SNF Brain Stroke Samachar-438

[SN Foundation]

US Government stops study on stroke prevention
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May 10, 2013
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Courtesy: Associated Press
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
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• Invasive therapies may be riskier than previously thought
• It may be safer to leave brain tangles alone
• Study participants still will be tracked
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The US government has halted a study testing
treatments for a condition in the brain that can cause strokes. Early
results suggest invasive therapies are riskier than previously
thought.

The fairly rare condition involves arteries and veins growing knotted
together until eventually some of them burst, causing a bleeding
stroke. The question is whether treating these early could prevent
that.

Early study results suggest it may be safer to leave these brain
tangles alone: Safety monitors found people who received surgery,
radiation or other invasive treatment had three times the rate of
strokes and death than those given medication for headaches and other
symptoms.

The government halted enrollment in the study but participants will be
tracked to see how they fare over time.
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