Asian-Americans More Likely to Suffer from Severe Stroke

People of Asian-American origin are more likely to experience severe ischemic stroke and worse outcomes than whites.

The inability to recover, less frequent administration of the drug which can help in recovery and bleeding complications make Asian-Americans more prone to serious complications.

Compared to whites, Asian-Americans were increasingly associated with poorer functional recovery, receiving the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) less frequently, which can improve the chances of recovering from a stroke.

Stroke – Early Warning Signs - Risk Factor - Rehab - Treatment
Stroke can cause permanent disability and it is important to recognize its early warning signs to stop its progress. Early warning signs of stroke include sudden weakness of facial muscles.

‘Asian-Americans who suffer from stroke experience more serious and bleeding complications in response to the drugs, which makes it more difficult in treating the condition.’

They also had more serious and bleeding complications with tPA, despite receiving it quickly, research showed.

"Asian-Americans may have a distinctive pathophysiologic profile of ischemic stroke than whites," said lead author Sarah Song, Assistant Professor at Rush University in Chicago.

"Regardless, this study highlights the need for more focused research, improved stroke prevention and possibly different treatment strategies for Asian Americans," Song added.

How to Deal with a Stroke - Signs - Symptoms - Risk Factors - Prevention
Stroke is a brain attack, which occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted. It affects all age groups; according to the WHO, 15 million people are affected by stroke annually.

For the study, the team reviewed the clinical and functional outcomes of more than 1.77 million ischemic stroke patients, from 2004 to 2016.

The study showed that overall patients with acute ischemic stroke are recovering more and they are receiving more tPA given through an intravenous (IV) injection in the arm, with less complications and better post-stroke care.

Smoking Just 'One' Cigarette May Up Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke
Smoking just one cigarette doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke in both men and women and is equal to the risk of smoking 20 cigarettes.

"However, Asian-Americans and whites had nuanced differences over time; for example, only whites had a decrease in trend in stroke severity, while Asian-Americans had a greater increase in timely IV tPA administration," Song said.

Source-IANS

Stroke Treatment Based On Brain Cells of Hibernating Ground Squirrels
Drugs that induce a cellular process can help brain cells survive a stroke-induced lack of oxygen and glucose could dramatically improve patient outcomes.