A few years ago, concerns over these heart trials were voiced by a Norwegian professor, Harald Arnesen. He concluded in 2007 that they are not convincing and that one German team had achieved striking results only because the control group in its trial had done particularly badly. Prof Arnesen called for a moratorium on this kind of stem-cell therapy. That still did not deter the clinicians. This January, another trial funded by the EU was announced the largest of all, with 3,000 heart-attack patients recruited from across Europe. The idea behind the trials is straightforward. During a heart attack, a clogged blood vessel starves heart muscle of oxygen. Up to a billion heart muscle cells, called cardiomyocytes, can be damaged, and the body responds by replacing them with relatively inflexible scar tissue, which can lead to fatal heart failure. So why not implant stem cells that can grow into cardiomyocytes? Stem cells, of course, come in many kinds: the embryonic variety have the potential to turn into all 200 cell types in the body. Adult stem cells, harvested from the patient, have a more limited repertoire: bone marrow stem cells generate blood cells, for example. So to claim, as was … Continue reading →

Remember us? We're CDs! CD Sweep will take those old discs off your hands for free and it's tax deductible If you're running a bit behind schedule on the whole spring cleaning thing, you can still get rid of the stacks of CDs you've been meaning to chuck, and now for a good cause: CD Sweep, an initiative benefitting the Autism Science Foundation, is looking to whisk away your old CDs because they need them more than you do. Founded last year, CD Sweep takes used CD and DVD donations to iPodmeister, a CD reseller that ships used discs to overseas countries, where they have higher resale value. Each disc donated earns 50 cents that is then donated to ASF, which provides funding directly to scientists conducting research into the causes and treatment of autism.Donating itself is probably just as easy (if not easier) than what you were planning on doing with your discs (depending on how much you hate CDs, that is): For free! So start sending them in, because, unlike the trip to the dumpster you might've been planning, donations to CD Sweep are totally tax-deductible ASF is a 501 (c)(3) public charity and because Melissa Auf der … Continue reading →

11-06-2012 23:22 Title: Recommendations for the management of hypertensive patients with STROKE (cerebrovascular disease) Objectives: ? To discuss hypertension as a risk factor for stroke ? To discuss the management of hypertension in the setting of stroke ? To outline acute treatment (072h) and chronic treatment About the speaker: Michael D. Hill, MD MSc FRCPC, Calgary Stroke Program University of Calgary About this talk: Presented at the 23rd Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Hypertension 2010, Vancouver Excerpt from: Hypertension - Hypertension and Stroke by Dr Michael D Hill, 2010 - Video … Continue reading →

-- Advanced Medicine and Improved Awareness Contribute to Trend -- Study Published Today by Researchers at the Cardiovascular Institute of New Jersey at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Newswise New Brunswick, NJ Stroke is one of the top 10 causes of death among children according to the National Stroke Association. A new study published today shows that in New Jersey, the diagnosis of ischemic stroke in children, resulting from a loss or obstruction of blood to the brain, is on the rise. The research, published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, was conducted by researchers at the Cardiovascular Institute of New Jersey (CVI) at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. This is the first statewide study that examines the incidence and long-term mortality from all types of stroke in New Jersey children from one month to 19 years of age, said Sampada Gandhi, MBBS, MPH, instructor of medicine and primary author of the study. The data report on an important trend for which little evidence exists, but which is imperative for physicians to understand to improve diagnosis and treatment in children with stroke. The researchers used the Myocardial … Continue reading →

By RON WINSLOW Stroke, until recently the third leading cause of death in the U.S., has dropped back to fourth place, reflecting a host of gradual improvements in preventing and treating the disease. The change isn't a result of major advances in new medicines or devices. Instead, medical experts cite improvements in controlling people's risk factors such as high blood pressure and smoking. They also point to the increase in recent years in the number of designated stroke centers and emergency rooms that are specially equipped for stroke patients. A recent study underlines the incremental progress being made. Researchers in California found that treating stroke patients with cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins throughout a hospital stay substantially improved survival rates and increased the chances of patients being discharged to their home instead of to a nursing home. "In the country as a whole, there has been a dramatic reduction in stroke-related mortality in the last few years," said Larry Goldstein, director of the Duke Stroke Center at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C. "We're learning more and more about preventing stroke." In the 10 years ending in 2008, the latest data available, the death rate from stroke, as a percentage of … Continue reading →