Strokes are responsible for around 140,000 deaths a year in the United States alone . For World Stroke Day , learn how Johnson & Johnson is innovating to help change that stat
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THE HEALTH | NOVEMBER , 2023
| Wellness |
Inside the science of strokes
Strokes are responsible for around 140,000 deaths a year in the United States alone . For World Stroke Day , learn how Johnson & Johnson is innovating to help change that stat
BY HALLIE LEVINE
BACK in 2018 , Johnson & Johnson set off on a mission to revolutionise the study of blood clots . The goal was to figure out how different clot characteristics - like size , composition and density - could impact patient outcomes and how two of the company ’ s medical devices performed during clot removal . To do so , they enrolled 1,000 stroke patients at 36 clinical trial sites across the world to study actual blood clots that had been removed from stroke patients .
The Excellent Registry , as it is called , is the largest acute ischemic stroke registry in the world that collects patient data , imaging and clots on a per-pass basis and has independent evaluators review them . It ’ s just one way the company has proved its commitment to innovating in the advancement of stroke care .
And there ’ s good reason for this commitment . Every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke . Every 3.5 minutes , someone dies of one .
“ The scale of the burden is massive ,” says Patrick Brouwer , M . D ., Senior Medical Director , Cerenovus Inc ., part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech . “ Strokes are one of the leading causes of death in many countries , as well as a leading cause of disability . As the largest , most diversified healthcare
Today , the most common treatment for ischemic stroke is to administer medication through an IV in the arm . The drug works to dissolve clots that block blood flow to brain arteries .” products company in the world , Johnson & Johnson has made it its mission to make a difference for patients .”
For World Stroke Day , we ’ re taking an in-depth look at strokes - how they happen , who ’ s at risk , how to prevent them - and how Johnson & Johnson is paving the way with new treatments and cutting-edge research .
WHAT EXACTLY IS A STROKE ?
A stroke - sometimes called a “ brain attack ” - occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and other nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts . When that happens , brain cells become damaged or die .
There are two types of stroke . The most common is ischemic , which occurs when a blood vessel to the brain is obstructed . Haemorrhagic stroke occurs when a weakened blood vessel to the brain ruptures . Both result in brain tissue death .
Contrary to popular belief , strokes don ’ t discriminate based on age . Granted , the majority of strokes do occur among older adults , but they can happen to young , otherwise healthy people , as well . In fact , almost 40 per cent of people hospitalised for stroke are under the age of 65 .
And while stroke is a leading killer for all Americans , the risk of having one varies by race .
For instance , the risk of a first stroke is nearly twice as high for black Americans as for white Americans . Black people also have the highest rate of death due to stroke . “ They are more likely to experience high blood pressure , diabetes and being overweight or obese - all of which raise risk of stroke ,” explains Richard Browne , M . D ., Senior Medical Executive , Health Systems Strategy at Johnson & Johnson .
A study published last year in JAMA Network Open found that people with lower socioeconomic status and from ethnic minority populations are more likely than white Americans to experience a severe stroke , as well as worse health outcomes afterwards .
One reason may be racial disparities in stroke care . A review of 30 studies published in 2022 in the medical journal Stroke found that white patients were more likely than African American , Hispanic and Asian patients to receive lifesaving stroke treatments such as tPA ( short for tissue plasminogen activator ) or a medical procedure known as mechanical thrombectomy .
Research also showed that once stroke symptoms started , white patients arrived at the emergency room ( ER ) earlier than black or Hispanic patients . Non-white stroke patients , for example , are less likely to arrive by emergency medical services ( EMS ) and more likely to experience longer ER wait times compared to white patients .
“ We know that with stroke care , speed is critical ,” says Dr Brouwer . Indeed , every minute , someone who ’ s had a stroke loses close to two million brain cells .
Another sobering statistic : Fewer than one-third of people in the US who have a severe ischemic stroke receive the treatment that could save their lives or prevent a lifetime of disability .
HARNESSING HIGH-TECH TOOLS TO HELP CHANGE STROKE OUTCOMES
Today , the most common treatment for ischemic stroke is to administer medication through an IV in the arm . The drug works to dissolve clots that block blood flow to brain arteries .
But many people don ’ t arrive at the ER in time or they have a symptom or other medical condition that prevents them from getting this treatment , and sometimes the clots themselves can be too big for the medication to be effective , says Michael Gilvarry , General Manager at Cerenovus Galway . In these cases , patients need a mechanical thrombectomy ; the surgical procedure involves inserting a clot-removing device into the artery .
“ No two clots are alike - they can have a variety of compositions and properties , which is why they respond so differently to treatment ,” explains Gilvarry . “ Some are tough , like chewing gum , making them very difficult to remove . Others are so soft they can fragment easily , which makes them more likely to embolise .”
Cerenovus - which was launched by Johnson & Johnson in 2017 to advance the treatment of both ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke - has studied over 500 patient clots as part of the Excellent