AAN: Closure not Recommended for People with Heart Defect and Stroke

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An updated recommendation from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) states that catheter-based closure should not be routinely recommended for people who have had stroke and also have a heart defect called a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a channel between the top two chambers in the heart. To develop the advisory, researchers reviewed all available scientific studies on people with PFO who also had an ischemic stroke, which was a stroke caused by a blood clot, or a transiet eschemic attack, which is an episode of temporary stroke symptoms. “Compared with other way to prevent a second stroke, such as medications to reduce blood clots, the devices used to close a patent foramen ovale have limited evidence to support their use,” said practice advisory author Steven R. Messe, MD, with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a Fellow of the AAN. “It’s still uncertain how effective these devices are in reducing stroke risk, and the procedure is associated with uncommon but potentially serious complications.” To read more, click here.

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