The Foundation for Stroke Prevention

On July 1, the FDA approved rivaroxaban (Xarelto), an oral once daily anticoagulant for prevention of deep vein thrombosis in patients undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery. This is the second new oral anticoagulant approved within the past year, after over 50 years with warfarin (Coumadin) as the only choice. The drug is approved for … Read more

A recently published study suggests that consuming olive oil may prevent stroke in older people. The study, published in the journal Neurology, looked at 7,625 people aged 65 or older in three French cities over a period of five years. After considering diet, physical activity, body mass index and other risk factors for stroke, the … Read more

Many patients who experience a stroke have elevated blood pressure at the time of their stroke. For ischemic stroke (blood clots), the current practice is NOT to lower blood pressure during the first few days, for fear that lowering the blood pressure would worsen the stroke. Current guidelines have not recommended blood pressure lowering within … Read more

It is well known that Coumadin is effective in preventing stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. But Coumadin (warfarin) is not so easy to use. Dosage is highly variable between patients, diet may affect therapeutic levels, and frequent blood tests are required to keep patients in the correct range of anticoagulation. Now a new class … Read more