Ischemic stroke, which involves a blockage of blood flow to a portion of the brain, can be treated in some patients during the first three hours of an attack, using thrombolytic drugs such as tPA, which destroys harmful blood clots. In addition, FDA-approved clinical trials are currently underway for neuroprotective drugs that have shown the ability to reduce the number of brain cells destroyed in a stroke. Hemorrhagic stroke, which involves the bursting of a blood vessel in or near the brain, is treated using different therapies. In the past, many of these high-risk aneurysms were inoperable. Advances in neuroradiology now make treatment possible.
Many factors contribute to an individual's predisposition to stroke.
Through the Neurosciences Center's Preventative Cardiology Program, patients are evaluated and treated for risk factors associated with stroke and heart disease. The program is directed by specialists who use diet, medical management, and exercise to help patients achieve lower cholesterol counts, lose weight, and control their blood pressure. In addition, the Medical College's Department of Neurology is actively involved in clinical trials including drugs to minimize the long-term effects of stroke and others to reduce the probability of another stroke occurring. And high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke by four to six times. Most people can control their high blood pressure through diet, weight loss, exercise, or medication.