Cuenca / Barcelona (pte/14.04.2010/10: 00) - A tropical parasitic disease is increasingly becoming a cause of stroke. About 18 million people worldwide suffer from Chagas disease, caused by infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Francisco Javier Carod-Artal from the Hospital Virgen de la Luz http://www.hvluz.es and Quim Gascon of the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona http://www.hospitalclinic.org have now demonstrated that this disease the risk of stroke due to complications increases in heart and blood clots.
The researchers warn in the Lancet Neurology that arises from this disease a continuously increasing but not perceived risk. Responsible for this was especially the increasing age of the population.
Chagas disease is epidemic in Latin America. Due to the emigration of millions of people to Europe, North America, Japan and Australia in the last 20 years, this disease has become in these countries at a serious health problem. One study according to the BBC expects that more than 300,000 immigrants from Latin America who are suffering from Chagas' disease could live in America. Another problem, according to scientists who know that many of those infected do not realize that they are affected.
Half of Chagas patients without a diagnosis
Francisco Javier Carod-Artal said that according to one study, almost half of Chagas patients who were treated after a stroke, did not have a corresponding diagnosis. Both scientists are demanding that stroke patients should be examined in the affected countries. Doctors and the public should be informed that this disease increases the risk of stroke. Clinical studies are needed to verify whether the blood-clotting drugs that inhibit could prevent strokes. (End)
 Released by: New Scientist Editor: Michaela Monschein email: monschein@pressetext.com Tel +43-1-81140-0 |
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