And here’s something that puts a chink in the generally celebratory tone of February, which was Black History Month: the risk of African American children suffering a stroke is double that for white children or for children of Asian or Hispanic descent.

Good news for believers. If you have strong religious or spiritual beliefs, it seems that you have a leg up…one study says that lower levels of belief or spirituality are associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety.

And, as in previous news stories in this column, there is good news in the area of robotics, which are increasingly offering a helping hand by giving stroke victims and others the possibility of regaining some movement in their limbs.

And, finally, here is something it’s important to be aware of. If you are on aspirin therapy, don’t stop it without your doctor’s orders or you will triple you chances of having another stroke -- within days.

So, here we go with the full details.

Hair salons raise stroke awareness

Two women in Cincinnati had better leave big tips the next time they get their hair done. One stylist noticed that a woman‘s speech was slurred, and called for help. Another woman called her hairdresser weeks after having been in the shop, describing symptoms she was having.

Beauticians and barbers increasingly are being used like churches to spread the word about stroke, cancer and other diseases. What they can do may be as important as any doctor, drug or diagnostic test. "By far the biggest reason is people delay going into the hospital because they don‘t know the signs or realize it‘s an emergency," Kleindorfer said.

Why beauty shops?

Doctors trained the stylists, who then quizzed nearly 400 of their customers on stroke knowledge, talked with them as they did their hair, and sent them home with wallet cards with the stroke warning signs. Customers were surveyed again at follow-up appointments roughly six weeks and five months later.

Awareness of the need to immediately call 911 improved. But knowledge of stroke risk factors — high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking — did not.

http://www.localnewsleader.com/elytimes/stories/index.php?action=fullnews
&id=58053

ADHD Drugs May Carry Risks for Heart Attack and Stroke

WASHINGTON -- Drugs prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder will include guides to alert patients and parents of the risks of mental and heart problems, including sudden death.

The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it directed the manufacturers of Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera and all other ADHD drugs to develop the guides. In May 2006, the agency told manufacturers to revise the labels of the drugs to reflect concerns about the cardiovascular and psychiatric problems.

Draft versions of the guides posted on the FDA Web site include discussion of reports of increased blood pressure and heart rate in ADHD patients, as well as cases of sudden death in some who have heart problems and heart defects. In adult patients, the reported problems also include stroke and heart attack.

Title: ADHD drug makers to warn of side effects

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070221/
adhddrug_sideeffects_070221/20070221?hub=Health

Locality, especially poor neighborhoods, Influences Risk for Stroke and Heart Attack

People who live in poor neighborhoods may face the risk of developing heart disease, according to a study that shows for the first time the influence of your locality on heart attack or stroke.

It is already known that people with physical inactivity, poor nutrition, smoking etc face the risk of stroke and heart attack.

However, according to the new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine, the incidence of heart disease and associated fatalities are higher for people who live in poor neighborhoods in relation those who live in more affluent areas, said the health portal News Medical.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1931990,00110002.htm

African-American children suffer strokes at double the rate for whites

According to a study presented at an International Stroke Conference (ISC) the risk of African American children suffering a stroke is double that for white children or for children of Asian or Hispanic descent. Dr. Heather Fullerton reached her conclusions by studying records from 16 hospitals in the northern California area.

The stroke rate in white children, after adjusting for age, was 2.62 per 100,000 children; the rate was 6.08 per 100,000 for blacks; 3.20 per 100,000 for Hispanic children and 3.07 per 100,000 for Asian children.

2007-02-18 12:04:40

News site:

http://www.louisianaweekly.com/weekly/news/articlegate.pl?20070217g

Religious Faith May Speed Stroke Recovery
 

Strong religious faith may help reduce emotional distress that can hinder recovery from stroke, Italian research shows. The study included 132 stroke survivors (median age 72) who were interviewed about their religious beliefs and spirituality.

Lower levels of belief/spirituality were associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. The reason for this association is not clear, but one possibility is that religiously active people may have more social support, the study authors said.

 "Religious people who are active in their communities are more likely to receive external aid that can be provided by volunteers," Dr. Salvatore Giaquinto, chairman of the department of rehabilitation at the San Raffaele Pisana Rehabilitation Center in Rome, said in a prepared statement.

Officials think diet may be a factor. But they were unable to determine the exact reasons for the disparity.

URL: http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp?S=6095333&nav=EQls