title: Stroke and age-brain barrier: how many bricks in the wall?
abstract: Although older people contribute more and more to the increasing social burden of stroke, they are often excluded from potentially effective treatments in clinical practice. With the aim to separate myth from reality, we have examined the barriers preventing such therapies (with reference to atrial fibrillation, thrombolysis, carotid stenosis and patent foramen ovale) in the elderly. We conclude that elevated age alone should not be considered an exclusion criterion and both stroke physicians and researchers should make efforts to greatly improve management of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Clinic of Neurology, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiti
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giorli
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gallerini
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orlandi
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D054092:Foramen Ovale, Patent / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods