NEW YORK, April 26 /PRNewswire/ — National Stroke Association and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (BIPI) have come together to announce the launch of Second Chances, a new research study designed to shed light on the devastating burden of stroke survivorship. There are more than five million stroke survivors in the United States(1), a number that is expected to increase dramatically as our population ages. The Second Chances Study has been undertaken to better understand the challenges that these patients must overcome to reclaim their lives after suffering a stroke.
“More than 160,000 Americans are killed by stroke each year, but an additional 500,000 suffer a stroke and survive(2) and recovering from a stroke is a lifelong journey,” said Diane Mulligan-Fairfield, Vice President, Communications, National Stroke Association. “Surviving a stroke is the number one risk factor for a second stroke. One of the goals for the Second Chances Study is to promote more effective prevention, especially for individuals most at risk, as well as their families and caregivers.”
The Second Chances Study seeks to quantify and characterize the burden associated with life after stroke across a broad range of traditional risk factors and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) criteria. The study will be conducted by the Center on Outcomes, Research, and Education (CORE) at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, a national leader in the application of clinical research to improve patient care and influence policy, in partnership with researchers at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), ranked since 1991 as the “#1 Rehabilitation Hospital in America” by U.S. News and World Report.
Researchers from these institutions will analyze HRQOL data from an extensive database. Since December 1993, researchers at RIC have maintained a registry of approximately 2,000 patients who have suffered a previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). As part of the Second Chances initiative, former patients from this registry will be invited to participate in an interview and to complete a series of questionnaires that assess patients’ medical care, functional status, and aspects of their health-related quality of life. The resulting image of stroke survivorship will add context and nuance to our understanding of life after stroke. “There are more stroke survivors in the U.S. today than ever before,” said Dr. David Cella, Director, CORE, lead researcher, the Second Chances Study. “We believe more effective rehabilitation and treatment options for stroke survivors will emerge from better understanding the quality of life impact after stroke.”
To spread the word about this exciting new research initiative, Boehringer Ingelheim and National Stroke Association will conduct a panel discussion about the Second Chances Study and about the larger issue of life after stroke this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in the Rendezvous Room of the Hilton New York Hotel. The panel discussion will be moderated by Mark McEwen, former co-host of the CBS Early Show who suffered a near-fatal stroke in November 2005.
“I am excited to partner with Boehringer Ingelheim, RIC, CORE and National Stroke Association on the Second Chances Study,” said McEwen. “As a stroke survivor myself, I know full well how devastating stroke can be. I hope that by sharing my story I can inspire others to know their stroke risks and take necessary steps to reduce them.”
McEwen will moderate a multidisciplinary panel discussion featuring a range of attitudes and perceptions associated with stroke survivorship: professionals, patients, caregivers, third-party organizations and industry. The discussion will include a review of issues related to stroke survivorship and a presentation of the Second Chances Study protocol, as well as an audience Q&A.
For more information about the Second Chances Study and panel discussion, log on to www.SecondChancesStudy.com. Second Chances is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.