Increased Breast Cancer Risk for Bigger Baby Girls

In a recent study conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and published in the online edition of PLoS Medicine, a link was found between the size of a baby girl at birth and her risk of developing breast cancer as a woman. The London School utilized results of 32 studies, comparing the birth measurement data and breast cancer risk. The study analyzed more than 22,000 breast cancer cases in over 600,000 women, finding that weight, length and head circumference at birth were all significant factors in a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. The chance of developing breast cancer was 12 percent higher in women that weighed 8.8 pounds or more at birth, when compared to those that weighed between 6.6 and 7.69 pounds. Women that measured 20 inches long at birth had a 17 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer when compared with women that measured 19.29 inches long. As for head circumference, those with a measurement of 13.7 inches or more had a 11 percent greater risk when compared with those who had a measurement of 12.9 inches at birth.

One possible reason for the increased breast cancer risk in larger girl babies may be the higher levels of the estrogen hormone estradiol found in the mother. These increased levels of estrogen may alter the breast development of the baby, making her more susceptible to cancer. Another reason may be overactive stem cells or other growth hormones. Additional research needs to be done on the connection, since very little is known about the connection between breast cancer development and the prenatal environment.

As for the women that were born with larger than average measurements, the American Cancer Society’s director of breast and gynecological cancer, Debbie Saslow, says that there is no reason to worry or consider themselves at a high risk for developing breast cancer, since this study is only for research purposes. Also, expecting women should not make any alterations or do anything differently in an attempt to have a smaller baby.

Breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer, only after non-melanoma skin cancer. Certain factors increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, including smoking, drinking alcohol, poor diet and lack of exercise. Statistics from the American Cancer Society reveal that 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in their lives, equaling about 182,460 new cases in the U.S. in this year alone. An estimated 40,480 women in the United States will die from invasive breast cancer in 2008.

Breast cancer treatment is most effective when the cancer is caught early on. If you or someone you love has been harmed by a delay in diagnosing or treating breast cancer, our medical negligence attorneys can help. Your initial consultation is FREE and there is NO FEE to you unless we recover money. Please call Silberstein, Awad & Miklos today, or submit an instant inquiry now and we will respond within 24 hours.

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Vitamin D and Breast Cancer

A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported some unfavorable results from research done on the effect of vitamin D on breast cancer. The supplement was not found to be beneficial to the half of the women involved in the study that were given 400 IU of vitamin D and 1,000 mg of calcium. The vitamin D and calcium segment of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study included 2,134 women, half of which were given vitamin D and calcium for 7 years, while the other half were given nothing. Of the women that took the supplements for the seven year period, 528 developed breast cancer. In the group that did not take either vitamin D or calcium, 546 women developed breast cancer during the time frame. The similarity between these two rates gave way to the disappointing outcome that vitamin D does not help prevent breast cancer.

Experts have questioned whether or not the dose of vitamin D used in the WHI study was high enough to yield accurate results, being that doctors now recommended up to 2,000 IU daily for adults. The 400 IU used in the study is too low to raise blood levels, which does not allow for there to be much of an impact as a result of taking the supplement. One small problem the study encountered involved the inability to tell half of these women to stop taking their regular doses of calcium and vitamin D to prevent bone fracture. About 15 percent of the women included in the half that were to be taking no calcium or vitamin D continued with their usual supplement dosages, possibly causing inaccuracies in the results. Experts also believe that the study may have been too short to determine the real advantages of vitamin D. Since it takes a long period of time for breast cancer to develop, the women in the study that developed breast cancer may have already started to develop the cancer before the 7 year study began (breast cancer may take up to 20 years to develop). If cancer of the breast had already started to develop before the study even began, the vitamin D and calcium supplements would have had little effect on the cancer.

More research is in the works studying the effects of vitamin D and calcium on breast cancer. One earlier study and other animal-related studies did suggest that vitamin D helped prevent breast cancer, giving experts more of a reason to continue their research on the supplements and their effect on breast cancer.

The Women’s Health Initiative took place over several years and involved 36,000 women and studied various health issues, including cancer, fracture risk, heart disease, hormone therapy and other complications.

Breast cancer treatment is most effective when the cancer is caught early on. If you or someone you love has been harmed by a delay in diagnosing or treating breast cancer, our medical negligence attorneys can help. Your initial consultation is FREE and there is NO FEE to you unless we recover money. Please call Silberstein, Awad & Miklos today, or submit an instant inquiry now and we will respond within 24 hours.

Joseph Miklos
Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C.
600 Old Country Road
Garden City, New York 11530
Call Toll-free 1-877-ASK 4 SAM
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Choosing the Right Weight Loss Surgery

In the United States, along with many other countries throughout the world, obesity is a major problem that continues to grow each year among all ages, genders, ethnic groups and both smokers and non-smokers. The obesity rate in the U.S. was 15 percent or more in every state in the year 2000, except for Colorado, with twenty-two states having rates of 20 percent. Doctors recommend that obese patients lose the weight in an attempt to avoid health risks such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and various cancers. An estimated 42 percent of men and 38 percent of women that are obese are reported to have high blood pressure, while 22 percent of obese men and 27 percent of obese women have high cholesterol. In addition to that, about 70 percent of all diabetes risk is resulting from obesity. Higher death rates were seen in cancers of the esophagus, colon, rectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, stomach, prostate, breast, uterus, cervix and ovaries in people that were overweight. The risk of death from any cause, especially heart problems, in overweight people was found to be 50 to 100 percent higher than the risk for people with a normal body weight. Also, the more overweight a person is, the shorter their life expectancy. Extremely obese young white males (20-30) may lose up to 13 years of their life, while women in that range may lose up to 8 years. As for African Americans in that category, men can lose up to 20 years and women up to 5 years. People that are only moderately obese can still shorten their life expectancy by 2 to 5 years, making weight loss extremely important even for slightly overweight individuals.

Conclusions reached in 1991 by the National Institute of Health reported that about 95 percent of individuals who start a weight loss regimen regained their lost weight within 2 years of reaching their lowest weight. These results prompted the recommendation of two forms of bariatric surgery, vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), for extremely obese individuals or those facing life-threatening health risks because of their weight. Those eligible for bariatric surgery must have already attempted normal weight loss methods with no success and be completely educated about the procedure and its results. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery recommends that patients not only be well informed about their surgery, but also understand what variations to expect in their lifestyle as well as the need for extensive follow-up to their procedure. It is also important that a patient be evaluated before making a decision on which procedure to use, in order to best fit the choice to their needs. Doctors should administer a physical exam and assess the medical and dietary history of a patient, as well as their psychologic status, before considering them as a candidate. Patients should also be given extensive information on each bariatric surgery option so they can make an educated choice and have a successful procedure.

Laparoscopic procedures:

The most preferred bariatric surgeries are performed laparoscopically, or in a minimally invasive way. These methods have a lower death rate because they avoid thh sizable incision in the abdomen required of other surgeries. In the United States, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band, biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch and sleeve gastrectomy are the most routinely performed procedures.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass:

Laparoscopic RYGB is the most widely performed bariatric procedure for weight loss in the United States due to its familiarity among doctors. This surgery restricts the amount of food consumed by the patient, while reducing the number of calories the body can absorb from that food. During RYGB, doctors create a tiny pouch at the top of the stomach which reduces the amount of food a person can consume. The procedure also requires the gastrointestinal tract to be reconstructed so that food can leave both the pouch and the existing stomach. People that have this procedure develop a decrease in appetite because their body is telling them that they are fuller, sooner. This causes the person to consume less food at each meal, resulting in substantial weight loss. Patients must also monitor their eating habits, making sure that food is completely chewed, eaten slowly and they must not eat more than they can now fit to avoid nausea or vomiting.

This procedure comes with advantages and disadvantages that may influence a patient’s decision. One benefit of this procedure is that results are seen almost immediately, continuing for 18 to 24 months after the surgery is performed. This procedure is also permanent, meaning that a patient will not regain the weight lost years after the surgery. RYGB also reduces the health risks that were increased due to obesity, such as high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes and hyperlipidemia, or high lipid levels in the blood, such as cholesterol. Some of the disadvantages of RYGB include the risk of leaks in any of the impacted areas, internal hernias and a longer follow-up time when compared to other procedures.

For more information, visit www.obesityhelp.com

Adjustable gastric band:

Following RYGB, the second most common laparoscopic surgery in the United States is the adjustable gastric band. The operation was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June of 2001, after becoming the most prominent weight loss operation in places like Latin America, Europe and Australia. In the U.S., two types of laparoscopic gastric bands are now available, Ethicon Endo-Surgery’s Realize Personal Banding Solution and Allergan’s Lap-Band adjustable banding system. Both of these products involve minimally invasive surgery with short operating times and hospital says, as well as an extremely minimal risk of death and reduced risk of pain and incisional hernias. Negatives of the procedure include decrease in the stomach’s tolerance of certain foods, reflux and pain, which should be discussed with a doctor if experienced.

Similar to the RYGB procedure, the gastric band creates a small pouch in the stomach, about the size of an egg. This operation employs an inflatable silicon band to create the pouch, decreasing the amount of food the person can consume, resulting in weight loss. The diameter of the band can be adjusted, which in turn changes the size of pouch, allowing for more or less to be consumed. Adjustments to the gastric band can be made whenever needed, allowing for an increase in weight loss when desired. Unlike RYGB, this procedure does not lower the number of calories the body is able to absorb, nor is it permanent. The laparoscopic adjustable gastric band procedure, or LAGB, has varying results, occurring over the course of 18 months to 3 years.

For more information, visit www.realizeband.com and www.lapband.com


Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch:

This laparoscopic procedure, known as BPD, alters the way in which a person absorbs foods by shrinking the stomach. The operation creates a diversion around part of the small intestine, preventing the body from absorbing as many calories as before. A modification made to this procedure involving the duodenal switch (BPD/DS) allows the pylorus, or the valve at the opening of the stomach, to stay intact, while the roughly half of the stomach is removed permanently. As in the original BPD procedure, the stomach is then connected to the last 8 feet of the small intestine, with the rest of the small intestine connecting to the small bowel where food meets the digestive enzymes.

BPD/DS is completely irreversible, due to the removal of part of the stomach. Also, there is a risk that patients may experience long-term nutritional insufficiencies since their bodies are no longer able to absorb the same amount of nutrients via the small intestine. However, there are also important advantages of this procedure, including the prevention of dumping syndrome (click here for more info), where the undigested stomach contents are promptly emptied into the small intestine too rapidly, causing abdominal cramps and nausea. This is avoided because the pylorus valve is left intact in the at the outlet of the stomach. Another advantage is that patients can consume larger meal portions that with a gastric band because the remaining stomach is larger than that of the created pouch in other procedures.

For more information, visit www.duodenalswitch.com

Sleeve gastrectomy:

The laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy represents approximately 2 percent of weight loss operations performed in the United States. This relatively new operation which shrinks the stomach down to 25 percent of its original size, reducing the body’s allowed food intake. As in the BPD/DS procedure, the pylorus remains intact, eliminating dumping syndrome. Also, the procedure normally lasts for less than an hour, although patients are required to stay in the hospital overnight. Normal recovery time is about 2 weeks or less, allowing the patient to resume work and normal activities after that time period. The procedure also avoids the malabsorbiton that may occur in the BPD/DS procedure, allowing patients to normally absorb nutrients in the small intestine. However, there is a risk of blood clots with this procedure and the operation is irreversible.

For more information, visit www.advancedobesitysurgery.com

All of these surgeries may have serious complications if performed incorrectly or carelessly by a doctor. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.

Fight for justice against FRIVOLOUS DEFENSES and DECEPTIVE DEFENSES.

Joseph Miklos
Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C.
600 Old Country Road
Garden City, New York 11530
Call Toll-free 1-877-ASK 4 SAM
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Rate of Diabetes is Up...and Growing

In a government phone survey that retrieved data from over 260,000 adults in the country, it was found that the rate of new diabetes cases has almost doubled in the past decade. The government also reported that the highest levels of diabetes were found in the South, particularly in West Virginia, with roughly 13 out of every 1,000 having been diagnosed with diabetes. Other Southern states with the highest rates were South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee, which all had a rate of at least 11 out of every 1,000 people contacted. The lowest rate of diabetes was in Minnesota, in which about 5 out of every 1,000 people surveyed had been diagnosed with the disease. Hawaii and Wyoming were also reported as having some of the lowest rates of diabetes, after Minnesota.

In 90% of the cases found, people had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, which is commonly associated with obesity. Not surprisingly, the South is also noted for having high rates of obesity and heart disease. Also, higher rates of Type 2 diabetes are often found in older people and blacks, which are highly concentrated in the South, as well as in Hispanics, which Texas has a high concentration of. The survey only collected data on people that already know they have the disease, and did not provide data on those that have not yet been diagnosed. In the U.S. an estimated 1 in 4 diabetics have yet to be diagnosed with the disease. Moreover, the amount of undiagnosed cases is more likely than not higher in the South or in places where health care is limited.

The study, which was conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, included 40 states and determined that an estimated 1.6 million new diabetes diagnoses were made last year in people age twenty and over. That rate reflects the increase from 5 per every 1,000 adults having been diagnosed with diabetes in the 1990s to the current rate of 9 per every 1,000 adults.

Diabetes causes serious complications including heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and other health issues that require the care of a doctor. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.

Call Silberstein, Awad & Miklos Toll-free at 1-877-ASK 4 SAM

SIDS - Still a risk to infants

SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, is a name given to natural infant deaths that occur suddenly during sleep and with no medical cause, with highest rates occurring in infants between 2 and 4 months old. The rate of SIDS has been significantly reduced in the past fourteen years thanks to the Back to Sleep campaign led by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has cut the rate of SIDS related deaths in half. According to the National Centers for Health Statistics, SIDS occurs in about .05 percent of infants, or one SIDS case for every 2,000 babies born. But, even though these statistics have been reduced, infants are still dying from the unexplained syndrome. There are other classifications now given to cases where healthy infants die unexpectedly during sleep, which may be a reason why the SIDS rate has decreased and the rates of these other cases has increased. A situation known as code-shifting occurs when examiners give other unrelated reasons for why an infant has died, and classifies the case as something other than SIDS, causing the official numbers of SIDS related deaths to be lower than they actually are. Another reason why fewer cases have been reported as SIDS may be that in order for a death to be diagnosed as SIDS, an extensive investigation must take place, requiring funds that are simply unavailable to some areas. The lack of an investigation may result in a code-shift where cases that are in fact SIDS related are classified as something else. Many SIDS cases may have also been misdiagnosed due to the complicated forms that medical examiner’s were required to fill out regarding the death. The forms have recently been updated, although they still prove unclear, leading to missed SIDS cases.

It is important that parents carefully follow the safe-sleep recommendations, which include putting infants to sleep on their backs, keeping soft toys and bedding out of the crib during sleep, never letting infants sleep in a bed with adults and keeping them away from secondhand smoke. Research has shown that African-American, Native American and premature infants are at a greater risk of dying of SIDS, along with any infant exposed to dangerous sleeping conditions or secondhand smoke. Babies that are put to sleep on their stomachs or sides are twice as likely to die from SIDS infants that are placed on their backs. There is a greater chance that an infant will not be able to inhale as much oxygen when sleeping on their stomach because the carbon dioxide that has been exhaled is re-inhaled instead of fresh air. For babies that do not get enough oxygen because of their sleeping position and do not wake up to change position when this happens, there is a possibility that SIDS will occur. When an infant’s brain-stem is abnormal, serotonin production, which assists in the regulation of arousal and breathing, is not properly being produced. According to researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston, this may cause an infant to remain sleeping even when there is a decrease in oxygen, creating a risk for SIDS. When an infant reaches 6 months, their risk of SIDS is significantly lowered, and vanishes completely at age 1, due to the fact that development occurs to the point where even abnormal brain-stems can produce serotonin normally, taking away the risk of a SIDS related death.

Researchers are also exploring other reasons why SIDS may occur, including MCADD, or medium chain acyl-CoA degydrogenase deficiency, a metabolic disorder where an infant does not process fatty acids, causing heart function to cease. QT syndrome, a heart disorder causing a sporadic recurrences of hurried heart beat sometimes resulting in heart attack, is also being explored as a cause of SIDS. Both QT syndrome and MCADD are treatable if they are discovered in a blood test.

It was also found that if an infant is placed in daycare before they have reached 4 months may be at a greater risk of SIDS. Research shows that approximately 20 percent of SIDS related deaths occurred while the infant was not under the care of parents. The chance of SIDS is multiplied by 18 if an infant that is routinely put to sleep on its back is placed on its stomach, making it critical that parents make sure that their infants, if placed in a daycare program, are being put to sleep using the safe-sleep guidelines both in daycare and at home.

SIDS may be to blame for the sudden, unexpected death of an infant, however a proper investigation should take place in order to rule out any other cause of death, especially if the infant is under the care of a hospital or daycare center. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.

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Vitamins C and E Supplements Not So Beneficial to Heart

In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and numerous vitamin manufacturers, it was found that vitamins C and E have no effect on heart disease. In fact, some researchers believe that not only does vitamin C not help prevent heart attacks, but the supplement may also promote cancer, which is a very scary thought considering that millions of Americans take these pills to reap their potential benefits. As for vitamin E, it was found that the risk of bleeding strokes was increased in people that take the pills, especially in males that smoke cigarette, on top of the fact that the supplement does not prevent heart disease.

The Physicians Health Study, which began in 1997, is one of the largest studies ever conducted on vitamins C and E. It utilized 14,641 male doctors that were age 50 or over, 5 percent of whom had previously had heart disease. Researchers divided the men into four separate groups, with one group taking vitamin C, one vitamin E, one taking both and one taking a dummy pill. At the conclusion of the study 8 years later, it was found that there were no difference between the four groups regarding heart-related deaths, heart attack or stroke rates. Surprisingly, the study did reveal that in the group of men taking the vitamin E supplement, there was a 74 percent greater risk for bleeding stroke. Although this new evidence suggests that these vitamins are not beneficial to the heart, and have several negative effects, an estimated 12 percent of Americans still take the supplements.

In a separate study involving over 12,000 heart attack survivors conducted at the University of Oxford in England, it was found that the B-12 and B-9 (folic acid) vitamins also had no positive effect on heart disease. The results of the original study can be found online at the Journal of the American Medical Association website.

The potential risks involved in taking these supplements are serious and may require medical care. If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.

Call Toll-free 1- 877- ASK 4 SAM

More harm than good in prostate screening over 75

New evidence shows that routine prostate screening may do more damage than good for elderly men. Methods used to treat prostate cancer in this age group is known to cause other health issues such as erectile dysfunction and bowel and bladder control problems, while benefits of such treatments are minimal to none.

These recommendations were made by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which concluded in 2002 that there is no substantial evidence suggesting men of any age should receive prostate screening. There has been much argumentation regarding the significance of these blood tests, which are often inaccurate, and require a biopsy for a positive confirmation. Also, there is no way of identifying how fast or slow a tumor is growing from these tests.

With this new information regarding prostate screening, doctors are encouraged to speak to their 50+ male patients (such tests should not be necessary before age 50) about the possible harms of the tests, as well as the potential benefits. Patients will then have the information needed to weigh their options and make a choice about prostate screening.

Although most prostate cancer tumors grow so sluggishly they are not considered life threatening, it is still the most common cancer among men in this country. After lung cancer, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of deaths in men.

Since there is a favorable chance that a man will survive prostate cancer, doctors will sometimes recommend a more passive approach, known as “watchful waiting”. In these cases, doctors will track the disease and only treat their patients only if the cancer worsens. One study also found that it is not a huge risk to leave early-stage prostate cancer untreated for a period of time in older men.

If you or a loved one has medical malpractice questions in New York, please contact the malpractice lawyers of Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.

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Joseph Miklos
Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C.
600 Old Country Road
Garden City, New York 11530
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More Sleep Equals Lowered Risk of Heart Attack

In a recent study conducted by Dr. Imre Jansky of the Karolinska Institute, and other Swedish researchers, it was found that more sleep may lower the risk of a heart attack. The researchers analyzed heart attack records from the past two decades (1987 - 2006) and found that on the day after clocks are set back one hour in the fall, heart attack rates dropped. What’s more, in the few days following the clocks going forward an hour in the spring, heart attack rates increased. To make the comparison, researchers looked at heart attack rates for the few days following the changing of the clocks (either forward or back), and then at the rates on the same days of the week two weeks before and two weeks after the change. They found that when clocks are set forward, heart attack rates increase by 6% on the following Monday, 10% on Tuesday and 6% on Wednesday, with a 5% increase over the entire week. However, when clocks are set back, heart attack rates fell by 5% on the following Monday, although they remained the same through the rest of the week. The increased risk of a heart attack on a Monday was normally blamed on the resumed activity and stress that comes with the start of a new week. However, this study may hint that the real cause is the loss of sleep people get on Sunday nights as a result of getting to bed later and waking up earlier on Monday for work.

This study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, reveals that losing or gaining sleep can increase or decrease the risk of a heart attack, which supports the fact that sleep affects our cardiovascular health. The amount of sleep a person gets each night can cause changes in blood pressure, blood clotting, blood sugar, inflammation, cholesterol, and blood vessels. Doctors suggest that people gradually adjust to the time change in the spring by going to bed earlier and waking up earlier, which will make it easier to deal with the hour loss.

In a separate study conducted by American researchers, it was found that the time change in the fall was to blame for an increase in pedestrian deaths during evening rush hour because drivers have trouble adjusting to earlier darkness. In the spring when daylight is extended with the change of the clocks, there was a lowered risk for pedestrian deaths.

Heart attacks require the immediate care of a doctor or hospital. If you or a loved one has questions about the quality of the medical care you received please call Silberstein, Awad & Miklos' medical malpractice attorneys for answers. Together we will continue our fight against FRIVOLOUS DEFENSES and DECEPTIVE DEFENSES.
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Treatment helpful up to 4 1/2 hours after stroke

In the third European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study, which was sponsored by German pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim, it was found that tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) treatment may still be moderately beneficial when given three to four and a half hours after an acute ischemic stroke. When compared with the patients that were given the tPA drug within a three hour window, trial patients that received the drug up to four and half hours after an ischemic stroke were equally as likely to suffer symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhages and had no increased risk of death. However, authors of the study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, still stress the importance of treating a stroke as soon as symptoms arise.

At this point in time, tPA is the only drug approved for treating ischemic strokes, though its use for treatment is currently only allowed within the three hour window. This new study, however, may expand that window to include up to four and a half hours, though more extensive research is still needed before approval. In another study published in The Lancet, conclusions from the Safe Implementation of Treatments in Stroke International Stroke Thrombolysis Registry provided additional evidence that there is no substantial difference between treating ischemic stroke before the three hour limit and treating within the three to four and a half hours window. If the approved window of time was increased from three hours to four and a half hours, doctors would be able to help a larger percentage of patients who have suffered a stroke.

The European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study 3 was a causal trial which used both the intravenous tPA drug and a placebo, a substance with no pharmacological effect. Researchers utilized 821 stroke patients that arrived for treatment three to four and half hours after stroke symptoms were first experienced. Ten percent of those patients were treated between three and three and a half hours, 50 percent between 3 and a half and four hours, and 40 percent between four and four and a half hours. The study concluded that a greater number of patients had a positive outcome after ninety days when treated with the tPA drug rather than the placebo. Further research is still required before doctors will be permitted to treat ischemic stroke patients with tPA beyond the three hour window, though the most recent study results point in that direction.

If you or a loved one has questions about the quality of the medical care you received please call Silberstein, Awad & Miklos' medical malpractice attorneys for answers. Together we will continue our fight against FRIVOLOUS DEFENSES and DECEPTIVE DEFENSES.

Call Toll-free 1- 877- ASK 4 SAM

Joseph Miklos
Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C.
600 Old Country Road
Garden City, New York 11530
www.ask4sam.net