August 18, 2020

Why Is Stroke a Bigger Threat to Black People?

THURSDAY, Aug. 13, 2020 -- Stroke is more deadly among Black people than whites, and the reason may come down to genetics.

Researchers who studied the genomes of more than 21,000 Black people found that a common variation near the HNF1A gene was tied to an increased risk of stroke in people of African descent.

August 3, 2020

Fewer Recurrent Strokes Now in Mexican Americans

THURSDAY, July 16, 2020 -- The rate of second strokes among Mexican Americans has declined steeply since the turn of the century, a new study finds.

Between 2000 and 2013, the rate of recurrent stroke fell faster in Mexican Americans than in white people. By 2013, there was no difference between the two groups.

August 3, 2020

AHA News: Flu Shot May Help Protect Vulnerable Hospital Patients From Heart Attack, Mini-Stroke

MONDAY, July 27, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- Hospital patients at high risk for influenza had lower rates of death, heart attack, mini-stroke and cardiac arrest if they were vaccinated against flu during their hospital stay, a new study has found.

The study focused on certain groups at high risk for flu and its complications: those 50 and older, nursing homes residents, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and people with a chronic medical condition, AIDS or obesity. All but the American Indian/Alaska Native group were less likely than other hospitalized patients to receive an in-hospital flu vaccination.

July 9, 2020

Disparities in Stroke Care Put Rural Americans at Risk: Study

THURSDAY, June 18, 2020 -- Stroke patients in rural areas of the United States are less likely to get cutting-edge treatments and more likely to die than those in cities.

That's the takeaway from a new analysis of nationwide data on more than 790,000 adults who were hospitalized with stroke between 2012 and 2017. Most were 64 or older.

July 9, 2020

AHA News: Blood Test That Measures Alcohol Use May Predict Risk for Bleeding Strokes

TUESDAY, June 16, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- People who drink large amounts of alcohol have nearly fivefold odds of experiencing a potentially deadly type of stroke compared with those who drink very little or not at all, a new study finds.

But researchers didn't rely on people to self-report how much alcohol they consumed. Rather, they looked at blood concentrations of phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a biomarker reflecting alcohol consumption over the past month.

July 9, 2020

Stroke Appears 8 Times More Likely With COVID Than With Flu

THURSDAY, July 2, 2020 -- Both flu and COVID-19 can raise your risk for a stroke, but the odds appear to be eight times higher with the coronavirus, a new study finds.

Among more than 1,900 patients with COVID-19, 1.6% suffered a stroke, versus 0.2% of nearly 1,500 patients seriously ill with flu, researchers found.