Europeans live longer, but extra years are not always spent in good health

Europeans live longer, but extra years are not always spent in good health

The source: Adapted press release from the European Commission

“Health at a Glance: Europe 2016” European Commission/OECD joint report shows that policies that aim at promoting good health and preventing diseases as well as more effective healthcare could save lives and billions of euros in the European Union.

Image: pixabay.com

Life expectancy now exceeds 80 years in most EU countries reveals “Health at a Glance: Europe 2016”, a European Commission/OECD joint report. However, this record-high life expectancy is not always matched by healthy life years. Around 50 million people in the EU suffer from several chronic diseases, and more than half a million people of working age die from them every year, representing an annual cost of some 115 billion EUR for EU economies. For more key figures see infograph. (more…)

WSO Advocacy Toolkit for those who seek to advance stroke policy

WSO Advocacy Toolkit for those who seek to advance stroke policy

The WSO Advocacy Toolkit is for individuals who seek to advance stroke policy, elevate the issue of stroke in his/her community and improve stroke outcomes by driving advocacy and change through governments and institutions.
This toolkit will help you advocate for improvements in the health system to address stroke (e.g. gain more funding for stroke units, improve the use of best practice guidelines, ensure better access to stroke treatments, rehabilitation services) in your region.

Please visit www.worldstrokecampaign.org to download the Advocacy Toolkit.

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Workshop on different perspectives of AF-related stroke in the European Parliament

Workshop on different perspectives of AF-related stroke in the European Parliament

The European Brain Council has been working with a Member of Parliament (MEP), SAFE, the European Stroke Organisation (ESO), the Atrial Fibrillation Association (AFA) and the Arrhythmia Alliance to organise a workshop in the European Parliament in Brussels on 25th January 2017.

The workshop will focus on Atrial Fibrillation-related stroke and the goal is to make policy makers more aware of this condition and how screening can help prevent AF-related strokes.  On the 25th, the audience members will hear presentations on different perspectives of AF-related stroke: the carer story from Jon Barrick (representing SAFE), the importance to ‘Know Your Pulse’ by Trudie Lobban from AF Association & Arrhythmia Alliance, and insight from various physicians and Stroke experts, Neurologists Dr. Didier Leys (European Academy of Neurology), Dr. Geert Vanhooren (ESO) and Cardiologist/Rhythmologist Dr. Bernard Deruyter (European Parliament). There will also be a presentation from a Finnish stroke survivor, explaining how stroke has impacted daily life for him and his family. The session will be moderated by Peter O’Donnell of Politico. (more…)

Case study chronicles first brain bleed tied to energy drinks

Case study chronicles first brain bleed tied to energy drinks

Investigators at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have presented the first case study of a patient experiencing a hemorrhagic stroke — a brain bleed — following consumption of an energy drink.

In an article in press in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, the UAB physicians detail the case of a 57-year-old man who developed an intracranial hemorrhage within 15 minutes of drinking a popular energy drink. (more…)

How physical exercise aids in recovery after stroke

How physical exercise aids in recovery after stroke

The after-effects of a stroke can be life changing. Paralysis, speech problems and memory loss occur in varying degrees of severity, depending on the location and amount of brain tissue damage. How far a stroke patient can recover is largely determined by the ability of the brain to reorganise itself. Understanding what can improve this ability is therefore essential in developing the best therapies for rehabilitation.

Voluntary physical exercise is known to have a positive effect on a person’s overall well-being. It delays memory loss in old age and improves cognitive ability. A new study, published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, has linked the positive effects of exercise on the brains of mice to their better recovery after a stroke. (more…)

The European Response to Chronic Diseases – the role of civil society

The European Response to Chronic Diseases – the role of civil society

Published on: httpss://ncdalliance.org

A European regional meeting on ‘The European Response to Chronic Diseases – the role of civil society’, co-organised by the European Chronic Disease Alliance (ECDA) and the NCD Alliance and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization, is taking place in Brussels between the 12th and 13th December, 2016.

This event will convene Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from across the region while serving to follow-up on the adoption of the 2016-2025 WHO European action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs. (more…)

SAFE welcomes new members from Luxembourg, Portugal, Georgia and France

SAFE welcomes new members from Luxembourg, Portugal, Georgia and France

During the year SAFE received applications for membership from organisations in Luxembourg, Georgia, Poland and Portugal. France AVC have also applied to rejoin SAFE.

At the General Assembly held on 9th December 2016 in Amsterdam, the following membership applications were accepted: Luxembourg, Portugal, Georgia and France. (more…)

At General Assembly 2016 SAFE elected new board members

At General Assembly 2016 SAFE elected new board members

At yesterday’s General Assembly, on 9th December 2016, SAFE delegates voted for the new board members.
As SAFE’s President Jon Barrick stressed out, much has changed for SAFE over the last 18 months, with a continually growing membership, more paid staff, a closer relationship with the ESO to proposed meetings with the EU Health Minister, and much more which was reported on at this year’s General Assembly held in Amsterdam.

During the SAFE board meetings this year, the board have discussed at length the requirements that are expected from SAFE into the future. (more…)

SAFE Working Conference: Burden of stroke seen through 12 indicators of care

SAFE Working Conference: Burden of stroke seen through 12 indicators of care

Amsterdam, 8th December 2016 – The Burden of Stroke is the main topic of this year’s Working Conference, with two days dedicated to analysis of the preliminary research findings around 12 indicators of care.

After a successful start yesterday, and a full day of discussion based on preliminary findings, SAFE delegates continue to work on recommendations on how to improve stroke prevention, acute & long-term care across 33 European countries.

This is just a start of an important journey which will culminate in second week of May 2017, the European Stroke Awareness Week, at the big launching event. (more…)

Diabetes advance: Cells produce insulin upon treatment

Diabetes advance: Cells produce insulin upon treatment

It promises to be a simple and elegant strategy to heal diabetes type 1: Replacing the destroyed beta-cells in the bodies of patients with newly-produced insulin-secreting cells. For years, researchers around the globe tried various approaches with stem or adult cells in order to induce this transformation. Their effort lead to a fundamental understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of beta cells — however, a compound capable of doing the trick was missing. (more…)