Mar 25, 2019
First published on ScienceDaily.com
Our genes may have a bearing not only on our stroke risk, but probably also on how well we recover after stroke. For the first time, in international collaboration, scientists at the University of Gothenburg and elsewhere have identified common genetic variants that are associated with outcome after ischemic stroke.
The study, a meta-analysis of 12 international stroke studies, was led by research groups at two Swedish universities: Gothenburg and Lund. The study comprised more than 6,000 patients with ischemic stroke, the most common form of stroke, in which a blood clot causes a lack of oxygen in a region of the brain. Stroke can also be caused by a hemorrhage in the brain.
For the study, the patients were divided into two groups depending on their outcome at three months after ischemic stroke. One group was composed of people who had not survived and those who were dependent on help from others to cope with activities of daily living.
Those assigned to the second group were, three months after their stroke onset, able to cope unaided. By comparing analyses of the patients’ genomes, the researchers were able to find several different genetic variants that appear to have played a part in the patients’ outcomes.
“One of the common genetic variants we found was significant — that is, clearly associated with a worse outcome in the large volumes of data we were able to access,” says Annie Pedersen, a PhD student at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, one of the lead authors of the study.
The genetic variant identified can be linked to another gene that is part of a major process involved in brain plasticity, which is the nerve cells’ ability to adapt and take over functions when other nerve cells in the brain die.
The study took into account several other factors — age, sex and the extent of the patient’s brain damage — that can also affect outcome after stroke. After adjustment for these factors, the association remained between the genetic variant and elevated risk of being in the group of patients who still, three months after the stroke onset, were unable to manage without assistance.
“Even if two patients seem to have the same prospects of recovering, their outcomes can be different. Studies on animals have indicated that there are genes that may contribute to the explanation, and we’ve now found support for them in humans as well,” Pedersen says.
Our limited knowledge of why some patients recover well while others incur lasting functional impairments after the same type of stroke has made it difficult to develop new treatment methods, thinks Professor Christina Jern of Sahlgrenska Academy, who ran the study in collaboration with Professor Arne Lindgren of Lund University.
“In the long run we hope the research may enable us to identify new targets for medication that might help to improve poststroke outcome, but there’s a lot of research to be done before we get there,” Jern says.
You can read the full article here.
Mar 20, 2019
First published on ScienceDaily.com
Recent reductions in hospitalization and death due to stroke extend to both black and white Medicare beneficiaries, reports a study in the April issue of Medical Care.
The reductions in mortality after initial stroke have been even greater in black Medicare patients, according to the new research by Margaret C. Fang, MD, MPH, of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues. Dr. Fang comments,” Despite these promising trends, our study also found that black men and women continue to be at higher risk for stroke than white patients.”
Stroke Risks Decline Over 25 Years — Trends Linked to Improving Risk Factors
Using Medicare data from 1988 to 2013, the researchers analyzed trends in hospitalization and mortality after an initial stroke in black or white men and women aged 65 or older. The study included more than 1 million hospitalizations for ischemic stroke, caused by blockage or narrowing of the brain blood vessels; and nearly 150,000 hospitalizations for hemorrhagic stroke, caused by bleeding into or around the brain.
Over the 25-year study period, hospitalizations for stroke decreased for both black and white patients. Adjusted for age, ischemic stroke risk decreased from 1,185 to 551 per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries among black men and from 932 to 407 per 100,000 among white men. Risk fell from 1,222 to 641 per 100,000 for black women and from 892 to 466 per 100,000 for white women.
Mortality after ischemic stroke also fell, with greater reductions in black patients. Risk of death within 30 days after ischemic stroke decreased from approximately 16 to 8 percent in black men and from 16 to 12 percent in white men. Ischemic stroke mortality declined from about 14 to 9 percent in black women versus 16 to 15 percent in white women.
Read the full article here.
Mar 19, 2019
Author: Cornelius J Johnson
When you’re battling depression it’s difficult not to just let the pills do the work and hope for the best. As any good mental health professional will tell you, combating the symptoms of depression can take some self-governance and work. But when our mind is working against us at these times, where do we focus our attention?
Here are five simple areas to focus on in order to reduce the impact of depression.
Sleep
When suffering from depressive thought patterns, sometimes we are prone to staying in bed for as long as possible. We take ourselves out of the equation and enjoy the warmth and comfort of the bed. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we get good rest. Often it means lying in bed worrying or thinking about things we cannot control.
“We should try view our bed as a vehicle for sleep, rather than a retreat from the world,” writes William Cosgrove, an author at Researchpapersuk and LastMinuteWriting. “It’s important that we foster a routine for ourselves of going to bed at a reasonable hour, and waking up having had a good nights sleep.”
Eat
Depression can have varied effects on how we use or view food. For some, the thought of eating can make us nauseous, and for others, we seem unable to get enough. When going through depressive periods we may either eat one particular kind of food or binge on snacks and junk food.
This fluctuation in our diets can have radical effects on our state of mind. The more we randomize our intake of nutrients the more likely it is that we’ll find ourselves in a bad place. Regular, healthy eating is vital to a good state of mind. If you face depression, keep motivated to maintain a strong routine of eating healthy food.
Exercise
If you’re suffering from depression, the last thing you want to do is go out to the gym. Depression can be linked to body image or how we interact socially. As the gym combines both of these elements, it is understandable that those who suffer from depression aren’t likely to hit the gym any time soon. But this doesn’t mean you should abandon exercise totally.
Exercise is a great way of releasing endorphins. Many who suffer from depression take up solo activities, such as long distance running, walking or cycling. These activities offer us an opportunity to zone our minds on the simple act of physical movement rather than the abstract thoughts that come with depression.
Socialize
Depression is a lonely state of being, and it can be tempting to fuel that loneliness by refusing to inflict on others. We get caught up with the notion that we are no fun to be around when we are depressed. It’s important to remember that our good friends are able to support us at these times.
As a society, people are becoming more open and honest about mental health, and those who suffer from depression should no longer feel they have to be secretive about it. Explain to your close circle the issue you are facing and you’ll soon find that you have allies to help you fight your corner.
Express yourself
“History is full of people who have turned depression to their advantage,” says Miranda Rhodes, a regular contributor to Draftbeyond and Writinity. “20th-century writers were often prone to depressive or anxious states. Though you need not expect yourself to write ‘A Farewell to Arms’ or ‘The Bell Jar’, writing or painting are excellent ways of channeling your depression into something beautiful.“
In getting our depression out into something we can read or view, we are able to objectify it and analyze it without being too close to it.
Cornelius J Johnson specializes in marketing and different aspects of entrepreneurship. He writes on a variety of subjects such as finance and marketing as well as lifestyle and personal development and is a regular contributor to Lucky Assignments and Gum Essays, academic writing websites.
Mar 18, 2019
First published on ScienceDaily.com
The choices we make every day can have a lasting effect on our heart and vascular health. Adopting a heart healthy eating plan, getting more exercise, avoiding tobacco and managing known risk factors are among the key recommendations in the 2019 Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease guideline from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA). Also, it is recommended that aspirin should only rarely be used to help prevent heart attacks and stroke in people without known cardiovascular disease.
The guideline, presented today at ACC’s 68th Annual Scientific Session, offers comprehensive but practical recommendations for preventing cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Nearly 1 out of 3 deaths in the U.S. is due to cardiovascular disease.
“The most important way to prevent cardiovascular disease, whether it’s a build-up of plaque in the arteries, heart attack, stroke, heart failure or issues with how the heart contracts and pumps blood to the rest of the body, is by adopting heart healthy habits and to do so over one’s lifetime,” said Roger S. Blumenthal, MD, co-chair of the 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and the Kenneth Jay Pollin Professor of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. “More than 80 percent of all cardiovascular events are preventable through lifestyle changes, yet we often fall short in terms of implementing these strategies and controlling other risk factors.”
Read the full article here.
Mar 15, 2019
This text was was first published on www.svds-at-target.eu
In November 2018 the Zoom@SVDs study included the 60th participant, thereby reaching its milestone for midterm recruitment. The Zoom@SVDs study is an observational study that aims to advance our understanding of Small Vessel Disease, a condition in which the small blood vessels in the brain are damaged. We do this by zooming in on the small vessels with one of the strongest MRI scanners currently available for humans, located in the UMC Utrecht.
This study builds on a collaboration between the LMU in Munich (Germany) and the UMC Utrecht (Netherlands). In order to undergo a scan in the strong MRI in Utrecht, the 28 participants that were recruited so far in Munich travelled from all over Germany to Utrecht for an additional visit. Of course, the logistics of this study are very challenging, because flight tickets, train tickets and hotels have to be arranged as well. Also, all study information needed to be officially translated from Dutch to German and the researchers in Utrecht had to refresh their German language skills. However, these joined efforts have resulted in fast recruitment with happy participants and high-quality data.
Analyses of the first patient data have just started, of which we aim to publish the first results in the coming year. Of course, we will continue our recruitment and will continue to work in close collaboration. This study builds on our dedicated participants and good teamwork; thanks to all involved!
Mar 12, 2019
First published on ScienceDaily.com
Tumult in the bacterial community that occupies your gut — known as your microbiome — doesn’t just cause indigestion. For people recovering from a stroke, it may influence how they get better.
A recent study by Allison Brichacek and Candice Brown, researchers in the West Virginia University School of Medicine, suggests that stroke patients’ microbiomes — and even the structure of their guts — may still be out of kilter a month after the stroke has passed.
“We’re interested in the gut-brain axis — how the gut influences the brain and vice versa,” said Brichacek, a doctoral student in the immunology and microbial pathogenesis graduate program. She presented her findings at the International Stroke Conference in February.
Previous studies indicated the immediate effects a stroke can have on someone’s microbiome, but they didn’t explore whether these effects lingered. To find out, Brichacek, Brown and their colleagues — including Sophia Kenney, an undergraduate majoring in immunology and medical microbiology, and Stan Benkovic, a researcher in Brown’s lab — induced a stroke in animal models. Other models — the control group — didn’t have a stroke. The researchers compared the two groups’ microbiomes three days, 14 days and 28 days post-stroke. They also scrutinized their intestines for microscopic disparities.
Bacterial friend or foe?
One of the researchers’ discoveries was that a certain family of bacteria — Bifidobacteriaceae — was less prominent in post-stroke models than in healthy ones both 14 and 28 days out. If the name of the family sounds familiar, that’s probably because Bifidobacterium — a genus within the Bifidobacteriaceae family — is a common ingredient in yogurt and probiotics. These bacteria are known for supporting digestive health and may be associated with better outcomes in stroke patients.
Read the full article here.
Mar 11, 2019
Sharing #LifeGoals has become a popular trend on social media. A campaign from the European Federation of Neurological Associations [EFNA] and supported by many organisations across Europe will put a new spin on the trend by instead seeing patient advocates and supporters share their #BrainLifeGoals.
The #BrainLifeGoals campaign will raise awareness of the impact of neurological diseases by exploring the dreams and aspirations of those living with a brain disorder.
You can find out more about the campaign at www.efna.net/brainlifegoals and by following the #BrainLifeGoals hashtag on social media.
Mar 7, 2019
The German Stroke foundation started its work in January 1993. To celebrate the anniversary the foundation launched a new campaign: “I set a sign.” A newly designed website went online in October and the Integrated Care Project “STROKE OWL” enrolled the first patients.
Author: Ina Armbruster
“I set a sign.”
A red stripe above the eyebrow represents the stroke. A sign that celebrities, stroke victims and supporters set to raise awareness and show their solidarity towards stroke-victims. The campaign “I set a sign” was launched in May 2018 at the “Rosenball”, a significant charity event for the German Stroke Foundation in Berlin. During this event many guests had their picture taken with a red stripe above their eyebrow and uploaded their “sign” on social media or the campaign-page www.schlaganfall.de.
The campaign was running on many different channels. The local billboard company supported the foundation by offering rent-free billboards for a couple of weeks which were set up all over Gütersloh, the hometown of the foundation. Thanks to the cooperation with the TV channels of the RTL Group more than 100 million viewers have seen the TV-spot “I set a sign” so far. The advertisement has been published in many magazines with an edition of 1,5 million in total. People who have set a sign were portrayed with their individual stories on facebook once a week. Up to a couple of hundred users liked or commented on these posts.
The foundation used the campaign to raise awareness of stroke – because everyone can have a stroke, regardless of age, gender or social background.
New website
The German Stoke Foundation launched their new website at the end of October (World Stroke Day). Thanks to the modern design, the information presented on the new website is now easier to find for stroke-patients and their relatives as well as for experts and supporters.
Additionally, the website is now accessible for mobile devices as well. In 2019 the website will be updated with more information. The foundation also plans to add further technical features. www.schlaganfall-hilfe.de
Project “STROKE OWL”
The project “STROKE OWL” started in 2017 and is financed by the German “innovation fund” with seven million euro. OWL stands for “Ostwestfalen-Lippe”, the region in Germany where the German Stroke Foundation is based. The foundation wants to prove that continuous case management is able to improve the situation of stroke-patients and reduce the risk of a second stroke.
About the project:
- A specialised stroke case manager gets in touch with the patient at the stroke unit. The patient can take part in the program if he or she fulfils certain enrolement criteria. The case manager visits the patient during rehab and at home.
- All case managers have experience with stroke patients. Most of them are nurses or therapists with further education in case management.
- The case manager informs patients and their families about everything they need to know after having a stroke and gives them advise and support. The manager organises the treatment, helps filling out applications, and looks after the patient in general.
- The manager supports the patient for one year. The foundation´s goal is to enrol 2000 patients in the program.
By proving the advantages of a case management not only for the patients but also for the health care system in general the German Stroke foundation wants to support the establishment of stroke case management, which in the end is payed by the insurance companies.
Looking forward to 2019
The German Stroke foundation is looking forward to 2019. Some of the events and projects the team is planning:
– seminar for parents of children who had a stroke
– implementing a second case manager in Germany for children who had a stroke and their families
– continuing the project “STROKE OWL”
– raising attention to the topic with a campaign for the “Day against stroke” in May (with a focus on “The invisible consequences of stroke”, e.g. concentration-problems, emotional imbalance or neglect)
– 4-day workshop for young stroke patients between 18 and 50
and much more…
Feb 27, 2019
This news first appeared in the WSO Newsletter
The World Stroke Organization is proud to share its most recent and much expected publication: the Global Stroke Fact Sheet.
The 10-page document overviews the best available scientific evidence to provide reliable and up to date data on stroke and its impact around the world. Using reliable and consistent stroke data to support stroke advocacy helps to build awareness of the scale of the disease and supports the call for urgent action at global, regional and national levels.
The values in the document have all been extracted from the most current Global Burden of Disease Stroke Statistics Worldwide for the year 2016. The present document and all its subsequent revisions are reviewed and approved by the WSO leadership.
We hope that Global Stroke Fact Sheet will be a valuable resource and a useful point of reference in your work, practice, and research.
We invite you to share the document with your colleagues, students and partners. Thank you for your continuous support for the work of WSO.
You can access and download the Global Stroke Fact Sheet here
For more information please visit WSO website.
Feb 20, 2019
The Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) invites you to attend the event ‘Joining forces to prevent and control non-communicable diseases: The role of policy in tackling stroke’, under the patronage of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (#RO2019EU), which will take place on 28 March 2019, in Brussels, at the European Committee of the Regions. The event will be organised by SAFE in collaboration with the European Stroke Organisation and the Romanian National Stroke Association.
The event will look into the role of policy and policy stakeholders in combating stroke-related challenges and addressing the burden of stroke, as well as in achieving the ambitious targets of the ‘Stroke Action Plan for Europe 2018-2030’. The discussions will be integrated into the expected health priorities for the Romanian and upcoming Finnish and Croatian presidencies as well as current and future EU action for preventing and controlling non-communicable diseases.
The Action Plan focuses on seven key domains, namely primary prevention, organisation of stroke services, management of acute stroke, secondary prevention, rehabilitation, evaluation of quality and outcomes as well as life after stroke. It outlines four overarching targets to be achieved by all European countries and health systems by 2030, which are complemented by further specific targets set for each of the seven domains. SAFE and ESO are currently pursuing its dissemination and implementation at national, regional and local levels.
With an expected 35% increase in the incidence of stroke in Europe by 2035, as highlighted in the Burden of Stroke in Europe Report, this conference represents an important opportunity to bring together European, national and local policy-makers and other key stakeholders to address the disparities across the stroke care pathway between and within European countries.
REGISTRATIONS
Registrations for our event are now open! If you are interested in joining us on 28 March at the CoR please register here. On the other hand, if you cannot come to Brussels but would like to follow the live streaming of the event, you can show your interest here.
PROGRAMME
The event programme will be published soon.
THE SPEAKERS
To view more information on the speakers click here.
ORGANISERS
The event will be organised by SAFE in collaboration with the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) and the Romanian National Stroke Association (ANRS).
About SAFE
SAFE is an umbrella organisation that represents a range of stroke patient organisations across Europe that were affected by stroke. SAFE’s vision is to work towards reducing the number of strokes in Europe as well as ensuring that everyone who is affected by stroke gets the help and support they need.
By combining the resources of patient organisations across Europe SAFE is working for better stroke prevention, more effective stroke care, greater public awareness and increased research activity within Europe.
About ESO
ESO is a pan-European society of stroke researchers and physicians, national and regional stroke societies and lay organisations. The aim of the ESO is to reduce burden of stroke by changing the way that stroke is viewed and treated. ESO serves as the voice of stroke in Europe, harmonising stroke management across the whole of Europe and taking action to reduce the burden of stroke regionally and globally.
About ANRS
ANRS is an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental and apolitical Romanian association of physicians with scientific, medical and social goals regarding stroke prevention and management optimisation in accordance with the European and WHO standards. The association organises congresses, conferences, round tables, practical demonstrations and symposia that seek to promote up-to-date stroke education, according to the latest scientific research and validated therapeutic progress.
ENDORSEMENTS
The event will be held under the patronage of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and hosted at the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).
About the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Romania will hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU from January to June 2019. The Council of the European Union is the institution where the governments of the EU Member States defend their own country’s national interests in the negotiation of the legislative and non-legislative files. Every EU Member State has the obligation to hold the Council Presidency, which changes every six months.
About the CoR
The European Committee of the Regions is the voice of regions and cities in the EU, aiming to reduce the gap between EU institutions’ work and EU citizens. It is composed of more than 350 local and regional elected representatives from across the EU and advises on new laws that have an impact on regions and cities (which is 70% of all EU legislation).
SPONSORS
We are grateful to our sponsors for their generous support of this event.
CONTACT US
Follow this page as well as our Facebook page and Twitter account to see regular updates on this event.
You can get in touch with us at: info@safestroke.eu
