Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
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This guideline provides an overview of the evidence on various established and potential stroke risk factors and provides recommendations for the reduction of stroke risk. ⋯ Extensive evidence is available identifying a variety of specific factors that increase the risk of a first stroke and providing strategies for reducing that risk.
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Although there is some early evidence showing the value of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in stroke rehabilitation, the therapeutic effect of high-frequency rTMS, along with the physiology of rTMS-induced corticomotor excitability supporting motor learning in stroke, has not been established. This study investigated high-frequency rTMS-induced cortical excitability and the associated motor skill acquisition in chronic stroke patients. ⋯ High-frequency rTMS of the affected motor cortex can facilitate practice-dependent plasticity and improve the motor learning performance in chronic stroke victims.
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The relationship between baseline and recurrent vascular events may be important in the targeting of secondary prevention strategies. We examined the relationship between initial event and various types of further vascular outcomes and associated effects of blood pressure (BP)-lowering. ⋯ Patients with previous vascular events are at high risk of recurrences of the same event. However, because they are also at risk of other vascular outcomes, a broad range of secondary prevention strategies is necessary for their treatment. BP-lowering is likely to be one of the most effective and generalizable strategies across a variety of major vascular events including stroke and myocardial infarction.
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Impaired glucose tolerance, an intermediate metabolic state between normal glucose and diabetes characterized by nonfasting glucose levels between 7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L, is associated with an increased stroke risk in patients with coronary heart disease. Whether impaired glucose tolerance increases the risk of stroke in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor ischemic stroke is unknown. ⋯ Impaired glucose tolerance is an independent risk factor for future stroke in nondiabetic patients with TIA or minor ischemic stroke.
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Readmission rate within 6 months after a stroke is 40% to 50%. The purpose of the project was to evaluate whether an interdisciplinary stroke team could reduce length of hospital stay, readmission rate, increase patient satisfaction and reduce dependency of help. ⋯ In this setting we could not show benefit of an interdisciplinary stroke team supporting patients at discharge perhaps because standard aftercare was very efficient already.