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AHA/ASA announce collaboration to reduce cryptogenic stroke in US
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The American Heart Association, American Stroke Association and Medtronic recently announced a collaboration to reduce the rate of recurrent cryptogenic strokes in the United States, according to a press release.
During the course of several years, the organizations will work together to improve stroke education, awareness and the management of patients with stroke.
The collaboration was announced at the International Stroke Conference in Nashville, Tenn. It is part of a goal set by the AHA and ASA to reduce stroke-related mortality in the United States by 20% by 2020.
According to statistics from the AHA/ASA, stroke is five times more common among patients with atrial fibrillation, and 30% of cryptogenic strokes have no known cause even when diagnostic tests are performed. Data have demonstrated that continuous, long-term cardiac monitoring of patients with cryptogenic stroke can help detect and diagnose AF and provide treatment to prevent a recurrent stroke.
Lee H. Schwamm
Lee H. Schwamm, MD, director of stroke services at Massachusetts General Hospital and volunteer spokesperson for the ASA, said there is a need for future research into which patient populations would benefit most from extended cardiac monitoring, as well as which types and durations of AF increase risk for future stroke.
“This collaboration between AHA and Medtronic will help to address these critically important topics,” Schwamm said in the release. “As physicians, patients and families become more aware of AF as a potential cause of stroke, and as research confirms the risks associated with these more subtle disturbances, we believe that this could become a game-changer in the stroke field in helping us to reduce recurrent strokes, ultimately reducing disability and saving lives.”
Schwamm told Cardiology Today that the goal is to “raise the understanding among physicians and patients that the work-up isn’t necessarily completed when the patient leaves the hospital.
“This educational effort will be about ensuring that physicians perform the proper work-up in patients who are admitted with stroke and that, for those who have the appropriate characteristics, additional monitoring of their heart rhythm after discharge for prolonged periods of time may be indicated.” – by Stephanie Viguers
Disclosure: Schwamm is a volunteer spokesperson for the ASA.