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26 April 2006
Triple Therapy Key To Avoiding Strokes 
What doctors call the "triple therapy" of aspirin, cholesterol drugs and blood pressure drugs to prevent stroke, also reduces stroke severity if it does occur, says a new study in the journal Neurology. The researchers found that people who were taking all three drugs had less severe strokes, had shorter hospital stays, and were better able to return to normal life than those who were taking only one or two of the three drugs. The study examined people admitted to hospital after having a stroke and analyzed how severe the strokes were, how much brain cell damage was caused by the stroke, and other factors. The study found that even though the amount of initial brain cell damage was roughly equal in all subjects, 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. Additionally, the participants taking all three drugs stayed in the hospital for an average of six days, compared to seven days for those taking aspirin only and nine days for those taking none of the drugs. The researchers speculate that the three drugs work synergistically to improve blood flow and reduce the amount of brain tissue that is damaged. "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," said Harvard neurologist Magdy Selim. Source: American Academy of Neurology
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