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Mike Garrow | David DansereauUnderstanding PFO and Its Impact on Stroke Risk

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1. Understanding PFO and Its Impact on Stroke Risk Mike Garrow | David Dansereau 1:21:37

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Episode 81: Managing PFO after Stroke: A discussion on diagnosis, treatment options including the patient perspectives and quality of life decisions with David Thaler,MD of Tufts Medical Center.

This conversation in collaboration with the SAYA Consortium explores the relationship between patent foramen ovale (PFO) and stroke, particularly in young adults. Our expert guest, Dr. David Thaler, a vascular neurologist with Tufts Medical Center, discusses the definition of PFO, its diagnosis, and its implications for stroke risk. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding cryptogenic strokes, which often have no identifiable cause, the PFO paradox and how a PFO is often discovered with cryptogenic strokes, the diagnostic tests and the management options available for patients with PFO. The conversation emphasizes the need for patient Education and awareness regarding stroke risks and prevention strategies. In this conversation, Dr. Thaler discusses the implications of PFO closure in recurrent stroke prevention, medical management and the importance of patient choice and quality of life, plus the outcomes of the RESPECT Trial. Co-host David Dansereau shares his patient experience as a stroke survivor with PFO who elected for device closure.  The dialogue highlights the evolving landscape of PFO research and the significance of understanding individual patient risks and Lifestyle choices.

Show mentions:  Lester Leung,MD,  Katelyn Skeels, SAYA Consortium, RESPECT Trial , Co-Host David's Book Closure

Thanks to: Rory Polera (guest on Ep.69), stroke survivor and interview outline reviewer with SAYA Consortium

Additional Education: What You Should Know About PFO, This episode will be

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Show credits:
Music intro credit to Jake Dansereau. Our intro welcome is the voice of Caroline Goggin, a stroke survivor and our first podcast guest! Please listen to her inspiring story on Episode 2 of the podcast.

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David Dansereau Know Stroke Podcast

The Know Stroke Podcast is presented by co-hosts Mike Garrow (stroke caregiver) & David Dansereau (stroke survivor). Listen back to Episode 1 of the podcast to hear our personal stories of how stroke impacted our lives and sparked a mission to amplify the voices, contributions, and achievements of change makers in stroke care.

Our Mission: Empowering stroke survivors and their care teams to take control of life after stroke.

Co-Hosts Profiles:
David Dansereau is a stroke survivor and the founder of Know-Stroke.org - a community for patients with stroke and PFO. His story was featured in the NY Times.
A licensed physical therapist, nutritionist, and clinical PT consultant, David has a keen interest to explore the intersection of stroke rehabilitation and digital therapeutics to expand the reach of post stroke therapy and improve patient outcomes. He is a CAPS (Certified Aging in Place) certified specialist and is the founder of SmartMovesPT a digital health and rehab tech consulting company based in Rhode Island.
David is also an Amazon best selling author with the publication of his preventive medicine book, Body in Balance.
Michael Garrow grew up as a caregiver for his mother who had a stroke at age 28. He earned his graduate degree from Griffith College Dublin and spent the early stage of his career in Dublin, Ireland working in the health tech space as a market research analyst and then moving into a wellness start-up. Michael currently resides in NYC working as a Senior Digital Product Manger with CVS Health.