AHA/ASA and Medtronic Collaboration Will Seek to Reduce Recurrent Strokes

February 13, 2015—The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) and Medtronic plc will collaborate on an initiative to reduce the rate of recurrent strokes in the United States. The organizations will work together over several years to educate, raise awareness, and support effective management of patients who have strokes. The initiative was announced at the ASA’s annual International Stroke Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

The AHA/ASA and Medtronic stated that the effort will focus on reducing recurrent cryptogenic strokes, which account for approximately 30% of all ischemic strokes in the United States. The new collaboration will support the AHA/ASA’s goal to reduce death from stroke by 20% by 2020.

One approach will be monitoring patients for atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients with AF are five times more likely to have strokes, but because the AF episodes occur only sporadically and may not have any symptoms, the condition often goes undiagnosed. Studies have shown that continuous, long-term cardiac monitoring of cryptogenic stroke patients helps physicians detect and diagnose AF and provide treatment to prevent a recurrent stroke, noted the AHA/ASA and Medtronic.

Lee Schwamm, MD, serves as ASA volunteer spokesperson. Dr. Schwann is Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurology and Director of Stroke Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. He commented in the press release, “Recent evidence suggests that up to 20% of patients who do not have a cause for their stroke identified while in the hospital may demonstrate evidence of intermittent or paroxysmal atrial fibrillation during weeks to months of extended heart rhythm monitoring. As the cost and convenience of outpatient cardiac rhythm recorders has improved, they will likely play an increasingly important role in identifying or excluding AF or other arrhythmias in patients with ischemic stroke. Further research is needed to discern which types of patients benefit most from extended monitoring, and which types and what duration of atrial rhythm abnormalities increase the risk of future stroke.”

Dr. Schwamm continued, “This collaboration between AHA/ASA and Medtronic will help to address these critically important topics. As physicians, patients, and families become more aware of AF as a potential cause of stroke, and as research confirms the risks associated with these more subtle disturbances, we believe that this could become a game changer in the stroke field in helping us to reduce recurrent strokes, ultimately reducing disability and saving lives.”