DALLAS, Sept. 9 Up to 40 percent of patients with "mini strokes" and ischemic strokes have silent heart disease, so doctors need to evaluate their heart risk even if patients don't have symptoms, according to an American Heart Association/American Stroke Association scientific statement published in today's Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Stroke survivors found to be at high risk may also need non-invasive testing, according to the statement's lead author Robert Adams, M.D., Presidential Distinguished Chair, Regents Professor of Neurology, at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.

Coronary heart disease, transient ischemic stroke (TIA known as "mini stroke,") and ischemic stroke all result from vascular disease, where blood flow is restricted to either the heart or brain. The panel of researchers found a link between silent heart disease and TIA and with silent heart disease and ischemic strokes originating in large vessels to the brain.

"Compared to patients with strokes caused by blockage in small vessels in the brain, patients with TIA or large-vessel strokes have a higher likelihood of also having coronary artery disease, whether or not they have a clear history of heart disease," Adams said. While there are guidelines for coronary heart disease and managing stroke, there was no summary of how doctors should approach coronary risk in relatively healthy patients with stroke who have no recognized symptoms or history of heart disease, he said. "There are data to indicate that some people already have significant heart disease by the time they have a stroke even though they don't have any recognized symptoms of heart disease," said Adams, past chairman of the American Heart Association's Stroke Council Leadership Committee.

The authors reviewed literature on short- and long-term outcomes of stroke survivors. Overall, they discovered that the risk of heart attack or sudden cardiac death after stroke
'"/>

Contact: Carole Bullock
carole.bullock@heart.org
214-706-1279
American Heart Association
8-Sep-2003

Page: 1 2 3
Related medicine news :

1. Rigorous Evaluation Of "Hospitalist" Model Needed To Determine Impact Of This New Medical Specialty, According To UCSF Health Policy Researchers
2. New Chest Pain Evaluation Method Saves Lives, Prevents Costly HospitalizationFor Some Patients
3. The European Medicines Evaluation Agency: Open To Criticism
4. Bringing Clinicians Up To Speed On Stats And Business Is Goal Of Nih Grant To Emory University Center For Clinical Evaluation Sciences
5. New thrust needed to tackle health inequalities globally says UCL scientist
6. Finances, not having a dentist are primary barriers to seniors receiving needed dental care
7. More training needed to care for growing geriatric population
8. New European cancer figures for 2004 major efforts needed against the big four killers
9. Services for children: Training needed to tackle complexity of new labours joined-up approach
10. A much-needed shot in the arm for HIV vaccine development
11. Ongoing transfusions needed to avoid strokes in children with sickle cell disease