AHA News: Stroke Survivors Might Need Better Screening for Depression

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- Depression among stroke survivors peaks during the early months of recovery and persists for a full year, a new study finds. Experts say better screening methods are needed for this population to more effectively prevent and treat depression.

"We found that depression is both prevalent and persistent during the first year following a stroke," said lead researcher Liming Dong, a research investigator at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor. She is presenting the preliminary findings next week at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles.

A Stroke at 30,000 Feet? For One Lucky Passenger, It Wasn't

MONDAY, Jan. 27, 2020 -- A flight attendant on a recent commercial flight sent out the message: "Is there a doctor on board?"

An otherwise young, fit male passenger had suddenly lost the ability to move the muscles on the right side of his face, including the ability to close his right eye. He was drooling and had slurred speech.

Vaping Now Tied to Rise in Stroke Risk

TUESDAY, Jan. 7, 2020 -- E-cigarettes are not a safer alternative to tobacco as far as strokes are concerned, according to a new study.

Young adults who use tobacco and e-cigarettes are nearly twice as likely to have a stroke as those who smoke only traditional cigarettes and almost three times as likely as nonsmokers, researchers say.

'Burnout' Could Raise Your Odds for A-fib

TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2020 -- Feeling exhausted, with too few hours in the day to do what needs to be done?

Be careful of burnout -- especially after a new study finds it can raise your risk for the dangerous irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation.

AHA News: After Stroke, an 'Astounding' Risk of Heart Problems

THURSDAY, Jan. 9, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- Women and men have a much higher risk of dangerous heart problems soon after their first stroke compared to people without stroke, even if they don't have obvious underlying heart disease, a study has found.

Researchers investigated data on more than 93,000 people age 66 or older in Ontario, Canada. The group included more than 12,000 women and 9,500 men who had an ischemic stroke, the most common type.

Cluster of Unhealthy Risk Factors Could Raise Odds of Recurrent Blood Clots

THURSDAY, Jan. 9, 2020 -- People with what's known as the "metabolic syndrome" are vulnerable to recurring blood clots, new research shows.

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions, including obesity, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. These factors put people at risk for diabetes, heart disease and a type of blood clot known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), researchers say.