Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise Little Rock, Ark. (Aug. 221, 2014)--A new device developed by a physician at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and a researcher at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock could soon be available to treat stroke more effectively. The ClotBust ER fits on the head like a halo and delivers therapy to quickly bust clots that cause stroke. It was developed by William Culp, M.D., professor of radiology, surgery and neurology and vice chairman of research at UAMS, and Doug Wilson, assistant director at the Graduate Institute of Technology at UALR. Culp has spent many years studying therapy for stroke. One element of Culps work included using ultrasound in combination with the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). While looking into the treatment to dissolve clots in blood vessels, Culp realized one problem is getting the ultrasound to operate through the skull. Ultrasound can be delivered anywhere in a patients body unless the waves hit something hard like bone or something very soft, like air. We realized we had trouble delivering ultrasound to the vessels at the base of the brain, Culp said. The skull stopped the ultrasounds. He teamed … Continue reading →

Common colds may temporarily increase the risk of a stroke in children, a new study has found. Researchers who took pains to emphasize that the overall risk of strokes in children is extremely lowsaid the findings suggest that colds and other minor infections may have a strong if short-lived effect on the risk of stroke in children who are already susceptible to a stroke. These are kids who are probably in some other way disposed to a stroke, and these infections act as a trigger, said Heather J. Fullerton, director of the pediatric stroke program at University of California San Francisco Benioff Childrens Hospital. In reviewing medical records on 2.6 million children from a large health care insurance plan, the study focused on 102 children who suffered strokes. After controlling for similar cases among 302 children, the researchers examined the timing between treatment for colds and the stroke and discovered an elevated risk within three days of the childs visit to a physician because of the cold. In 80 percent of the cases, the children suffered from respiratory infections, but not severe infections such as meningitis. The findings suggest that the children who had strokes were 12 times more likely … Continue reading →

August 20, 2014 American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal Report U.S. hospitalizations and deaths from heart disease and stroke dropped significantly in the last decade, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. Interestingly, these improvements happened in a period when there were no real miracle clinical advancements, said Harlan Krumholz, M.D., S.M., lead author of the most comprehensive report card to-date on Americas progress in heart disease and stroke prevention and treatment. Rather, we saw consistent improvements in the use of evidence-based treatments and medications and an increase in quality improvement initiatives using registries and other data to track performance and support improvement efforts as well as a strong emphasis on heart-healthy lifestyles and behaviors. Researchers collected data on nearly 34 million Medicare Fee-For-Service recipients in 1999-2011. They analyzed trends in rates of hospitalization, dying within a month of being admitted, being admitted again within a month and dying during the following year. They considered patient factors including age, sex, race, other illnesses and geography. By the end of 2011, hospitalization rates among all races and areas dropped: - 38 percent for heart attack; - 83.8 percent for unstable angina, sudden chest pain often leading to … Continue reading →

Health and Medicine for Seniors Deaths from Heart Disease and Stroke Have Plunged in Last Decade Rates declined more for these conditions than for any others; improved lifestyle, quality of care and prevention strategies contributed to the decrease. Drop in Hospitalizations Heart Attack -38.0% Unstable Angina -83.8% Heart Failure -30.5% Ischemic Stroke -33.6% Aug. 20, 2014 - U.S. hospitalizations and deaths from heart disease and stroke dropped significantly in the last decade, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. Interestingly, these improvements happened in a period when there were no real miracle clinical advancements, said Harlan Krumholz, M.D., S.M., lead author of the most comprehensive report card to-date on Americas progress in heart disease and stroke prevention and treatment. The rest is here: Deaths from Heart Disease and Stroke Have Plunged in Last Decade … Continue reading →