Smoking’s Grip Adds to Misery of the Homeless

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Smoking is common among the homeless, and it’s costing them a large share of what little money they have, a new study finds.

The research, surveying over 300 homeless adults who smoked, found that on average, they spent $44 on tobacco in the past week. Meanwhile, their average income for the month was around $500, and one-third or more said they had difficulty finding shelter, food, clothing or a place to wash, the research showed.

“What does $44 in a week mean?” said lead researcher Dr. Travis Baggett, of Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston. “It’s a very high amount when people are really struggling.”

Other experts said the findings, published online Feb. 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine, highlight an issue that has gotten little attention: An estimated three-quarters of homeless U.S. adults smoke, and help getting them to quit is lacking.

The health consequences are clear. Smoking-related health conditions — such as heart disease and certain cancers — are the leading causes of death among the homeless, said Molly Meinbresse, director of research for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, in Nashville.

The new findings underscore the daily, practical hardship of smoking.

“Smoking places an extremely high health and financial burden on people who are homeless,” said Meinbresse, who was not involved in the study.

But effective help with quitting can be hard to come by. Meinbresse said that health care clinics for the homeless often do screen patients for tobacco use, and offer advice on quitting.

“However,” she added, “programs that may involve group counseling and support are not consistently available.”

That’s a significant shortcoming, according to Baggett, because medications that curb nicotine craving are “just one piece” of a successful quit effort. In general, he said, research shows that smokers often need counseling — as well as support from family and friends.

When a smoker is homeless, that support system is often absent, and there are all the added stressors of day-to-day living. The tobacco habit, Meinbresse said, is often related to that stress — as well as mental health issues, alcohol or drug abuse, or a history of trauma.

Plus, when most of the people around you are smoking, it’s that much harder to quit.

“Social norms have a lot to do with smoking and your ability to your quit,” said Dr. Donna Shelley, an associate professor of population health at NYU Langone Medical Center, in New York City.

Shelley, who was not involved in the new research, studies smoking cessation among the homeless and other disadvantaged groups. She said the high rates of smoking among not only the homeless, but poor Americans in general, are “disturbing.”

“The fact that they’re spending their scarce resources on tobacco is tragic,” Shelley said.

On top of the financial drain, she added, a smoking habit can limit a poor or homeless person’s housing options: Nationwide, public and low-income housing sources are increasingly going smoke-free.

The new study findings are based on surveys of 306 homeless adults in Boston, all of whom smoked. Half said they’d had problems finding shelter or clothing in the past month, while slightly smaller numbers said they’d had difficulty finding food, a place to wash or a bathroom to use.

Despite those hardships, they were spending an average of $44 a week on tobacco, the study revealed.

To some people, Baggett said, it might be easy to dismiss homeless smokers as having “bad priorities.” But, he stressed, they are addicted to nicotine: His team found that the greater a survey respondent’s nicotine dependence, the more he or she spent on tobacco.

Ideally, Shelley said, smoking cessation for the homeless would be “comprehensive,” helping them deal with the life issues that feed their nicotine dependence.

Getting more programs into homeless shelters would help, according to Shelley, since that’s a point where people would be receiving other services, such as mental health treatment and help with substance abuse.

Meinbresse said her group “strongly believes” smoking cessation should be a top priority for any organization that serves the homeless.

“Addiction to tobacco,” she said, “should not be an additional burden that these individuals have to face when the struggle to find housing, health care, employment and food is already hard enough.”

More information

SmokeFree.gov has more on quitting tobacco.

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Smoking’s Grip Adds to Misery of the Homeless

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Smoking is common among the homeless, and it’s costing them a large share of what little money they have, a new study finds.

The research, surveying over 300 homeless adults who smoked, found that on average, they spent $44 on tobacco in the past week. Meanwhile, their average income for the month was around $500, and one-third or more said they had difficulty finding shelter, food, clothing or a place to wash, the research showed.

“What does $44 in a week mean?” said lead researcher Dr. Travis Baggett, of Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston. “It’s a very high amount when people are really struggling.”

Other experts said the findings, published online Feb. 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine, highlight an issue that has gotten little attention: An estimated three-quarters of homeless U.S. adults smoke, and help getting them to quit is lacking.

The health consequences are clear. Smoking-related health conditions — such as heart disease and certain cancers — are the leading causes of death among the homeless, said Molly Meinbresse, director of research for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, in Nashville.

The new findings underscore the daily, practical hardship of smoking.

“Smoking places an extremely high health and financial burden on people who are homeless,” said Meinbresse, who was not involved in the study.

But effective help with quitting can be hard to come by. Meinbresse said that health care clinics for the homeless often do screen patients for tobacco use, and offer advice on quitting.

“However,” she added, “programs that may involve group counseling and support are not consistently available.”

That’s a significant shortcoming, according to Baggett, because medications that curb nicotine craving are “just one piece” of a successful quit effort. In general, he said, research shows that smokers often need counseling — as well as support from family and friends.

When a smoker is homeless, that support system is often absent, and there are all the added stressors of day-to-day living. The tobacco habit, Meinbresse said, is often related to that stress — as well as mental health issues, alcohol or drug abuse, or a history of trauma.

Plus, when most of the people around you are smoking, it’s that much harder to quit.

“Social norms have a lot to do with smoking and your ability to your quit,” said Dr. Donna Shelley, an associate professor of population health at NYU Langone Medical Center, in New York City.

Shelley, who was not involved in the new research, studies smoking cessation among the homeless and other disadvantaged groups. She said the high rates of smoking among not only the homeless, but poor Americans in general, are “disturbing.”

“The fact that they’re spending their scarce resources on tobacco is tragic,” Shelley said.

On top of the financial drain, she added, a smoking habit can limit a poor or homeless person’s housing options: Nationwide, public and low-income housing sources are increasingly going smoke-free.

The new study findings are based on surveys of 306 homeless adults in Boston, all of whom smoked. Half said they’d had problems finding shelter or clothing in the past month, while slightly smaller numbers said they’d had difficulty finding food, a place to wash or a bathroom to use.

Despite those hardships, they were spending an average of $44 a week on tobacco, the study revealed.

To some people, Baggett said, it might be easy to dismiss homeless smokers as having “bad priorities.” But, he stressed, they are addicted to nicotine: His team found that the greater a survey respondent’s nicotine dependence, the more he or she spent on tobacco.

Ideally, Shelley said, smoking cessation for the homeless would be “comprehensive,” helping them deal with the life issues that feed their nicotine dependence.

Getting more programs into homeless shelters would help, according to Shelley, since that’s a point where people would be receiving other services, such as mental health treatment and help with substance abuse.

Meinbresse said her group “strongly believes” smoking cessation should be a top priority for any organization that serves the homeless.

“Addiction to tobacco,” she said, “should not be an additional burden that these individuals have to face when the struggle to find housing, health care, employment and food is already hard enough.”

More information

SmokeFree.gov has more on quitting tobacco.

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Stroke Patients Often Can’t Name Doctor, Grasp Treatment Plan: Study

THURSDAY, Feb. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Many stroke patients can’t identify their doctor, which may increase the likelihood that they won’t understand their medication or care plan, researchers report.

The new study included 55 hospitalized stroke patients and 91 general neurology or neurosurgery (non-stroke) patients. Sixty percent of stroke patients were unable to identify their primary attending physician, compared with just over 38 percent of non-stroke patients.

Among patients who could not identify their doctors, nearly 70 percent of the stroke patients did not understand their medication or care plan, according to the researchers from Northwell Health in Manhasset, N.Y. This compared with 40 percent of the non-stroke patients.

“These findings tell us we need to be more vigilant about identifying ourselves as physicians and informing stroke patients about their medications and care plan,” study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Katz said in a Northwell news release.

“Patients who do not know their medications well show an increased risk for subsequent strokes, and dissatisfaction with their care. This is, in essence, a patient satisfaction study telling us what we can do to increase patient satisfaction and compliance,” he explained. Katz is chief of vascular neurology and director of the Stroke Center at North Shore University Hospital.

Gone are the days when one doctor would come to your hospital room, study co-author Dr. Paul Wright pointed out in the news release.

“Over the years we’ve started developing specialties and subspecialties, and now there are 10 or 15 physicians who show up. The key point is we as health care professionals have to inform the patient who’s in charge of their care,” said Wright, chairman of neurology at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

Clear communication with patients is a crucial skill for doctors, he added.

“Just because we do certain things every single day doesn’t mean they’re second nature to the patients or staff members around us,” Wright explained. “Being more mindful of that will help patient satisfaction and medication compliance, which is what we want for all our patients.”

The findings were scheduled for presentation Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Stroke Association in Los Angeles. Research presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The American Stroke Association has more on life after stroke.

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Many Stroke Patients Prefer Video Follow-Up Versus Phone Call

THURSDAY, Feb. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A majority of stroke patients would prefer a video call, instead of a phone call, when their doctor follows up with them after they leave the hospital, a small study finds.

Among 52 stroke patients who were asked how they wanted their doctor to contact them after they left the hospital, nearly 58 percent preferred a video call and about 42 percent said a phone call, the researchers found.

But all 14 patients aged 55 and younger said they’d prefer a video call, compared with about 70 percent of those aged 65 and younger, according to the study by neurologists at Northwell Health in Manhasset, N.Y.

The findings were scheduled for presentation Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Stroke Association, in Los Angeles. Research presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

“With technology as advanced as it is, we wanted to know if patients would be happier getting on a face-to-face call with a health care professional as opposed to a telephone call,” study co-author Dr. Paul Wright said in a Northwell news release.

“This technology could help us get as much information as possible from our patients and provide a service to the community in a very timely, easily accessible manner,” added Wright. He is chairman of neurology at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

Study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Katz, chief of vascular neurology and director of the Stroke Center at North Shore University Hospital, pointed out that patients like seeing their doctors face-to-face, and a phone call is less personal.

“It’s also better to be able to see our patients because we learn a lot by looking at someone. We’re not just getting information from their voice. As they say, a picture’s worth a thousand words,” Katz said.

By helping doctors monitor a patient’s appearance and better deal with problems, such as confusion over medication use, video calls could help reduce a stroke patient’s risk of requiring readmission to the hospital, the researchers said.

More information

The American Stroke Association has more on life after stroke.

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Teething Makes Babies Cranky, But Not Sick: Review

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Teething can make babies miserable, but it rarely causes fevers above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, or any other signs of illness, a new review finds.

The analysis, published online Feb. 18 in the journal Pediatrics, found that teething most often just causes babies to be a little crankier, drool more and rub their irritated gums.

And while some infants have a slight rise in their temperature, teething usually does not cause a full-fledged fever — or any other signs of illness, according to the researchers led by Dr. Michele Bolan, of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, in Brazil.

It’s very common for parents to be confused about whether certain symptoms are related to a baby’s teething or an illness, said Dr. Minu George, interim chief of general pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

“I get questions about this on a daily basis,” said George, who was not involved in the study.

If a baby’s temperature rises to 100.4 degrees F or higher, George said, then it’s a fever — and not just a mild temperature elevation from teething.

“Fevers are not a bad thing,” she pointed out. “They’re part of the body’s response to infection.” But, George added, parents should be aware that a fever is likely related to an illness.

Dr. Rosie Roldan is director of the pediatric dental program at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, in Miami. She agreed that parents often mistakenly attribute fevers or other symptoms to teething.

“But at the age where teeth are erupting, babies are also being bombarded by infections,” said Roldan. “And we don’t want to miss that bigger picture.”

Besides fever, Roldan said, some other symptoms that should not be attributed to teething include: sores or blisters around the mouth, appetite loss and diarrhea that does not go away quickly. They all warrant a call to the pediatrician.

As for helping babies get through the misery of teething, George advised against medication, including topical gels and products that are labeled “natural” or “homeopathic.”

Instead, she said, babies can find relief by chewing on a cooled teething ring or wet washcloth, or eating cool foods.

More information

The Nemours Foundation has more on teething.

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U.S. Travelers Seek More Zika Details

THURSDAY, Feb. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The Zika virus outbreak isn’t stopping Americans from visiting other countries, but many travelers want more information about the virus, a new survey finds.

The online survey of 300 U.S. citizens who made international trips in the past five years found that about one-quarter of them planned to travel to other countries within three months.

More than 90 percent of those with such plans said they will keep them, and 44 percent said they would take extra precautions to protect themselves from the Zika virus.

The mosquito-borne virus is suspected of causing birth defects in Brazil. Zika virus has also been linked to a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Zika transmission is currently active in 30 countries/territories in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned pregnant women to postpone travel to those areas. The CDC also recommends that travelers to Zika-active regions protect themselves from mosquito bites.

More than 70 percent of survey respondents thought they should use insect repellent to protect themselves, but less than 55 percent believed insecticide-treated clothing provided effective protection.

More than half of respondents said they did not have sufficient knowledge about the Zika virus. The most popular choice for trusted information was the CDC (more than 50 percent), followed by resources at the travel destination, the survey found.

The survey results show the need for Zika-affected locations to provide visitors with more detailed information about the risks and what to do if they become ill, said Lori Pennington-Gray, director of the University of Florida’s Tourism Crisis Management Initiative, which conducted the study.

Such information could help prevent the spread of the disease in the United States, she added.

“The newness of this disease could have a tremendous impact on destinations, particularly if tourists engage in a lot of outdoor activities when mosquitoes are at their peak,” Pennington-Gray said in a university news release.

“This rise in cases is also having an effect on planning and managing for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,” she said.

Ashley Schroeder, managing director of the Tourism Crisis Management Initiative, suggested that officials in each travel destination provide travelers with geographically specific information so they can make educated decisions.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on Zika virus.

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Get Sexy, Show-Off Shoulders With This Exercise

From spaghetti straps to cutouts, spring fashion is all about the shoulders. Get ready with a Resistance Band Pull-Apart and Side/Front Raise superset. “To sculpt the shoulder, you need to hit the front, side, and rear deltoids,” notes celeb trainer Steve Moyer. Do his moves twice a week, with 2 days of rest in between: you’ll see results in just a week.

RELATED: A 10-Minute Sexy Shoulder Workout

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Study: Getting Patients Out of Bed Soon After Stroke Is Good Medicine

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — It may be good for hospitalized stroke patients to be taken out of bed for frequent but short periods of movement, researchers report.

The study authors from Australia looked at more than 2,100 patients in a hospital stroke unit and found that getting them out of bed and moving around soon after their stroke benefited them.

The more often this was done, the better their physical recovery and their chances of regaining their independence three months after their stroke, according to the study.

But researchers found the sessions were only effective when kept short. Increasing the length of each session reduced the likelihood that patients would be independent within a few months.

Some experts have raised concerns about the safety of getting patients out of bed soon after a stroke, but the researchers found no evidence that doing so increased the risk of serious problems.

Early and frequent out-of-bed movement helped reduce the risk of serious complications in patients between the ages of 65 and 80, according to lead author Julie Bernhardt, head of the stroke division at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Victoria, and colleagues.

The study was scheduled to be presented Wednesday at the American Stroke Association’s annual meeting, in Los Angeles. Research presented at medical meetings is considered preliminary because it isn’t subject to the same scrutiny as that in published journals.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about stroke rehabilitation.

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Finding Suggests Zika Virus Can Move From Mother to Child During Pregnancy

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In a finding that suggests the Zika virus can move from a pregnant woman to her unborn child, Brazilian researchers report the virus was present in the amniotic fluid of two women whose infants were diagnosed with the birth defect microcephaly.

The discovery adds to growing evidence that the Zika virus might be behind a recent surge in the number of babies born in Brazil with microcephaly, which leads to abnormally small heads and possible brain damage.

“Previous studies have identified Zika virus in the saliva, breast milk and urine of mothers and their newborn babies, after having given birth,” said study author Dr. Ana de Filippis, from the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro. “This study reports details of the Zika virus being identified directly in the amniotic fluid of a woman during her pregnancy, suggesting that the virus could cross the placental barrier and potentially infect the fetus.”

Reporting in the Feb. 17 issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, the researchers explained that the amniotic fluid surrounds and protects the fetus while developing in the mother’s uterus. The placental barrier regulates which substances cross from mother to child.

But de Filippis stressed that the latest discovery does not prove that the Zika virus caused microcephaly in the two Brazilian infants in the study.

“Until we understand the biological mechanism linking Zika virus to microcephaly, we cannot be certain that one causes the other, and further research is urgently needed,” de Filippis said in a journal news release.

It’s believed there have been more than 4,100 suspected or confirmed cases of microcephaly in Brazil, the epicenter of the outbreak.

In other developments, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday moved to protect the U.S. blood supply by saying that people who’ve traveled to places where the Zika virus is prevalent, or who have symptoms that suggest infection, should wait a month before donating blood.

Four weeks is enough time for the virus to pass through a person’s system, the agency said.

According to the FDA, people considered to be at risk for Zika include those who have:

• Traveled to areas with active transmission of Zika virus during the past four weeks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now lists 30 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean as places with active Zika infection.
• Engaged in sexual contact with a person who has traveled to, or resided in, an area with active Zika virus transmission during the prior three months.
• Developed symptoms suggestive of Zika virus infection during the past four weeks.

“The FDA has critical responsibilities in outbreak situations and has been working rapidly to take important steps to respond to the emerging Zika virus outbreak,” Dr. Luciana Borio, the FDA’s acting chief scientist, said in an agency news release.

There have been no reports to date of Zika virus entering the U.S. blood supply, the FDA said. But, the risk of blood transmission is considered likely based on the most current scientific evidence of how Zika and similar viruses are spread.

About four out of five people infected with Zika virus do not become ill, which makes it tougher to determine whose blood might carry the pathogen, the agency noted.

The FDA announcement followed a similar move by the American Red Cross last week, in which the organization asked potential blood donors who have traveled to Zika-affected areas to wait 28 days before giving blood.

Zika has not yet emerged in the United States, but the recommendations issued by the FDA also cover that eventuality.

The agency recommends that if an area in the country develops active Zika virus transmission, then whole blood and blood components for transfusion should be brought in from elsewhere in the United States. Blood donation centers in Zika-affected areas may continue collecting and preparing platelets and plasma if an FDA-approved, pathogen-reduction device is used.

The FDA plans to follow up these recommendations with further guidance that will address appropriate donor deferral measures for human cells, tissues and cellular and tissue-based products, given recent reports of sexual transmission of the virus.

The Zika virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947, and until last year was not thought to pose serious health risks.

But the increase in both cases and birth defects in Brazil in the past year has prompted health officials to reassess their thinking about Zika and pregnant women.

The World Health Organization now estimates there could be up to 4 million cases of Zika in the Americas in the next year.

The FDA is also prioritizing the development of blood screening and diagnostic tests that may help identify the presence of the virus.

The agency said it is also preparing to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and medicines that might be developed to battle Zika, and reviewing technology that may help suppress populations of the mosquitoes that can spread the virus.

More information

For more information on Zika virus, and where the virus is endemic, head to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Stroke Risk May Be Greater for Certain Migraine Sufferers: Studies

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Migraine sufferers may face an increased risk of stroke if they suffer from visual symptoms called auras or if they take the female hormone estrogen, a pair of new studies suggests.

People who have migraine headaches with auras may be 2.4 times more likely to have a stroke caused by a blood clot, compared to migraine patients who don’t see auras, says one study scheduled for presentation Wednesday at the American Stroke Association’s annual meeting, in Los Angeles.

And, women with more severe migraines who take hormone-replacement therapy may be 30 percent more likely to suffer a clot-based stroke than women not taking medication containing estrogen, according to a second paper to be presented at the meeting.

The two risk factors could combine to pose a dangerous mix for some women, said Dr. Elizabeth Loder, chief of the headache and pain division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

“Women who have migraine with aura probably want to think more carefully about the potential risk of stroke associated with using estrogen,” Loder said. “I would not go so far as to say they should never use it, but they should think more carefully about it.”

Estrogen, a female hormone, is contained in birth control pills and hormone-replacement therapy.

It’s important to note, however, that the new research only found associations between migraines with aura, estrogen therapy and stroke risk. It did not prove cause-and-effect.

The two studies focused on strokes caused by blood clots, which account for about 87 percent of all strokes in the United States, according to the American Stroke Association.

One study took a closer look at migraines with aura, which have been established by earlier research as a risk factor for stroke, the researchers said in background information.

About one in five migraine sufferers experiences visual symptoms before and during a headache, said study author Dr. Souvik Sen, a neurologist at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. These symptoms can include flashes of light, blind spots, or seeing zigzag or squiggly lines.

In a 25-year ongoing study of nearly 13,000 adults in four U.S. communities, researchers identified 817 participants who had suffered a blood-clot stroke.

They found that migraine patients who experience aura symptoms seem more likely to suffer a blood-clot stroke than typical migraine sufferers. Specifically, people who have migraine with aura appear to be three times more likely to have a stroke caused by a clot that forms in the heart, dislodges and travels to the brain, the study authors said.

They’re also seem twice as likely to have a stroke caused by a clot that develops in a clogged part of the blood vessel supplying blood to the brain.

Future research needs to look into blood flow patterns in the brains of migraine-with-aura patients, Sen said.

“The aura is an effect of migraine on the blood vessels of the brain,” Sen said. “When they have the vision symptoms, it could be an effect of the migraine on the blood vessels of the brain.”

The other study focused on another known risk factor for stroke — medications containing estrogen.

“Estrogen, which is contained in hormone-replacement therapy and in certain kinds of combination birth control pills, increases the likelihood of blood clots,” and thus increases stroke risk, Loder said.

Researchers analyzed data for more than 82,000 women 50 to 79 years old from the Women’s Health Initiative, a study begun by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in the early 1990s. All reported having some degree of migraines, and about 45 percent were using hormone replacement.

At a follow-up visit three years later, women completed a questionnaire to determine if their migraines had gotten better or worse.

Women who experienced worsening migraines while taking hormone-replacement therapy appeared to be 30 percent more likely to have a clot-based stroke than migraine sufferers who either stopped taking or never took hormone-replacement therapy, researchers concluded.

Study lead author Dr. Haseeb Rahman, a neurology resident at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas, said the findings suggest women on hormone replacement therapy should notify their doctor of any migraine symptoms.

“You should not simply ignore an increasingly bad migraine,” said Rahman, who worked on the study with a research team from the Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Institute in Minneapolis. “You should also tell your doctor if you’re getting migraines for the first time while on hormone replacement therapy.”

However, Loder noted that the increased risk is “certainly higher than we would like it to be, but it’s not terribly high,” given that just 2,063 women experienced clot-based strokes out of more than 82,000 female migraine sufferers.

“Other risk factors like smoking and high blood pressure are much more important,” Loder said. “It’s important to put the risk into context.”

Migraine sufferers or women taking estrogen should address more important risk factors, Loder said, by quitting smoking, controlling their blood pressure, treating their diabetes or lowering their cholesterol.

Data and conclusions presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

More information

For more about migraine and stroke, visit the Stroke Association (UK).

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