Dr. Ron Blankstein

Stroke Treatments – Amazing New Research



Posted: Tuesday, May 04, 2010

by Dr. Ron Blankstein
Chesapeake Nutraceuticals

Prompt stroke treatments are vital since brain damage can begin within minutes. But new research may lead to therapies that restore brain and body function well after the stroke has occurred. It could open a whole new world of stroke treatments.

A stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain gets blocked or bursts. Deprived of blood supply which carries oxygen the affected area of the brain starts to die. And the part of the body controlled by that area of the brain won't work right.

That's why you should know the signs of a stroke and act as quickly as possible if you notice them in yourself or someone around you.

Warning Signs of a Stroke

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US, yet 40% of people cannot name even one of the warning signs of a stroke.(1) Just being familiar with stroke symptoms can make a huge difference in the outcome.

A stroke can cause:

I can't stress enough how important it is to know and recognize these stroke symptoms.

Stroke occurs in over 700,000 people per year in the United States that's one person every 45 seconds. Over the course of a lifetime, four out of five families are affected.(3)

The Future of Stroke Treatments

New studies have come out of the University of California that may improve and extend the scope of current stroke treatments. Presently, some treatments are only effective in the first few hours after a stroke has happened. And no drugs can help after several days.

But researcher Magda Guerra-Crespo has discovered that a small protein called transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha) can repair damage long after the stroke has occurred. TGF alpha has been studied in connection with other organs, but never with stroke and the brain until now.

Studies were conducted on rats, which exhibit stroke damage much like humans do by losing limb function on one side of the body.

Healthy rats, when put into a cylinder, will jump up with both front legs. Rats that have had a stroke will use just one leg, favoring their weak side. When walking, the injured rats will move toward their good side.

For the trial, rats were injected with TGF alpha about a month after having a stroke equal to about a year in humans. A month later they were hopping up in the cylinder with both legs and not favoring one side when walking. The TGF alpha rats regained 99% of lost movement compared to the untreated rats, who improved by only 30%.

Senior co-author of the study, James Fallon said, "Now we have evidence there may be therapies that can repair damage to a significant degree long after the stroke. It's a completely unexpected and remarkable finding, and it's worth trying in humans."(4)

Brain Regeneration

TGF alpha appears to stimulate neuron growth in the brain. It caused stem cells to divide, which then turned into brain cells. The new brain cells traveled to the injured part of the brain and replaced neurons the stroke had destroyed. Scientists believe that the new neurons helped restore motor function.

Graduate student Darius Gleason, who worked on the study, commented, "It's becoming more and more clear that the brain is like any other organ: It has a lot of potential to regenerate. We are just emulating nature by giving a little nudge to what the brain is trying to do itself."(5)

This is very promising news for future stroke treatments. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States so long term methods of dealing with the after-effects will have a major impact on both the health of individuals and their return to productivity and normal life.

As always, before you make any changes to your diet, exercise or supplement routine, please check with your personal physician.

Sources:

  1. Vega J, "Interesting Facts and Statistics About Stroke," about.com, Nov 2, 2009
  2. Stroke Overview, WebMD.com
  3. Stroke Statistics, TheUniversityHospital.com, University Hospital, New Jersey
  4. Fitzenberger J, "New stroke therapy successful in rats: Protein completely restores motor function," University of California Irvine (2010 Jan 13
  5. Fitzenberger J, "New stroke therapy successful in rats: Protein completely restores motor function," University of California Irvine (2010 Jan 13
2009 Chesapeake Nutraceuticals

Dr. Blankstein has been practicing for over 30 years as a leading Cardiologist.

Trained in traditional medicine and Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease, he knows the importance of good medical care. This consideration has allowed him to discover safe and natural ways of healing. His dedication to bringing the latest and best in health solutions to his patients and the public has given him the experience to research and develop proven natural remedies for many illnesses.

© 2009 Chesapeake Nutraceuticals

Reprint of this article, in whole or in part, digital or otherwise, is permitted provided that author by-lines are kept intact and unchanged and include an active link to http://www.chesapeakenutraceuticals.com.

 

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