforce the importance and clinical benefits of faster administration of intravenous tPA. By showing that the timeliness of tPA administration can be improved at the national level, these findings also support further expansion of the Target: Stroke initiative."
Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
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ASA: Study Shows No Benefit of Magnesium Soon After Stroke
FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Intravenous magnesium given soon after the onset of a suspected stroke is safe but does not improve the level of disability three months later compared with saline, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's International Stroke Conference, held from Feb. 12 to 14 in San Diego.
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ASA: Head or Neck Injury Ups Stroke Risk After Trauma
FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Among trauma patients under 50 years old, the risk of stroke is about three-fold higher with an injury to the head or neck, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's International Stroke Conference, held from Feb. 12 to 14 in San Diego.
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ASA: Drivers Rarely Undergo Driving Evaluation Post-Stroke
FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Drivers rarely undergo evaluative services before returning to driving following a stroke, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's International Stroke Conference, held from Feb. 12 to 14 in San Diego.
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ASA: Moderate Physical Activity Cuts Stroke Risk in Women
FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For women, moderate to strenuous physical activity is associated with a decreased risk of stroke, even among those using postmenopausal hormone therapy, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's International Stroke Conference, held from Feb. 12 to 14 in San Diego.
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ASA: Despite Access, Few in U.S. Get Recommended Stroke Care
THURSDAY, Feb. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Even though most Americans have access to hospitals that are capable of providing acute care for ischemic stroke, treatment rates are low, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference, held from Feb. 12 to 14 in San Diego.
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ASA: Minor Infections May Be Linked to Cognitive Decline
THURSDAY, Feb. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to certain infections may cause decline in memory and other cognitive functions, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference, held from Feb. 12 to 14 in San Diego.
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ASA: Postpartum Thrombosis Risk Lasts for at Least 12 Weeks
THURSDAY, Feb. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For postpartum women, the risk of thrombosis is elevated for at least 12 weeks after delivery, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's International Stroke Conference, held from Feb. 12 to 14 in San Diego.
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ASA: Lower Annual Temp Tied to More Stroke Hospitalizations
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Hospitalizations for stroke and associated death rates may increase with changes in environmental temperature and dew point, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's International Stroke Conference, held from Feb. 12 to 14 in San Diego.
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ASA: Acute Herpes Exposure Linked to Pediatric Stroke
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Herpes exposure is a significant predictor for pediatric arterial ischemic stroke, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's International Stroke Conference, held from Feb. 12 to 14 in San Diego. In a second study presented at the conference, researchers found that few caregivers consider the possibility of stroke with onset of neurological symptoms among children.
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ASA: Acute Cocaine Use Ups Ischemic Stroke Risk
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Acute cocaine use is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke among young adults, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's International Stroke Conference, held from Feb. 12 to 14 in San Diego.
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