After Cervical Artery Dissection, Early Anticoagulant Might Be Better
PHOENIX — Anticoagulation worked at least as well as antiplatelet medication for stroke prevention after cervical artery dissection, an observational study suggested. Subsequent ischemic stroke was numerically but not significantly less common with anticoagulation than with antiplatelet use in this population both at 30 days (adjusted HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.45-1.12) and 180 days (adjusted […]
Late Tenecteplase Not Beneficial for Stroke Patients With LVOs
PHOENIX — Selected stroke patients did not benefit clinically from having the window of tenecteplase therapy extended beyond the first few hours of stroke onset, the randomized TIMELESS trial found. In patients with large-vessel occlusions (LVOs) and evidence of salvageable tissue on perfusion imaging — most who also received endovascular thrombectomy — functional outcomes at […]
Before Stroke Thrombectomy, Keep the Bed Flat, Trial Says
PHOENIX — For large vessel occlusion (LVO) acute ischemic stroke patients planned for mechanical thrombectomy, bed positioning made a big difference in clinical worsening, the ZODIAC trial showed. Keeping the head of the bed flat at a zero-degree angle after the CT scan while awaiting the cath lab led to 50-fold fewer cases of early […]
DAPT Stays Helpful for Minor Stroke Even With Later Presentation, Worse Symptoms
The benefit of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for a minor ischemic stroke seems to apply outside the 24-hour time window and minimal stroke symptoms for which the treatment is currently recommended, based on results from the INSPIRES trial. Administered within 72 hours after onset of mild ischemic stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack (TIA), the […]
John Fetterman Stopped Fearing Death After Debilitating Stroke
LOADINGERROR LOADING Sen. John Fetterman (D) said his near-fatal stroke completely changed how he looks at death. “People in their middle age talk about their mortality,” Pennsylvania’s junior senator told Men’s Health in an interview published Monday. “I’ve experienced my mortality, so I’m not afraid of it anymore.” Fetterman explained why his 2022 stroke was […]
Insomnia Symptoms Tied to Stroke a Decade Later
Insomnia symptoms were associated with an increased risk for stroke, according to a population-cohort study using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). People reporting less severe insomnia (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.33) and more severe insomnia (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.29-1.77) saw an increased risk of stroke over an average 9 years of […]
Sleep Problems Tied to Increased Stroke Risk
Many symptoms of poor sleep may be linked to an increased risk of acute stroke, according to the case-control INTERSTROKE study. Stroke patients were more than twice as likely to report shorter sleep (less than 5 hours; OR 3.15, 95% CI 2.09-4.76) and longer sleep (more than 9 hours; OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.89-3.78) in […]
Depressive Symptoms Linked to Higher Risk of Acute Stroke
Symptoms of depression were associated with an increased risk of acute stroke, according to an international case-control study. Among more than 26,000 participants in the INTERSTROKE study, self-reported depressive symptoms were associated with significantly greater odds of acute stroke (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.34-1.58), including ischemic stroke (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.32-1.58) and intracerebral hemorrhage […]
HIIT Workout Helps Walking Recovery After Stroke
High-intensity walking exercise helped chronic stroke patients regain walking capacity compared with more moderate training, a pilot randomized trial showed. While there was no significant difference between high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity aerobic training in 6-minute walk test distance changes after 4 weeks (27 vs 12 m, P=0.28), the more vigorous training had greater […]
CATIS-2: Delayed Antihypertension Tx for Acute Ischemic Stroke Still an Option
DALLAS — Antihypertensive treatment could wait for 7 days following an acute ischemic stroke (AIS), so long as the patient has no comorbidities that warrant the emergency reduction of their blood pressure (BP). In the CATIS-2 trial, there was no significant difference in the composite of major disability and death between patients with AIS who […]