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Second Chances Study to Explore Life After Stroke

Posted on: Thursday, 26 April 2007, 12:12 CDT

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 http://www.secondchancesstudy.com/. Second Chances is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

About Stroke

Stroke is the third-leading cause of death and a leading cause of chronic adult disability in the United States. Nearly 750,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year, and approximately one-third of these events are recurrent episodes.(3) A stroke is sometimes thought of as a "brain attack," and occurs when blood vessels carrying oxygen and other nutrients to a specific area of the brain become blocked or suddenly burst. This interrupts blood flow to the brain and prevents oxygen from reaching vital areas, resulting in impairment or loss of abilities or functions.(4)

About National Stroke Association

National Stroke Association is the leading national non-profit organization devoting all its efforts and resources to stroke. National Stroke Association provides the most up-to-date information on prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and support for stroke survivors and their families. For more information on National Stroke Association and its programs please contact 1- 800-STROKES or visit http://www.stroke.org/.

About CORE

The Center on Outcomes, Research and Education (CORE) is the locus for outcomes management and outcomes research at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare. CORE bridges clinical activity and outcomes research at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare through quality improvement/continuity of care and the Research Institute. CORE has established itself as a national leader in the application of clinical research to improve patient care and influence policy. Its research on outcomes and effectiveness evaluates how various treatment strategies affect results important to patients, including quality of life. This stimulates higher quality healthcare at a reasonable cost and creates multiple opportunities for extramurally-funded outcomes research. For more information please visit http://www.enh.org/core/.

About RIC

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is dedicated to helping people with all levels and types of physical disabilities live fulfilling lives. U.S. News & World Report has ranked RIC the "#1 Rehabilitation Hospital in America" every year since 1991. RIC operates a flagship hospital in Chicago as well as a network of DayRehabCenters and outpatient centers located throughout the city and surrounding suburbs. It also maintains strategic alliances with other healthcare providers throughout the state of Illinois and north central Indiana. For more information please visit http://www.ric.org/.

About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT, is the largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation (Ridgefield, CT) and a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies.

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 137 affiliates in 47 countries and approximately 38,400 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

In 2006, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of US $13.3 billion (10.6 billion euro) while spending approximately one-fifth of net sales in its largest business segment, Prescription Medicines, on research and development.

For more information, please visit http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com/.

(1) American Heart Association and American Stroke Association: Know the Facts, Get the Stats. 2007. Found at: http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/116861545709855- 1041%20KnowTheFactsStats07_loRes.pdf

(2) American Heart Association and American Stroke Association: Know the Facts, Get the Stats. 2007. Found at: http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/116861545709855- 1041%20KnowTheFactsStats07_loRes.pdf

(3) American Stroke Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: 2007 Update. Found at: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/115/5/e69

(4) American Stroke Association. What is Stroke? American Heart Association, 2005. Found at: http://www.strokeassociation.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3030066

Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CONTACT: Kelly Hogan of GCI Group, +1-212-537-8252,kshogan@gcigroup.com

Web site: http://www.secondchancesstudy.com/http://www.stroke.org/http://www.enh.org/corehttp://www.ric.org/http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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