Preventing brain injury

Adding blood tests to existing calculators helps doctors more accurately identify which atrial fibrillation patients need stroke prevention medication, research has shown. Researchers at the University of Vermont developed an improved tool by incorporating blood test results that detect proteins associated with heart dysfunction, blood clotting and inflammation. These biological markers provide a more precise [...]

In a new study, researchers have found that patients with diabetes who started statin therapy right away reduced the rate of heart attack and stroke by one third compared to those who chose to delay taking the medication. The results can help guide decision-making conversations between clinicians and their patients. Taking a statin medication is [...]

People who develop epilepsy after a traumatic brain injury are at an 80 per cent higher risk of premature death compared to those who have suffered a similar brain injury without developing epilepsy.  The thesis encompasses all patients admitted to hospital with a traumatic brain injury in Sweden between 2000 and 2010. The data span [...]

Adults younger than 50 years of age had more than double the risk of having a stroke from migraine or other nontraditional stroke risk factors rather than traditional risks such as high blood pressure, according to new research. Previous research indicates the rate of ischemic (clot-caused) stroke among adults 18 to 49 years old is [...]

Police officers are more than twice as likely to have traumatic brain injuries compared to the general population, a new survey-based study has revealed, with officers who incur these injuries while on duty facing more than double the risk of developing complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study, which is the largest of its kind [...]

University of Calgary researchers say if you’ve had a minor stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), you remain at high risk of having another, more severe stroke for several years thereafter. A lot of focus has been put on preventing stroke in the first 90-days post-TIA or minor stroke, which is when a person is [...]

By Michelle Munro, Cortex Rehabilitation Every 90 seconds, someone in the UK is admitted to the hospital with a brain injury.  Despite its frequency, brain injury remains a largely invisible epidemic. Survivors often bear no visible scars, leading to misunderstanding and a lack of proper support.  This article highlights the latest UK data on brain [...]

Propranolol - a high blood pressure and migraine prevention medication - has been shown to reduce the risk of ischemic stroke risk among women using the drug for migraine prevention. Propranolol is a beta blocker medication used for treating high blood pressure and preventing migraines. In this new study, the medication was shown to have [...]

Researchers have identified changes in immune cells just six hours after cardiac arrest that predict patient recovery, pointing to a drug that improved neurological outcomes in preclinical studies. Despite improvements in CPR and rates of getting patients to the hospital, only about 10 per cent of people ultimately survive after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Once [...]

People with conditions or habits such as high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, or smoking, not only have a higher risk of stroke, they may also have more severe strokes than people without these risk factors. The study involved 26,948 people from 32 countries with an average age of 62. Of this [...]