Stroke Severity May
Be Reduced By Three Drug Combo - Aspirin + Cholesterol Lowering Drugs
Statins + Blood Pressure Drugs
April 25th 2006
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New research shows that the combination of aspirin, cholesterol lowering
drugs and drugs to treat high blood pressure lowered the severity of a
stroke, compared to just taking one, two or none of the drugs. The
amount of initial brain cell damage was roughly the same, but the amount
of brain cells that were still at risk of damage at the time of hospital
admission was smaller among those taking all three drugs.
The researchers looked at 179 people who came to the hospital within a
24 hour period that had a stroke. They compared how much brain cell
damage was caused by the stroke with other factors. They divided the
patients into five groups. There were 69 people who were taking none of
the three drugs; 47 people were taking aspirin only; 29 were taking
aspirin and ACE inhibitors, or blood pressure drugs; 14 were taking
aspirin and statins, or cholesterol-lowering drugs; and 20 people were
taking all three drugs.
The researchers believe that the lack of normal blood flow to brain
cells sets off a chain reaction. According to the study “Brain cells in
a progressively larger area are endangered as blood flow is reduced.
Quick medical treatment is the best chance to save this region of brain
cells, called the penumbra.”
It is possible that the three drugs work together. Dr. Magdy Selim, MD
said “It's possible that these three drugs work synergistically to
reduce the amount of brain tissue that is damaged in the penumbra by
improving blood flow. These results need to be confirmed before this
triple therapy would be recommended for all people at risk for stroke,
but they are intriguing. These three drugs are commonly prescribed and
well-tolerated, and could potentially have a protective effect on the
brain after a stroke." Selim is the author, neurologist and Harvard
Medical School and Co-Director of the Stroke Center of Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Earlier studies may really revolutionize the way we treat strokes.
Scientists from the Universities of Heidelberg and Ulm, have found that
blocking a protein may prevent
damage to brain cells. Also, researchers from John Hopkins
found that a chemical called prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) actually causes
brain damage during a stroke.
By blocking a key cell receptor may
also stop cell damage during a stroke. The goal is to stop
brain cell death. Both avenues show promise.
By Dan Wilson
Best Syndication
Stroke Treatment Books
Keywords and misspellings: stroak strok prevention
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