Is There a Universal Anti-Stroke Drug?

There is no single “anti-stroke” medicine that can protect everyone, Vietnamese pharmacist Ngô Minh Trang says. Treatment must match the type of stroke, its cause, the timing and the aim of care, particularly whether doctors are treating an emergency or preventing another stroke.

The warning comes as medicines and dietary supplements are widely advertised as products that can “prevent,” “stop” or even “treat” stroke. That marketing can leave people believing that one product is enough to ward off the disease. Trang, from the pharmacy department of 19-8 Hospital under the Ministry of Public Security, says that assumption is wrong.

For ischemic stroke, a blood clot can block a blood vessel in the brain. In eligible cases, doctors may use thrombolytic medicines to dissolve the clot and restore blood flow. These are specialized treatments that can be used only in a medical facility after examination, diagnosis and an assessment of the required conditions. Traditional thrombolytic treatment is used for suitable patients with acute ischemic stroke within 60 minutes. A newer medicine can be injected intravenously in about five seconds, shortening the administration time during an emergency. Doctors must still choose the medicine according to each patient’s condition.

After the emergency phase, some ischemic stroke patients receive prescription medicines to prevent recurrence. Antiplatelet drugs can reduce the ability of platelets to stick together and help limit clot formation in certain conditions. Anticoagulants are used when clots may form in the heart, such as in people with atrial fibrillation or some heart-valve diseases. The two groups cannot be substituted for one another at will. Doctors consider the cause of the stroke, bleeding risk, kidney function, age and other factors before selecting treatment.