Key Achievements
The Stroke Association commits approximately £2.5million per year to vital stroke research. The following key achievements have resulted from this funding:
A tool as easy as ABCD to predict and prevent stroke
A tool as easy as ABCD to predict and prevent stroke. Professor Rothwell and others at University of Oxford have developed a score to predict an individual''s risk of stroke following a TIA.
FASTer identification means faster treatment
Results from a study funded by The Stroke Association indicate that ambulance paramedics can accurately identify a stroke patient before they arrive in hospital.
Increased mobility after stroke
Stroke Association funded researchers have found that many people affected by stroke want to get out of their homes more often.
Pilot study shows the benefit of occupational therapy for stroke care home residents
A recent study funded by The Stroke Association has shown how beneficial even a small amount of occupational therapy can be to residents in care homes who have had a stroke. The study, carried out by Professor Catherine Sackley and colleagues at the University of Birmingham is extremely significant as the care home population is an understudied and extremely vulnerable group.
Preventative measures against stroke can reduce stroke incidence
Better control of risk factors associated with stroke and increased use of preventative medicines has seen a 40% reduction in major stroke in Oxford over the past 20 years.
Preventative surgery should be carried out within 2 weeks of stroke symptoms
Professor Rothwell and others at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford found that the sooner the carotid endarterectomy surgery was performed after patients had their first stroke symptoms the more beneficial it was in reducing the risk of subsequent and more serious strokes.
Quick treatment following TIA or minor stroke could reduce the risk of a major stroke by 80 per cent
Research, funded by The Stroke Association and carried out by Professor Peter Rothwell and colleagues at the University of Oxford, has shown that early initiation of treatment following a minor stroke or TIA reduces that risk of stroke by 80%.
Staying Physically Fit After 40 Cuts Risk of Stroke
People who are physically fit after the age of 40 can lower their risk of stroke by as much as 50 per cent compared to people who aren’t as physically fit, according to research published in the Journal Neurology.
Surgery can halve the risk of stroke
Research funded by The Stroke Association has shown that surgery may halve the risk of a stroke for people who have a substantial narrowing of the main arteries to the brain.
The FOOD trial - Feeding policy for patients with stroke
Many people have problems swallowing and feeding when they have had a stroke. Doctors tend to disagree on the best way to feed patients following stroke so a number of different methods are currently used. These can include adding nutritional supplements to the hospital diet, and various types of feeding introduced at different stages of the illness.
