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London is to get new specialist stroke units as part of a government drive to improve services in the capital.

As part of the London Stroke Strategy, the new units will ensure all patients are never more than 30-minutes’ travelling distance from their nearest treatment facility.

It is hoped that the development could save up to 400 lives every year, as well as offering a high level of independence to thousands more sufferers.

Healthcare for London clinical lead for stroke and consultant nephrologist, Dr Chris Streather, said stroke care in the capital is failing some patients, a situation which he deemed "unacceptable".

"Today’s announcement is a major step in the transformation of stroke services that will start to take shape over the coming year. We have seen similar advances in cardiac services and it is now critical that stroke, the second-biggest cause of death in London, undergoes a similar step-change," he said.

The move has been welcomed by the Stroke Association, which states that every stroke patient deserves "excellent care".

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A high proportion of women are unaware of small changes in lifestyle that can significantly cut the risk of strokes, experts have claimed.

The Stroke Association points out stroke is the most common cause of long-term disability and is twice as likely to prove fatal to women than to men, reports the BBC.

According to the group, 60 per cent cannot recall the result of their last blood pressure reading, while two-thirds were not clear on what optimal blood pressure reading should be.

Many women could avoid stroke altogether if they monitored and controlled their blood pressure, the experts said.

Joe Korner, the association’s director of external affairs, said: "Regular, excessive drinking, smoking, poor diet and a lack of exercise mean that women are pushing their blood pressure to dangerous levels without realising it."

An estimated 150,000 people in the UK suffer a stroke every year, according to the Stroke Association.

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Regular exercise can significantly lower the risk of stroke, as well as speeding up recovery, according to Danish researchers.

While earlier studies have also confirmed that physical activity reduces the risk of stroke, the researchers aimed to examine how the severity of an attack was affected, reports Reuters.

Gudrun Boysen, a neurologist at the Bispebjerg University Hospital in Copenhagen, pointed out that people who took a brisk walk four times a week had less severe strokes than those who took no exercise.

"Besides lowering your risk of stroke, physical exercise also means that the stroke you might get would be less severe and you would have a better chance of recovering from this in better shape," he said.

According to the findings, physically active people were more likely to have regained the ability to carry out everyday tasks two years after a stroke.

"They were more likely to be able to take care of the activities of daily living and didn’t need help from other people," Boysen said.

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A drug for thinning the blood has been linked to increased bleeding during brain haemorrhage, according to new research.

Warfarin is commonly used to thin the blood and prevent stroke occurring as a result of the brain not receiving sufficient oxygen.

However, the study indicates that the risk of haemorrhagic stroke caused by bleeding in the brain can be increased if the blood is excessively thinned.

Study author Dr Matthew Flaherty, a member of the American Academy of Neurology, said: "Warfarin is very effective for preventing ischemic strokes among people with atrial fibrillation and for most patients with this condition it is the right choice.

"However, people who have bleeding into the brain while taking Warfarin are at greater risk of dying than other people with haemorrhagic stroke."

Dr Flaherty stressed that people taking the drug should be fully aware of the signs of stroke so they can "can get to an emergency room immediately" if necessary.

A new study which aims to improve the outcomes of stroke patients is underway at East Cheshire NHS Trust.

The Training Caregivers after Stroke (Tracs) study is designed to improve the rehabilitation of stroke patients and ease the burden on their carers by providing a structured training programme for carers, reports This is Cheshire

Commenting on the issue, Michelle Fairhurst, stroke research nurse, said: "Stroke can have a debilitating effect on people’s lives, and carers play an essential part in helping stroke survivors to overcome the damage of a stroke and a large part in the rehabilitation process."

She added that many stroke patients rely on family when they are discharged, which can prove difficult for the carer if they have little or no experience.

The Tracs study aims to "evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness" of a training scheme for carers, as well as the benefits fro the patient, according to Mr Fairhurst.

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An older women’s walking speed could be a factor in predicting stroke risk, according to a new study.

Researchers discovered that, among 13,000 menopausal women, those who walked the slowest were some 69 per cent more likely to suffer a stroke over the next five years than those who moved faster.

The higher stroke risk was seen to persist, even when the researches excluded women with health condition that may affect their walking speed.

Commenting on the findings, Dr. Aileen McGinn, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and lead researcher, said: "This research has shown that slow walking speed is a predictor of ischemic stroke independent of known stroke risk factors."

Given that walking speed is deemed to be a good indication of people’s overall physical function, Dr McGinn and her team speculate that slower speeds may also be a proxy for subtle, ’subclinical’ dysfunction in the brain.

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A new stroke awareness campaign is being launched to highlight the symptoms of stroke and raise public awareness of the risks.

More than 3,000 people die each year in Wales from stroke, over 2,000 of which are women. However, just 28 per cent of the population realise that stroke can cause immediate brain damage and only 68 per cent would call 999 immediately if they or someone else was experiencing the symptoms of stroke.

The Stroke Association is launching a nationwide campaign in Wales and will publish adverts in 20 weekly newspapers urging people to act swiftly if they suspect that someone is having a stroke by calling 999.

Tony Jewell, chief medical officer for Wales, said: "Eating healthily, taking more exercise, not smoking and ensuring blood pressure is normal can all help to prevent stroke."

The campaign features details of the Face, Arm, Speech, Test (FAST), which can by used to assess whether someone is having a stroke by identifying facial weakness, speech problems and arm weakness. Life insurance customers are advised to be aware of the symptoms of stroke and the risks associated with it.

Stroke is one of the UK’s top three causes of death, along with heart disease and cancer, and is the leading cause of adult disability, costing the country an estimated £7 billion a year in health and social care costs.

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Salford Royal Hospital is currently carrying out studies into dysphagia, which is a problem when swallowing experienced by some stroke sufferers.

Run by the North West Stroke Research Network, the first research project will examine stroke victims who are experiencing difficulties eight weeks after having the stroke, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The second will look at those who have had a stroke within three weeks and may or may not be suffering from difficulty in swallowing.

Dr Samantha Jefferson told the newspaper: "Swallowing is a very complex activity that involves many nerves and muscles which can be damaged by a stroke.

"Some patients find their quality of life is much lower if they have swallowing problems."

She also adds that some stroke suffers also have to change their diets or learn new ways to swallow.

The North West Stroke Research Network, which is based at the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, is comprised of clinicians, patients and carers that carry out studies that are designed to improve patient care.

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Binge drinkers are twice as likely to suffer a stroke as non-smokers, according to experts.

The Stroke Association has stated that those people who drink six or more units in one sitting can have dangerously high blood pressure, which is a major factor for a stroke.

According to the charity, however, only 40 per cent of people are aware that stroke can be caused by binge drinking, with just a quarter of those surveyed by the charity saying they would reduce their alcohol intake to minimise the risk of a stroke.

Commenting on the findings, Joe Korner, director of communications at the Stroke Association, said: "Stroke can be a devastating condition and can affect anyone, of any age, at any time.

"By binge drinking you are increasing your risk of stroke and leaving yourself vulnerable to serious consequences such as long-term disability or even death."

According to government estimation, 18 per cent of men and eight per cent of women drink over eight units and six units respectively at least one day a week.

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Scientists have discovered that military radar technology may be an effective tool in detecting and monitoring heart attacks and strokes.

The research has been conducted at the University of Leicester and aims to prove that such technology can be adapted to detect dangerous blockages in blood, potentially reducing heart attack which is the third most common cause of death in the UK.

Joanna Cowe, a military systems engineer working at the university’s medical physics group explained how ultrasound can be used to target emboli, the blockages that are responsible for one quarter of all strokes.

She noted: "Research into the detection of emboli and vascular disease, using ultrasound, has the potential to reduce stroke death and disability rates, and to generate large financial savings."

In related news, a study by the British Medical Journal has found that being resistant to aspirin makes patients four times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke.


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