All posts tagged: Strokes

Retro video game therapy helps stroke survivors regain arm movement

Retro video game therapy helps stroke survivors regain arm movement

Published by Jenni Sidey

A familiar challenge follows many stroke survivors long after the emergency has passed. The ability to move an arm, reach for an object, or complete simple daily tasks can remain limited for years. Now, a new study suggests that a simple, game-based therapy may help restore lost movement in a way that feels both engaging and effective. Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a retro-style video game paired with a wearable device to help retrain arm movement. The results show that this approach can significantly improve function, even in people who experienced a stroke many years earlier. Participants used the system mostly at home. This allowed them to practice far more than traditional therapy programs. The increased repetition appears to be a key factor in their recovery. A New Direction In Stroke Rehabilitation Stroke remains one of the leading causes of long-term disability. Many survivors continue to struggle with arm movement months or even years later. Myoelectric interface for neurorehabilitation (MINT) paradigm and Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) diagram. (CREDIT: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair) …

What dairy trans fats really mean for your heart health

What dairy trans fats really mean for your heart health

Published by Jenni Sidey

For years, the phrase “trans fat” has carried a warning. Health experts have linked these fats to heart disease, prompting governments and food manufacturers around the world to remove them from many products. But a major new review suggests that not all trans fats deserve the same reputation. Researchers analyzing evidence from 22 scientific studies have found that the naturally occurring trans fats found in dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt do not increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular death, or type 2 diabetes. The findings help resolve a long-running debate about whether naturally occurring trans fats behave like the industrial versions that have been widely condemned. The study comes at a time when dairy-derived trans fats make up a growing share of total trans fat intake in many countries. As industrial trans fats disappear from the food supply, consumers and policymakers have increasingly questioned whether naturally occurring trans fats should be viewed with the same concern. According to the researchers, the evidence suggests they should not. Systematic review and …

The heartbreaking story of Diff’rent Strokes star and 70s & 80s icon Dana Plato

The heartbreaking story of Diff’rent Strokes star and 70s & 80s icon Dana Plato

Published by Daniella Wilson

Dana Plato was one of the major teen idols of the 1970s and 1980s, with major roles in the likes of Diff’rent Strokes, California Suite and Return to Boggy Creek. Her acting abilities were widely recognised, and the star earned Young Artist Award nominations, but behind closed doors, Dana ended up living a troubled life. The star was addicted to drugs and alcohol from a young age, had money left to her by her late mother stolen by a fraudulent accountant, and at her lowest point, she even robbed a convenience store. Here’s what happened to one of Hollywood’s brightest talents… © Getty ImagesDana was a promising young actress Dana’s tragic story As a teenager, Dana ended up taking drugs and drinking alcohol, with the star regularly taking cannabis and cocaine, and reportedly overdosing on Valium when she was just 14 years of age. At 15, she started showing up on the set of Diff’rent Strokes drunk, with the show’s creative supervisor Al Burton recalling: “She would show up in a daze, in a funk.” Although …

Shingles vaccine linked to fewer heart attacks and strokes, study suggests – what you need to know

Shingles vaccine linked to fewer heart attacks and strokes, study suggests – what you need to know

Published by Sam Flores

You’ve probably seen the ads encouraging seniors above 60 to get the shingles vaccine – and think, oh bother, another vaccine to look into. But what if the same vaccine could potentially protect you from heart attack, stroke and cardiac-related deaths as well?  A study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session in March reported that people with heart disease, who received a shingles vaccine, had nearly half the rate of serious cardiac events a year later, compared to those who did not get the vaccine. More specifically, the medical reports of over 246,000 adults with artherosclerotic heart disease were analysed – half of which had received at least one dose of either the Zostavax or Shingrix shingles vaccine. The shingles-protected participants were found to be “32 per cent less likely to suffer a heart attack, 25 per cent less likely to suffer a stroke, and 25 per cent less likely to develop heart failure”. The researchers also noted that “vaccinated individuals were 46 per cent less likely to suffer any major adverse cardiac …

The Strokes end Coachella set with fiery video condemning US and Israeli bombings in Iran and Gaza

The Strokes end Coachella set with fiery video condemning US and Israeli bombings in Iran and Gaza

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This The Strokes ended their set at weekend two of Coachella with some politically charged messaging. While the indie rock band performed their song “Oblivius” for the first time in a decade Saturday night, they showed a video montage that accused the CIA of enforcing regime change through political violence and concluded with footage of Israel bombing Gaza and the United States bombing Iran. The video on the massive LED screens alleged that the CIA has been linked to the deaths of foreign political figures, including Panama’s Military Leader Omar Torrijos, former President of Guatemala Jacobo Árbenz and former President of Ecuador Jaime Roldós Aguilera. It also gave voice to the conspiracy theory that the U.S. was involved in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Footage of recent bombings in the Middle East were captioned, “Over 30 universities destroyed in Iran.” Another explosion …

The Strokes end Coachella set with fiery video condemning US and Israeli bombings in Iran and Gaza

The Strokes end Coachella performance with fiery political video condemning US government

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This The Strokes ended their set at weekend two of Coachella with some politically charged messaging. While the indie rock band performed their song “Oblivius” for the first time in a decade Saturday night, they showed a video montage that accused the CIA of enforcing regime change through political violence and concluded with footage of Israel bombing Gaza and the United States bombing Iran. The video on the massive LED screens alleged that the CIA has been linked to the deaths of foreign political figures, including Panama’s Military Leader Omar Torrijos, former President of Guatemala Jacobo Árbenz and former President of Ecuador Jaime Roldós Aguilera. It also gave voice to the conspiracy theory that the U.S. was involved in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Footage of recent bombings in the Middle East were captioned, “Over 30 universities destroyed in Iran.” Another explosion …

More than a million to be prescribed weight loss drug to prevent heart attacks and strokes | UK News

More than a million to be prescribed weight loss drug to prevent heart attacks and strokes | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

More than a million people with heart disease will be prescribed a weight loss jab to prevent them from having heart attacks or strokes. The NHS’s spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), has approved giving semaglutide to overweight and obese patients living with certain heart and circulatory conditions to cut their risk of a major cardiovascular event. The weekly jab, sold under the brand name Wegovy, is a GLP-1 receptor agonist – a type of drug that encourages weight loss by slowing down how quickly food is digested. NICE said clinical trials have also indicated the drug works directly on the heart and blood vessels – and it expects that 1.2 million people across England could benefit. Guidance says the treatment can be used by patients with a body mass index (BMI) score of 27 and above in addition to other medicines, such as statins, and alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased exercise. You need javascript enabled to view this content Enable javascript to share Share Weight loss drugs may …

Nine in 10 strokes are preventable. Here’s how to reduce your risk

Nine in 10 strokes are preventable. Here’s how to reduce your risk

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter The Stroke Association has revealed what steps people can take to reduce their risk after warning that strokes in the UK could increase by almost 42 per cent unless urgent action is taken. New projections from the charity estimate that by 2035, there could be more than 151,000 strokes each year – the equivalent of 414 people every day. This marks a sharp rise from current figures of around 280 strokes a day, or 106,565 annually. “Some members of the public think that strokes are an inevitable consequence of older age, but that’s absolutely not the case,” says Alexis Kolodziej, deputy CEO and executive director of influencing and research at Stroke Association. Nine in 10 strokes are preventable, according to the Stroke Association’s website. “If you take action on blood pressure, …

AI-powered neck wearable helps stroke survivors speak again without implants

AI-powered neck wearable helps stroke survivors speak again without implants

Published by Jenni Sidey

After a stroke, losing clear speech can feel like being locked inside your own thoughts. You may know exactly what you want to say. Your throat and mouth simply will not cooperate. Now researchers at the University of Cambridge say a soft, washable neck device could help you speak again; without brain implants or slow, letter-by-letter typing. A soft “choker” built for real conversation The wearable system, called Revoice, was led by Professor Luigi Occhipinti at Cambridge’s Department of Engineering. His team designed the device as a flexible choker that sits lightly around your neck. It reads two kinds of signals at once: tiny throat muscle vibrations linked to silent speech, and pulse patterns that offer clues about emotion. “When people have dysarthria following a stroke, it can be extremely frustrating for them, because they know exactly what they want to say, but physically struggle to say it, because the signals between their brain and their throat have been scrambled by the stroke,” said Professor Luigi Occhipinti from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering, who led the …

Doctors Find Evidence Microplastics Are Clogging Arteries, Leading to Heart Attacks and Strokes

Doctors Find Evidence Microplastics Are Clogging Arteries, Leading to Heart Attacks and Strokes

Published by José Betancourt

Microplastics are everywhere, including our arteries. And though their presence there is correlated with cardiovascular issues such as heart attacks and stroke, doctors have been eager to learn more about how they drive the disease process. To that end, a team of scientists led by the University of California, Riverside (UCR) fed microplastics to lab mice and discovered that these insidious particles appear to dramatically increase the plaque accumulation known as atherosclerosis in arteries — but curiously only in male mice, which they detailed in a new study published in the journal Environment International. When they analyzed the clogged arteries of these male mice, they found that microplastics sparked changes within cells that line blood vessels for the worse, inducing their genes to activate the buildup of plaque lesions. That’s terrible news for anybody who’s trying to maintain their heart health, because these ubiquitous particles appear to be sabotaging a vital organ system. “Our study provides some of the strongest evidence so far that microplastics may directly contribute to cardiovascular disease, not just correlate with …