Patient Information

Help solve a medical mystery
Medical evidence indicates that a common heart defect called a patent foramen ovale (PFO) could contribute to cryptogenic strokes. A PFO is a small opening between the upper chambers of the heart that occurs in nearly a quarter of the population.¹ Researchers suspect that closing this hole in the heart could decrease or even eliminate the risk of stroke for people with PFOs.

Still, it remains unclear what role, if any, PFO plays in stroke and what type of treatment is best for cryptogenic stroke patients. Clinical trials can help solve this medical mystery. The RESPECT Trial is investigating whether or not PFO closure is better than having people take certain types of blood-thinning medications.

The RESPECT Trial is recruiting survivors of cryptogenic stroke who have been diagnosed with a PFO to determine whether the two medical conditions are linked. Participants in this clinical trial will help physicians and the public better understand cryptogenic stroke, and advance potentially life-saving therapies.

Links:
Learn more about the RESPECT Trial
Learn more about the importance of clinical trials

¹ Hagen, P. et al: Incidence and Size of Patent Foramen Ovale During the First
   10 Decades of Life: An Autopsy Study of 965 Normal Hearts. Mayo Clinic
   Proc. 59, 1984