Prevent, treat and support: An EU election manifesto for stroke survivors

Prevent, treat and support: An EU election manifesto for stroke survivors

The Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) and the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) today launch their joint EU MEP Election Manifesto 2024. For the elections in June we are asking MEP candidates to support improving health across the EU with a focus on improving prevention, care and support of those affected by stroke across Europe. 

Every year, nearly 1.5 million people suffer a stroke in 32 European countries1. Stroke can be devastating – leading to death or life-long disability2, shattering the lives of victims and their loved ones. Those who survive will join the more than 9 million European stroke survivors who live with long term health, social, and financial impacts3. 

The EU Non-Communicable Disease Initiative, Healthier Together, launched by the European Commission in 2022, provides opportunities for policy action that both EU-level and national policymakers should build on. We call upon all EU level policymakers, to prioritise stroke in health policies, to support member states to develop national stroke plans and lead research into the under-examined areas of stroke. 

Following the principles of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe, SAFE and ESO are calling for the implementation of the following policy proposals: 

Prior to a stroke  

  • Primary prevention and risk factor control 
  • Implement legislation for public health interventions 
  • Implement risk factor screening and treatment programmes 

Amidst the stroke 

  • Quality of care and stroke management 
  • Ensure equal access to acute stroke care 
  • Establish a quality improvement system for stroke services 

Life after stroke

  • Prevent further stroke and take care of those who had one 
  • Implement post-rehabilitation personal care plans that offer non-medical support 
  • Provide sufficient secondary prevention services 
  • Guarantee equitable access to rehabilitation prior and post discharge  
  • Develop a European framework of reference for stroke care quality 
  • Empower a dignified life after stroke 

Understanding stroke 

  • Provide sufficient research funding 
  • Improve stroke services with better data 
  • Encourage research into under-examined areas of stroke 

Click here for the full manifesto

 

References

  1. At what cost: The economic impact of stroke in Europe. University of Oxford for the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE).  
  1. Sudharsanan, N., Deshmukh, M., & Kalkonde, Y. (2019). Direct estimates of disability-adjusted life years lost due to stroke : a cross-sectional observational study in a demographic surveillance site in rural Gadchiroli, India. BMJ open, 9(11), e028695.
    https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028695. 
  1. Wafa, H. A., Wolfe, C. D. A., Emmett, E., Roth, G. A., Johnson, C. O., & Wang, Y. (2020). Burden of Stroke in Europe: Thirty-Year Projections of Incidence, Prevalence, Deaths, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years. Stroke, 51(8), 2418–2427. https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.029606. 
VALIDATE: Use of AI to advance personalised acute stroke treatment and to improve outcomes

VALIDATE: Use of AI to advance personalised acute stroke treatment and to improve outcomes

On Brain Awareness Week’s sixth day we are focusing on VALIDATE which is using artificial intelligence (AI) to personalise acute stroke treatment and improve outcomes.

In ischemic stroke treatment, timely access to appropriate interventions is paramount. While there are a range of effective therapies, navigating the intricacies of individual patient cases and not accurately considering each individual patient holistically can influence treatment outcomes and long-term quality of life. 

The VALIDATE team are aiming to improve this. By using datasets from thousands of patient profiles and state-of-the-art AI models, they are developing and validating a clinical decision support system. Central to this project is the creation of a new App which aims to provide additional information for clinicians by predicting the outcome of different treatment strategies. This system will empower healthcare professionals in choosing the optimal treatment strategy tailored to each patient’s unique circumstances. 

Beyond providing accurate prognosis, the success of the Validate App hinges on gaining the trust of clinicians and patients in its implementation. To achieve this, rigorous testing in real-world clinical settings will be conducted through observational studies, validating its efficacy and reliability. 

For stroke survivors, the long-term implications could mean personalised treatment options and improved outcomes and quality of life. 

For more information visit the VALIDATE website https://validate-project.eu  

VALIDATE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 777107. 

ANGIE: 3D patient brain models could increase access to thrombectomy

ANGIE: 3D patient brain models could increase access to thrombectomy

On Brain Awareness Week’s fifth day we are focusing on ANGIE, a research project supported by EU, which aims to develop micro-robots for targeted drug delivery, to dissolve blood clots in acute stroke treatment. 

To ensure accurate targeting, the research team have developed 3D-printed re-constructions of patient’s brain vessels based on their MRI scans. These brain 3D models are gaining recognition in the medical community for their ability to provide a realistic and safe environment for doctors treating stroke to hone their skills and facilitating earlier and more extensive training.  

Ultimately, this advancement could mean that more patients have access to more lifesaving procedures and go on to improve stroke treatment outcomes. 

More information can be found at www.h2020-angie.eu

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 952152.

TRUSTroke – A new EU research project uses AI for predictive ischemic stroke management

TRUSTroke – A new EU research project uses AI for predictive ischemic stroke management

On Brain Awareness Week’s fourth day we are focusing on a new project called TRUSTroke which is using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve life after stroke for stroke survivors.  

Currently, the ability to predict potential future complications that may result in further hospital re-admissions post-stroke is limited. In response, TRUSTroke is developing an advanced technology to help healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers manage both immediate and long-term effects of an ischemic stroke.  

Hear Dr. Carlos Molina, Head of the Stroke Research Group at Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, talk data safety and how his team are hoping to improve stroke outcomes in the future. 

More information can be found at www.Trustroke.eu

TRUSTroke has received funding from the European Union in the callHorizon-hlth-2022-stayhlth-01-two-stage under grant agreement No.101080564

TENSION trial reveals that thrombectomy is safe to use in patients who have had a severe stroke

TENSION trial reveals that thrombectomy is safe to use in patients who have had a severe stroke

Tension logo

TENSION is a large international study that was launched in 2018 with the hope to extend the benefits of a treatment called mechanical thrombectomy to stroke patients who are not currently offered this treatment option.

Thrombectomy is a treatment for certain types of acute ischaemic stroke. It uses very small devices to breakdown and remove the clot from the blood vessel in the brain. It can drastically reduce the level of post-stroke disability by restoring blood flow and therefore limits brain damage.

So far, thrombectomy trials have included highly selected groups of stroke patients – those with only small blood infarcts in the brain. This means that thrombectomy treated is limited and only available to small number of people.

The TENSION project aimed to determine if thrombectomy was safe to use in patients who had a severe stroke i.e. where a large blood clot had caused the stroke.

The trial results which were simultaneously unveiled at the World Stroke Congress and published in The Lancet, found that using thrombectomy can significantly help patients with severe strokes caused by blocked blood vessels in the brain. The study’s findings are likely to pave the way for broader consideration of this approach for a greater number of patients in the future.

“This is great news and if the results drives treatment guidelines updates, more patients should experience improved outcomes after a severe stroke” says Prof Dr Götz Thomalla, Principal Investigator of the study.

TENSION has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 754640.

Funded by the EU

Funded by the EU