New Drug Combo May Protect
Against Stroke Damage

By Sally Finder-Koziol

Research has uncovered a promising method to protect the brain from devastating effects of strokes. A combination of aspirin, cholesterol medication, and blood pressure drugs, taken to prevent strokes, also can reduce the severity of a stroke if one occurs, according to a new study.

“It’s possible that these three drugs work synergistically to reduce the amount of brain tissue that is damaged by improving blood flow,” says study author and neurologist Magdy Selim, M.D., of Harvard Medical School. “These three drugs are commonly prescribed and well-tolerated, and could potentially have a protective effect on the brain after a stroke.”

The study found that people who were taking all three drugs had less severe strokes and shorter hospital stays and that they were better able to function when leaving the hospital than those who were taking one, two, or none of the drugs.

Source: Neurology