E-Mail
IMAGE: 3D reconstructions of superior (left) and inferior (right) brain regions, showing regions with lower metabolism associated with the presence of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid arteries. The color code indicates. view more
Credit: CNIC
The links between cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairment begin years before the appearance of the first clinical symptoms of either condition. In a study carried out at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) in partnership with Santander Bank and neuroimaging experts at the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC, the research center of the Fundación Pasqual Maragall), the investigators have identified a link between brain metabolism, cardiovascular risk, and atherosclerosis during middle age, years before the first appearance of symptoms.
(adapted).
High-risk, nonstenotic intracranial plaque appears to be a more important cause of embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) than previously appreciated, according to findings from a Chinese imaging study.
Researchers led by Lin Tao, MD (General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shen Yang, China), showed that this type of plaque was more common and more vulnerable on the ipsilateral versus contralateral side, differences that were not seen in patients with acute ischemic strokes related to small-vessel disease (SVD).
“The present study provides the first evidence supporting an etiologic role for high-risk nonstenotic intracranial plaque in patients with ESUS,” they write, noting that “the optimal preventive strategies in these patients remain unclear.”
February 09, 2021
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure in conjunction with optimal medical therapy can reduce both the number of migraine days and the frequency of attacks compared with medicine alone, according to a new pooled analysis.
The findings are unlikely to have an effect on clinical practice, as regulatory bodies have not approved any PFO closure device for the treatment of migraine. However, the procedure is now an option for the prevention of PFO-associated stroke.
“What this [study] will do is increase people s interest and whet their appetite for the next clinical trial, but it s not going to have an immediate practical, clinical effect,” senior study author Jonathan Tobis, MD (University of California, Los Angeles), told TCTMD. “People aren t going to go out and start closing PFOs for migraine. I hope if anything it will stimulate interest in the patient population to participate in the RELIEF PFO trial [because] this shows the good justification for why PFO cl
PFO Closure May Reduce Migraine Frequency, Pooled Analysis Suggests physiciansweekly.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from physiciansweekly.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.