Original title: A Controlled Trial of Revascularization in Acute Stroke. Reference: Martin Roubec et al. Radiology. 2012;Epub ahead of print. One of the most crucial forecast factors in patients undergoing acute ischemic stroke, stroke caused by a blockage in a brain artery, is the time window to recanalization. Thrombolytic agents have been proved useful but not always achieve...
A small hole in the atrial septum can cause any severe neurological disorders, patent foramen ovale (PFO) – a cause or trigger that today can be given safe treatment without drug therapy for a long duration. Before birth there is a connection between the two atria, which closes immediately after birth, but for approximately 20%...
Quitting smoking reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke during moments of great stress and also in old age says a study released today by the German Center for Cancer Research (DKFZ). A smoker of 60 years has many risks of heart attack as opposed to a 19 years-old man non-smoker. Still, those who...
Original title: A Randomized Trial of Intraarterial Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke. MR CLEAN Investigators. Reference: O.A. Berkhemer et al. N Engl J Med 2015;372:11-20. In patients undergoing acute ischemic stroke caused by a proximal intracranial artery occlusion, intraarterial endovascular treatment is effective; however, there is no evidence of clinical or functional benefits. This study randomized patients undergoing...
Original title: Mechanical Recanalization with Flow Restoration in Acute Ischemic Stroke. The Mechanical Recanalization with Flow Restoration in Acute Ischemic Stroke (ReFlow) Study. Reference: Christian Roth et al. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2013. Article in press. The intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) has proved to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke. In the...
Original title: Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale versus Medical Therapy after Cryptogenic Stroke. Randomized Evaluation of Recurrent Stroke Comparing PFO Closure to Established Current Standard of Care Treatment (RESPECT). Reference: John D. Carroll et al. N Engl J Med 2013;368:1092-100. It is still unclear if the closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) is effective in preventing recurrent stroke...
Original title: Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis and Risk of Stroke (ACSRS). Reference: Stavros K. Kakkos et al. J Vasc Surg 2013;57:609-18. Despite multiple studies for a uniform approach to treat asymptomatic carotid lesions, it has not been achieved. Many factors have been proposed that contribute to the stratification including the severity of the stenosis, the plaque type, clinical, silent...
Original title: Endovascular Therapy after Intravenous t-PA versus t-PA Alone for Stroke. Interventional Management of Stroke (IMS) III. Reference: Joseph P. Broderick et al. N Engl J Med 2013.DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1214300 Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA; alteplase [Activase, Genentech, or Actilyse, Boehringer Ingelheim]) is the only reperfusion therapy proved useful for patients with acute ischemic stroke and its clinical efficacy...
Original title: Influence of access site choice on incidence of neurologic complications after percutaneous coronary intervention. Reference: Karim Ratib et al. Am Heart J 2012;0:1-8 Article in press. Neurological complications post coronary angioplasty (PCA) are sporadic but they are associated with eight times increased mortality. A transradial approach has multiple advantages over femoral but could theoretically have a...
James SK, Storey RF, Khurmi N, et al. Ticagrelor versus Clopidogrel in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes and a History of Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack. Circulation 2012. A sub-analysis of the PLATO study demonstrated similar superiority and the safety of ticagrelor in all patients, regardless of any previous history of stroke. Ticagrelor versus clopidogrel:...