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Study Highlights: Adding a second drug to aspirin therapy lowered the risk of a second stroke in the weeks after a clot caused minor stroke or TIA in Chinese patients. Patients who received clopidogrel in addition to aspirin were less likely than those on aspirin alone to have a stroke within three months of their first episode. Both drugs prevent platelets, a type of blood cell, from sticking together and forming clots, but no more bleeding occurred among those on dual therapy than in those on aspirin alone.

Study Highlights: In the first comparison of mechanical clot retrieval to standard medical care, mechanical devices showed no benefit over medications. Imaging techniques to measure the amount of salvageable brain tissue didn’t help predict which patients might benefit from mechanical clot removal. For stroke patients, getting proven emergency treatment quickly is most important.

Tip Highlights: Lowering blood pressure aggressively after bleeding stroke is safe. Robotic/biofeedback therapy improves function, reduces hand impairment after stroke. Magnetic brain stimulation relieves post-stroke pain.

Study Highlights: A minimally invasive surgery appears safe and may reduce long-term disability after a bleeding stroke. If the findings are confirmed in a larger study, the surgery would be a major advance for treating hemorrhagic stroke.

Study Highlights: Eating lots of Southern cuisine is linked to increased stroke risk. A Southern-style diet includes fried foods, organ meats, sugary drinks and a lot of salt. African-Americans are five times more likely to eat Southern foods, which may help explain their higher stroke risk.

Study Highlights: Stroke survivors are more likely to report recent suicidal thoughts or wish they were dead compared with individuals with previous heart attack, diabetes or cancer. Seven variables were important in predicting whether a person with stroke had recent suicidal thoughts: depression score, age, BMI, education level, socioeconomic status, gender and marital status.

Study Highlights: Infants and children who survive bleeding strokes may be prone to seizures and epilepsy within two years. Patients who had elevated pressure in the brain that required treatment were more likely to have later seizures or epilepsy.

Study Highlights: Some patients whose life support ended after bleeding in the brain might have recovered some acceptable function if life support was continued. Greater patience and less pessimism may be needed, researchers suggest.

Study Highlights: In patients treated with clot-busting drugs within 3 hours of stroke, adding endovascular therapy to restore blood flow to the brain did not significantly improve recovery at three months. Safety of endovascular therapy added to IV t-PA was similar to IV t-PA alone. The trial was stopped early after an interim analysis determined the additional therapy likely wouldn’t benefit patients.

Tip Highlights: Target: Stroke program doubled number of patients receiving lifesaving treatment. Cocaine use may raise risk for re-bleeds, death in patients with brain bleeds. Families of children with stroke face high out-of-pocket costs. Japanese-style hand bathing may help stroke patients’ well-being. 6,000 steps a day could keep recurrent stroke away.