HealthDay News – An American Heart Association / American Stroke Association guideline posted online in Stroke on May 24th presents recommendations for preventing a second stroke.
Dawn O. Kleindorfer, MD, of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and colleagues are exploring strategies for secondary stroke prevention in people who have had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).
The authors note that specific recommendations for prevention strategies depend on the ischemic stroke / TIA subtype. In order to reduce the risk of a recurring stroke, recommendations are given for the diagnostic work-up to define the stroke etiology. Management of vascular risk factors is important to secondary stroke prevention, including diabetes, smoking cessation, lipids, and high blood pressure. Intensive medical treatment is usually best as therapy is tailored to the individual patient. Lifestyle factors are important to preventing a second stroke, including eating a healthy diet and exercising. Programs that use behavior change models, proven techniques, and multidisciplinary support are required to change patient behavior. Almost all patients without contraindications should receive antithrombotic therapy. With very few exceptions, the combination of antiplatelet agents and anticoagulation is typically not indicated for secondary stroke prevention. Atrial fibrillation is a common and high risk disease associated with a second stroke. Anticoagulation is usually recommended for treatment.
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“Understanding the best ways to prevent another stroke from happening if someone has had a stroke or TIA is critical,” Kleindorfer said in a statement. “If we can pinpoint the cause of the first stroke or TIA, we can adjust strategies to prevent a second stroke.”
Several authors have disclosed financial relationships with biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other industries.
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Subjects:
General cardiac stroke
