Could you please introduce yourself and tell us about your background, as well as your role at CERENOVUS?
I am a physician and scientist who has practiced as an interventional neuroradiologist and endovascular neurosurgeon for more than 20 years in several European countries. Currently, at CERENOVUS, I am the Head of Global Medical Affairs. CERENOVUS, part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, is an emerging leader in neurovascular care and is focused on providing solutions used in this area.
CERENOVUS is a world leader in neurovascular care. Can you tell us more about your main mission?
Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide. At CERENOVUS, we push the boundaries of what’s possible in stroke care to deliver on our promise to change the trajectory of stroke. This commitment is inspired by our long heritage and dedication to protecting patients from stroke-related disabilities, and we offer a broad portfolio of devices used in the endovascular treatment of hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke so that patients can return to their fully functional life.
Strokes occur when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. Can you tell us more about why a stroke happens and what happens to brain cells when the blood supply is cut off?
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a clot or bursts. Therefore, there are two types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic.
Ischemic strokes, which are the most common and account for 87% of all cases, occur when a blood clot travels to a vessel in the brain and cuts off the blood supply. This prevents brain tissue from receiving oxygen and nutrients, and brain cells can begin to die within minutes.
The other type of stroke, hemorrhagic, is often less common than ischemic strokes, but can be more serious. These types of stroke are caused by a burst brain aneurysm or rupture of weakened blood vessels.
Through better public awareness, we can reduce the burden of stroke. What are some of the signs of stroke that people should watch out for?
The best way to remember the signs and symptoms of stroke is the acronym FAST:
F – Face drop
A – Arm weakness or difficulty raising one or both arms
S – Difficulty speaking or confusion
T – Time to call for emergency help
If you suspect that you or someone else is having a stroke, it is critical to seek emergency care immediately. Those of us in the neurovascular field often say that “time is brain,” meaning that the longer it goes without treatment, the more brain cells die, impeding the chances of recovery or survival. Acting FAST at the first signs of stroke symptoms can help patients get the timely treatments they need not only to survive, but to recover and lead fully functional lives.
But patients shouldn’t just be aware of the signs and symptoms of stroke. It is important to note that communities of color are disproportionately affected by stroke, often suffer from pre-existing conditions that increase stroke risk, and have poorer experiences when it comes to timely treatment and access to stroke care. At CERENOVUS, we are working to address these disparities in stroke care by educating patients about the healthy lifestyle choices they can make to reduce their risk of stroke, helping to build trust in healthcare systems, and improving preparedness for the facilities so that stroke patients can be quickly identified and chosen.
All of these factors together, quickly recognizing the signs and symptoms of stroke, understanding the importance of timely medical care, and taking healthy steps to reduce your risk of stroke, are important messages that everyone should know.
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Many cases of stroke can be prevented. What are some of the risk factors for stroke and how do you think people can reduce their individual risk of stroke?
Up to 90% of strokes can be prevented. One of the easiest ways to reduce your risk of stroke is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This includes managing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and atrial fibrillation (AFib), as well as stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
According to the World Stroke Organization, 1 in 4 of us will have a stroke in our lifetime. Can you tell us more about how strokes are treated?
The two types of stroke are treated differently. In ischemic stroke caused by blood clots, a procedure called mechanical thrombectomy (MT), which uses a catheter threaded into the femoral or radial artery to remove a clot from a patient’s artery into the brain, has been shown to success with more than half of the patients. treated to regain functional independence.
The sooner MT is performed, and how quickly the clot can be removed in the number of passes performed, the greater the likelihood of success. When MT achieves substantial or excellent “reperfusion,” or restoration of blood flow to the brain, from the first step, patients experience the greatest benefits. At CERENOVUS, we have created the CERENOVUS Stroke Solutions™ portfolio, which provides a comprehensive and integrated set of devices to assist physicians in mechanical thrombectomy procedures. Developed through strong research and clinical insights, the CERENOVUS portfolio is designed to address real-world scenarios that clinicians may face.
For hemorrhagic strokes, treatment options may include interventional procedures to stop the bleeding. CERENOVUS offers a suite of products to treat aneurysms and vascular anomalies that are also based on research and expertise, including coil coils, stents and vascular reconstruction devices.
Image credit: Piyaphat_Detbun/Shutterstock
How can life be affected after a stroke? Can you tell us more about some of the extensive disabilities that stroke survivors can experience?
Strokes can have life-altering outcomes. The main disability that results from a stroke is paralysis or motor control. Strokes can also cause sensory disturbances, such as the inability to sense temperature, touch, position or pain. Sensory deficits can affect the ability to recognize objects and can lead to the inability to recognize even one’s own limbs. These sensory disturbances can lead to chronic pain that affects the ability to function.
However, it is not only physical disabilities that result from a stroke. One in four stroke victims will suffer from aphasia, which is a problem understanding or using language. This could affect one’s ability to convey thoughts through writing and words, often leading to frustration and emotional upheaval. Depression is also not uncommon in patients after a stroke. So while changes in physical ability can be recognized more immediately, the mental health aspects of having a stroke are also important to identify and treat.
The theme for World Stroke Day 2022 is “Save precious #time”. What does this issue mean to you and why is timely access to quality stroke care so critical?
I think this year’s theme is apt because when it comes to stroke, time is precious. The longer a stroke goes untreated, the more likely patients are to suffer long-term disability or even death.
For every minute someone has a stroke, an estimated 1.9 million brain cells are lost. So, because time equals brain cells, the faster a person can be treated for a stroke, the more likely that person’s brain will recover, and thus the function of their arms, legs , speech or the ability to think.
What do you think are the main benefits of social media campaigns and awareness events like World Stroke Day? Do you hope that through these awareness campaigns the signs of a stroke will be recognized earlier and treatment will be accessed sooner?
Stroke is extremely dangerous and unfortunately quite common; as I mentioned, it is the second leading cause of death worldwide. It’s so common, in fact, that someone has a stroke every 40 seconds and 13.7 million people experience their first stroke each year. Quick response and treatment when a stroke occurs makes a big difference in recovery and can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. This makes awareness opportunities such as World Stroke Day and other social media campaigns critical to sharing information. I believe that by increasing education about the signs, symptoms and risk factors of stroke, we can make a huge difference as a more aware and informed public can take action and help save lives.
But it’s not just social media campaigns that are making a difference. Advocacy organizations like Get Ahead of Stroke and MT2020+, and their partnership with industry leaders like CERENOVUS, are working not just to create public awareness, but to drive real change. These efforts have resulted in updated EMS triage and transport protocols for stroke patients in the US, and increased access to mechanical thrombectomy procedures worldwide.
Image credit: Puwadol Jaturawutthichai/Shutterstock
What are the next steps for you and CERENOVUS?
As I mentioned earlier, we are committed to changing the trajectory of stroke so that patients can get back to their lives. This means we are extremely focused on ongoing research and development so we can provide clinicians with the tools they need to address unmet clinical needs.
Developed through strong research and clinical insights, the CERENOVUS portfolio is designed to address real-world scenarios that clinicians may face. The ischemic portfolio, in particular, is informed by the CERENOVUS Neuro Thromboembolic Initiative (NTI). NTI has a deep understanding of various types of clots and is uniquely positioned to use knowledge from scientific studies to create innovative ischemic products…