Patients treated with a clot-busting drug within hours of having a stroke have a better chance of long-lasting recovery, according to research.
Those given the drug rt-PA within six hours of suffering a stroke were more likely to have an improved quality of life than those who were not, the international study led by Edinburgh University discovered.
The trial involving more than 3,000 patients found that 18 months after taking the drug, more people could look after themselves.
People who took rt-PA had better mobility and experienced less pain and discomfort than those who did not, the researchers say. The treatment is also said to have cut the number of patients who needed help from other people, from 51% to 43%.
Chief investigator Professor Peter Sandercock said: “The trial team is delighted that, even for the elderly, rt-PA significantly improves life after stroke in the longer term.
“Our results underline the benefits of treating patients with the drug as soon as possible and justify extending treatment to those aged 80 and over.”
The drug is given intravenously to patients who have suffered ischaemic stroke, caused by a clot in the brain’s blood supply.
The benefits of rt-PA are said to come at a price because the drug can cause a secondary bleed in the brain, leading to a risk of death within seven days.
But stroke experts argue that without it, a third of people who suffer a stroke die and another third are left permanently dependent and disabled.