Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Stroke Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology Article Date: 22 Mar 2013 - 12:00 PDT
Current ratings for: Heart Defect Procedure Reduces Stroke By 73%
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The findings came from an eight year study called the RESPECT trial (Randomized Evaluation of recurrent Stroke comparing PFO closure to Established Current standard of care Treatment). It was made to test the superiority of the AMPLATZER PFO device in the treatment of cryptogenic stroke patients compared with current medical management.
In a healthy developing fetus, the foramen oval permits oxygenated blood from the placenta to skip over the lungs. This small, flap-like entrance generally closes immediately after birth. However, when the flap stays open or patent - it is called a patent foramen oval (PFO).
A PFO can sometimes let dangerous clots go from the right side of the heart to the left, move up to the brain, and result in a stroke. Treatment normally consists of a minimally-invasive procedure conducted by a cardiologist to permanently close the PFO.
The current trial revealed that the device safely closed the PFO. No differences were seen between medical management and device treatment in the incidence of:
All participants had suffered a stroke verified by MRI and categorized as cryptogenic before starting the trial. The patients' average age was 46 years .
The subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received the AMPLATZER PFO Occluder and standard of care medical management. The second group was treated using the current standard of care alone. Patients were analyzed at one, six, twelve, eighteen, and twenty-four months, and yearly after that.
Additionally, another study suggested that antioxidants do not have a positive effect on preventing diseases like dementia and stroke, contradicting other previous research.
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Heart Defect Procedure Reduces Stroke By 73%