Stroke kills about 140,000 Americans each year—that’s 1 out of every 20 deaths.
Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every 4 minutes, someone dies of stroke
Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and diabetes are leading causes of stroke.
Stroke costs the United States an estimated $34 billion each year.
Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off. Without blood brain cells can be damaged or die, this can have different effects, depending on where in the brain it happens.
Stroke kills about 140,000 Americans each year—that’s 1 out of every 20 deaths.* And somewhere in the United States someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, meaning that every year more than 795,000 people have a stroke and about 610,000 of these are first or new strokes.
There are two main causes of strokes: ischaemic – where the blood supply is stopped because of a blood clot (in the US this accounts for around 87% of all strokes) and haemorrhagic – where a weakened blood vessel supplying the brain bursts.
The effects of a stroke depend on where it takes place in the brain, and how big the damaged area is, and the effect of a stroke can be varied, from weakness in arms and legs and problems with speaking, understanding, reading and writing to swallowing problems, vision problems, and pain and headaches.
Research into Stem Cell Treatment for Strokes
However, increasingly scientists are recognising the roles that stem cells might play in treating stroke victims and to support recovery.
A recent study carried out at Stanford University School of Medicine, concluded that;
“Injecting modified, human, adult stem cells directly into the brains of chronic stroke patients proved not only safe but effective in restoring motor function,” according to the findings of a small clinical trial led by Stanford University School of Medicine investigators.
These findings were supported by a global study published in The Lancet Neurology in 2017, which reported new data from a phase II clinical trial that demonstrated stem cell treatment can be effective up to 48 hours after the onset of stroke.
“If these results are confirmed, this would really open up the number of patients who would be able to receive treatment for their strokes,” said study co-author Wayne Clark, M.D., a professor of neurology in the OHSU School of Medicine and director of the OHSU Stroke Program.
Whilst these studies remain small and scientists are cautious, many agree that huge potential lies in this field, and with more studies and clinical trials proposed, and others still being conducted, the full extent of the opportunity that stem cell therapy might present to stroke victims remains to be uncovered.
Protecting Your Child’s Future Health
The best stem cells are young stem cells, before they can deteriorate through age or pollution. That’s why it’s advisable to bank stem cells whilst they are in their prime, at the best they will ever be – at the youngest age possible.
As children naturally lose around 12 teeth over a five-year period, the process of obtaining viable stem cells for future treatment for conditions, such as diabetes, is non-invasive. It’s also the most cost effective way to ensure cells are banked and ready for when they may need to be used in the future.
If you want more information on how you could bank your children’s baby teeth for potential future therapeutic use, have a chat to one of our team or download our guide to stem cell banking.
To keep up to date with the latest developments in stem cell therapy and the treatment of diabetes, make sure to check back regularly to our blog. Read our latest news article on stem cell therapy developments for strokes here.
