Endovascular Therapy Fails in Distal Occlusion Stroke

Use of endovascular thrombectomy offered no benefit in patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by occlusions in distal vessels, findings from three new randomized trials showed.  The treatment, which involves mechanically removing the clot, has been established as highly effective in patients with large vessel occlusion stroke. It was hoped that this positive treatment effect … Read more

Bleeding Prognoses After Coronary Stenting Unreliable

Two scores widely used to determine whether patients are at high risk for bleeding after coronary stenting disagreed in 22% of patients, and one score underestimated the risk, warned investigators comparing the approaches. Bleeding risk is important to know when deciding how long to prescribe dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary interventions and how intensive … Read more

Regular Flossing Tied to Reduced Ischemic Stroke Risk

Regular dental flossing is linked to a lower risk for ischemic stroke, primarily by reducing systemic inflammation, which can lead to atrial fibrillation (AF) increasing the likelihood of a cardioembolic event, new research suggested. The reduced risk is independent of oral care such as regular teeth brushing and visits to the dentist, the research showed. … Read more

Baricitinib Shows Promise in Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Baricitinib can effectively treat polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) without the use of oral glucocorticoids, according to results from a small, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Among the 18 patients randomly assigned to the oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor baricitinib, 14 achieved a C-reactive protein PMR activity score (CRP PMR-AS) of 10 or less after 12 weeks of … Read more

Endovascular Thrombectomy: Promise and Challenges in Europe

Unlocking Stroke Care: Endovascular Thrombectomy‘s Promise and Challenges in Europe In the realm of acute ischemic stroke, a devastating condition caused by a clot-blocked vessel, the landscape for treatment has shifted dramatically in favor of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) over traditional medical therapy alone. For over a decade, studies have consistently shown the life-altering benefits of … Read more

Feedback System Speeds Up Stroke Treatment

TOPLINE: Performance feedback reduces the time to endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients with ischemic stroke, according to a Dutch study. METHODOLOGY: The researchers conducted a stepped-wedge cluster randomized PERFEQTOS trial in the Netherlands, which included 4747 consecutive adult patients with ischemic stroke who underwent EVT between January 2020 and June 2022. Hospitals started with usual … Read more

Time for New Guidance on Poststroke Depression, Anxiety?

Depression and anxiety are among the most common complications of stroke, affecting 1 in 3 and about 1 in 4 survivors, respectively. These disorders are associated with higher mortality rates, often obscuring the path to recovery.  The American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association (ASA) last published its scientific statement on poststroke depression (PSD) in 2016. … Read more