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Fast, Effective Stroke Treatment
Reviewed By:
Louise Chang,
SOURCES: This Video is from the WebMD Video Archive. 2006 Medical Reference from Medstar Television. Curtis Benesch, MD, PhD, Stroke Neurologist, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. Interview, August 31, 2005. Berislav Zlokovic, MD, PhD, Neuroscientist, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. Interview, August 31, 2005.
© 1999-2011 Medstar Television
Narrator:
Eileen Hellems (EYE-leen HELL-ems) doesn't remember having a stroke. Her friend told her what happened. She suffered the brain attack while hosting a dinner party.
Eileen Hellems :
I guess my eyes got glassy, my lip turned, and um, I guess my left arm dropped. And she came over and said I think she's having a stroke.
Narrator:
Eileen had a blood clot in the brain, the most common type of stroke. She was rushed to the hospital and treated quickly with the intravenous clot-dissolving drug T-P-A.
Eileen Hellems:
I have been very blessed. All I have is a weakened left side.
Narrator:
Eileen is one of the lucky few to get T-P-A. Doctors are reluctant to use it because it increases the risk of bleeding in the brain and MUST be given within three hours of the first symptoms.
Curtis Benesch, M.D., Ph.D. :
It passes very, very quickly. A lot has to happen within those first three hours.
Narrator:
Scientists at the University of Rochester are studying a drug that may prevent stroke damage in a different way.
It's called Activated Protein C, or A-P-C, and it is a form of a natural protein that dissolves blood clots. Laboratory studies found it does a lot more.
Berislav Zlokovic, M.D., Ph.D.:
Compounded was originally thought to be just anticoagulant then is proven to have some strong anti-inflammatory functions, and then we were adding to it, it has cell protective functions.
Narrator:
Its ability to keep brain cells from dying may be the key to reducing stroke's devastating effects.
Curtis Benesch, M.D., Ph.D.:
The goal would be to provide patients with a drug like APC that could potentially salvage some of those cells that have been injured.
Narrator:
Plus, it may expand the treatment window beyond three hours.
Berislav Zlokovic, M.D., Ph.D.:
We do ultimately hope that APC could be given um, more than after four hours, probably nine hours within nine hours, eventually within twelve hours.
Narrator:
But A-P-C has a long way to go. It has to be tested in people and many promising stroke drugs have failed in human trials.
Curtis Benesch, M.D., Ph.D.:
We really are desperate to find other means of treating patients who come in with an acute stroke.
Narrator:
Until then, preventing stroke and getting immediate treatment are the best ways to stay healthy. For WebMD I'm Damon Meharg.
