More on the prevention and incidence of stroke

Protecting your brain and prevention and treatment of stroke is the title of a recent ABC Radio National Health Report.  A US study has shown clearly how every minute counts when treating ischemic stroke.  Jeffrey Saver from the University of California led the study of over 58,000 patients and was interviewed about his findings. "We demonstrated for the first time that haemorrhage is increased the longer you delay the start of the therapy. And we also confirmed definitively that death from stroke is reduced if you start the therapy sooner."  

In the same Health Report, Ann Hunt from the AIHW was interviewed.  Recently the AIHW released its report, Stroke and its management in Australia: an update.  Hunt relayed the good news that the stroke event rate in Australia fell by 25% between 1997 and 2009, but that the estimated number of strokes increased by 6%. The increase in numbers was attributed to the ageing population. 

Saver JL, Fonarow GC, Smith EE, et al. Time to treatment with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator and outcome from acute ischemic stroke. JAMA. 2013;309:2480-2488. Abstract