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Stroke prevention surgery less effective than meds, lifestyle change
The final results of a stroke prevention study in patients with narrowed brain arteries confirm earlier findings: Medication plus lifestyle changes are safer and more effective at preventing stroke than a surgical technique called stenting. Enrollment in the trial was halted two years ago when it became apparent that stenting was associated with a higher risk of early strokes and death. The study, led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, the Medical University of South Carolina, Emory University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, appears Oct. 26 in The Lancet. Eurekalert!

Death rates greater for weekend hospital admissions The study, which is based on seven years' data from NSW hospitals, shows that when it comes to certain diseases, including heart attack and some cancers, patients are up to 15 per cent more likely to die if they have been admitted via the Emergency Department from the early hours of Saturday morning until midnight Sunday. This figure is referred to as 'excess deaths'. The research, published today in the online edition of the British Medical Journal Quality and Safety, found there were excess deaths in 16 of 430 major diagnosis groups that were assessed. MedicalXpress