A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Human societies are characterized by patterns of relationships (social relations) between individuals who share a distinctive culture and institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of such relationships among its constituent members. In the social sciences, a larger society often evinces stratification and/or dominance patterns in subgroups. Insofar as it is collaborative, a society can enable its members to benefit in ways that would not otherwise be possible on an individual basis; both individual and social (common) benefits can thus be distinguished, or in many cases found to overlap. A society can also consist of like-minded people governed by their own norms and values within a dominant, larger society. This is sometimes referred to as a subculture, a term used extensively within criminology. More broadly, a society may be described as an economic, social, or industrial infrastructure, made up of a varied collection of individuals. Members of a society may be from different ethnic groups. A … Continue reading →

Oct 29 (Reuters) - Medtronic Inc's CoreValve heart valve implant lowered death and stroke rates in frail, elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis who were considered too ill for surgery, according to data from a late-stage clinical trial. Patients with aortic stenosis have decreased blood flow from the heart because the valve does not open properly and face a poor prognosis without treatment. Medtronic's CoreValve product is inserted into place through an artery, offering a less-invasive treatment alternative to traditional open-heart surgery in which the chest is cracked open and the heart valve replaced. In the CoreValve Extreme Risk study, which was presented Tuesday at a medical meeting in San Francisco, the Medtronic device met its primary goals for reducing mortality and stroke. The rate of death or major stroke after one year was 25.5 percent, significantly below the study's goal of 43 percent, in the 471 patients treated with the valve. The patients' average age was 83 years. "The fact that nearly three-quarters of patients were alive and free of strokes at one year is remarkable, given the complex medical conditions and extreme frailty of this population," said Dr. Jeffrey Popma of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, … Continue reading →

At least 25 persons suffer a stroke every day in Chennai. Of this, seven persons survive and go on to lead a normal life after treatment while three are likely to die out of complications; the remaining 15 will go on to lead a totally dependent life, owing to permanent disabilities, hence raising the need for early identification of symptoms and prompt treatment, say experts. The incidence of stroke is 125 per 100,000 population per year. The difference between stroke and myocardial infarction is that the former leaves visible effects the body being weakened on one side and inability to speak. The morbidity is enormous. When a breadwinner of a family suffers a stroke, the socio-economic impact is huge, M. Dhanraj, head, Neurology, Apollo Hospitals told reporters on Monday. With World Stroke Day being observed on Tuesday, experts stressed the need for awareness on risk factors, early identification of stroke symptoms and immediate medical help. The key is to act FAST an acronym for sudden Facial weakness, drifting of Arms, Speech disturbances and Time is important he said. Do not wait as time is brain when it comes to stroke. The person should be rushed to a hospital with the … Continue reading →

FRIDAY, Oct. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The use of a hands-free ultrasound device in combination with a clot-busting drug appears safe for patients with a common kind of stroke, a small, new study finds. An ischemic stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked. When this happens, the hands-free ultrasound device is placed on the patient's head and delivers ultrasound to boost the effectiveness of the clot-busting medicine tPA (tissue plasminogen activator). The new trial was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and was published Oct. 24 in the journal Stroke. "Our goal is to open up more arteries in the brain and help stroke patients recover," study author Dr. Andrew Barreto, an assistant professor of neurology in the Stroke Program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, said in a journal news release. Unlike the traditional hand-held ultrasound device that's aimed at a blood clot, the hands-free version uses 18 separate probes and showers the deep areas of the brain where large blood clots cause severe strokes, the researchers said. The new study included 12 men and eight women with an average age of 63. The patients had moderately severe ischemic strokes … Continue reading →

29 October 2013 Last updated at 14:24 ET Despite making improvements, Wales has a long way to go to make our care for stroke patients as good as the best in Europe, the health minister has said. The first annual Welsh government report on the condition shows people from the most deprived areas are most likely to suffer a stroke. It comes as a new 11m rehabilitation centre for stroke victims opened at Llandough Hospital, near Cardiff. Health Minister Mark Drakeford spoke of "huge strides" in treatment. But Stroke Association Wales said improvements had been slow despite three earlier reports. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. About 11,000 people have a stroke each year in Wales, making it the fourth biggest health killer after cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease. In 2010 it caused almost 2,800 deaths. But the report shows progress in key areas, including both a fall in the death rate from strokes and emergency hospital admissions for the condition. "However, inequalities remain and we are concerned about the higher number of people who suffer from a stroke amongst our more deprived communities," it said. Original post: Stroke care … Continue reading →