Sleeping Too Long Might Raise Stroke Risk

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2019 -- If you're the kind of person who sleeps nine or more hours a night or takes long afternoon naps, you may want to worry about your stroke risk, a new Chinese study suggests.

According to the research, people who sleep and nap too long may increase their risk for stroke by 85%. Regular 90-minute midday naps can raise the risk 25%, compared with not napping or napping for only 30 minutes.

AHA News: Toy Building Boosts Woodworker's Stroke Recovery

TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- Gary Lucas delights in making intricate wooden decorative pieces in his tidy workshop. He's particularly talented with his electric scroll saw, using its precision cuts to create crosses, puzzles, plaques and ornaments.

To teach others his woodworking skills, Lucas makes videos he posts on YouTube.

'Mobile Stroke Units' Help Rush Treatment to Patients

THURSDAY, Dec. 5, 2019 -- If you're in the throes of a stroke, being stuck in an ambulance in big-city traffic is the last place you want to be -- unless you're riding in a specially equipped ambulance called a mobile stroke unit (MSU).

A new study reports that suspected stroke patients in New York City who were taken to a nearby hospital via MSU began receiving critical, lifesaving treatment about 30 minutes faster than those transported by regular ambulances. Incidentally, the time difference had nothing to do with how fast the ambulances were going.

AHA News: Treatment to Ward Off Stroke Less Effective in Women

THURSDAY, Nov. 14, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- Women are at higher risk for stroke and have different stroke symptoms than men. Now, new research suggests another difference: less benefit from a surgery used to treat carotid artery disease, a key risk factor for stroke.

The disease, also called carotid stenosis, is marked by fatty deposits, called plaque, that build up inside the neck arteries and increase stroke risk. Surgery to remove the plaque, a procedure called an endarterectomy, is used to reduce this risk. The researchers found that among participants with symptoms from the plaque buildup, endarterectomy was more effective in men, with 11.1% of women having a stroke within five years of the surgery, compared to 8.9% of men.

AHA News: Stroke Death Rate Increasing for Middle-Aged Americans

THURSDAY, Nov. 7, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- In more than half of all counties across the country, a growing percentage of middle-aged Americans are dying of strokes, according to a new study.

The study – which examined stroke mortality rates at the county level – reveals a statistical jump previously masked by national data showing a leveling off of stroke mortality rates following years of decline. The study was published Nov. 8 in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.

Frequent Pot Smokers Face Twice the Odds for Stroke

MONDAY, Nov. 11, 2019 -- Smoking pot doesn't do your heart or your brain any favors, a pair of new studies shows.

Frequent pot smokers are more than twice as likely to suffer a stroke compared with those who don't partake, the first study found.