Stroke

It's been close to 10 years since Chicago soul/funk legend Syl Johnson played L.A. on or off camera. "I did 'Soul Train' and 'American Bandstand' out there," said the singer and guitarist, whose 1967 hit, "Different Strokes" (with its signature grunts and laughs), was a calling card of sorts for Johnson. "I used to love L.A. " After slipping into near obscurity in the 1980s, though, the seventysomething Johnson (who prefers not to give his age) came to L.A. only on rare occasions, usually to play the less-flashy blues circuit.

A surgery that seemed like an obvious way to prevent additional strokes in people who already had a first stroke is actually no better than therapy based on drugs alone, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. The surgery in question is called extracranial-intracrannial arterial bypass surgery . It was designed to improve blood flow in the internal carotid artery, one of the main sources feeding the brain. In the procedure, doctors attach a new vessel to route blood around a blockage in the artery that could otherwise lead to a stroke.

For those lucky enough to have the first signs of a stroke recognized by friends or family, things often get very quiet very quickly as 911 calls are made, gurneys are wheeled in and tests are conducted. University of California Irvine neuroscientist Ron D. Frostig says that if rats are any guide to human health (and they often are the starting point for new treatments), stroke victims might do a lot better with a quick dose of stimulation instead. At his lab, Frostig had long noticed that a rich sensory environment appeared to make rats not only happier but much healthier.

If you're an adult shuttling this holiday between the homes of divorced parents -- or just remembering that hectic obligation from earlier days -- here's some news about as welcome as spoiled eggnog: Your parents' breakup all those years ago may mean you are at higher risk of stroke. Among 13,000 participants in the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey, respondents who said their parents had divorced when they were young were 2.2 times as likely as those who grew up in intact families to report they had suffered a stroke at some point in their lives.

After five decades as the third-leading cause of death in the United States, stroke slipped to fourth place in 2008, edged out by chronic lower respiratory disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Preliminary figures for 2008 also showed that life expectancy slipped slightly in 2008, declining from 77.9 years in 2007 to 77.8 in 2008. Heart disease and cancer remained the two leading causes of death, accounting for 48% of all deaths. In fifth through 10th places were accidents, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, influenza/pneumonia, kidney diseases, and septicemia.

Justin Rose beat European Ryder Cup teammate Lee Westwood by a stroke Friday to win the eight-player World Golf Final in Belek, Turkey, and earn a career-best $1.5 million. The fifth-ranked Rose shot a five-under 66 in the all-English final at the Antalya Club to finish 5-0 in the $5.2-million event. Rose birdied the opening hole on the Sultan Course and led the rest of the way against the fourth-ranked Westwood, who earned $1 million. :: John Mallinger opened a four-stroke lead in the Frys.com Open at San Martin, Calif., making an eagle and two birdies on the final four holes for a nine-under 62. Mallinger eagled the par-five 15th and closed with consecutive birdies to cap his second straight bogey-free round and reach 14 under.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois has released a video showing him walking with the help of a cane and a harness as he talks about his rehabilitation since suffering a stroke in January. "I'm walking again," the Republican says, seated before a camera as he narrates a three-minute video showing him walking with a cane and on a hospital treadmill while fitted in a harness. At times he speaks haltingly, and the video shows him struggling to move his left side. Kirk was released last week from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and is continuing treatment there as an outpatient.

Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. Frankie Muniz isn't sure why he suffered a mini-stroke last Friday, but he knows one thing: It's good to be alive. "I'm still trying to make sense of it," the "Malcolm in the Middle" actor-turned-drummer told "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, "but happy that I'm alive. " PHOTOS: Celebrity portraits by the Times The incident - caused by lapses in blood flow to the brain - occurred after a morning workout in his Phoenix hometown, while he was riding on his motorcycle over to his fiancee's home, he told People on Tuesday.

Retired Bishop Carroll T. Dozier, 74, suffered a stroke and was in critical condition on Friday, Roman Catholic Church officials said.

Retired Adm. Hyman G. Rickover was reported in stable condition at Bethesda Naval Hospital, where he is recovering from a stroke. Lt. David Morris, a Navy spokesman, confirmed that Rickover, 85, had suffered a stroke. Rickover was admitted July 4 in serious condition, but his condition has improved to stable, said Lt. Charles Updegrove, a spokesman at the hospital, which is just outside Washington. Rickover, known as the "father of the nuclear Navy," retired in 1982.