Wednesday, October 10, 2007

fast treatment of small strokes can prevent major ones

According to a research at Oxford University, fast assessment and treatment of minor strokes or transient ischemic attacks (TIA) can reduce the risk of early recurrent stroke by 80%. Early treatment could help prevent 100,000 strokes each year in Britain, but researchers said "the vast majority of patients in Britain have not been getting treatment for the first few weeks."

The study "Effect of urgent treatment of transient ischemic attack and minor stroke on early recurrent stroke (EXPRESS study): a prospective population-based sequential comparison" was published in The Lancet (early online publication) October 9, 2007

Another study, "A transient ischemic attack clinic with round-the-clock-assess (SOS-TIA): feasibility and effects" published in The Lancet Neurology, also found that early treatment brought similar results in reducing the risk of a major stroke.

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