June 26, 2019 – Wake up Stroke

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Anchor lead: Strokes may be treated within a longer time window, Elizabeth Tracey reports

Strokes caused by clots in the brain may now be treated with clot dissolving drugs within about 9 hours, a new study suggests, as long as brain imaging shows there’s tissue that may benefit. Rebecca Gottesman, a stroke expert at Johns Hopkins, describes the findings.

Gottesman: This study suggested that if people have a mismatch between the dead brain tissue where the stroke occurs, and an area surrounding it which is at risk, then there’s tissue at risk that’s potentially salvageable brain tissue that we want to try to save. Those people that have that mismatch would be people who got TPA up to nine hours in this study. And what they found is in their primary analysis when they adjust and they consider age and level of stroke severity, they did see a difference with a greater benefit in people who had TPA than in people who didn’t.   :30

Gottesman says this study attempted to address those who may go to bed and wake up with stroke symptoms, and therefore don’t know how long ago such symptoms may have developed. She says anyone with symptoms of a stroke should seek help immediately. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.