New therapy for bleeding stroke

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A blood clotting factor looks as if it could be an effective treatment for strokes caused by bleeding into the brain.
One person in three with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) dies within a month and only 20 per cent escape some form of long-term disability. There are no really effective treatments for ICH, which is why new research from Colombia University represents an exciting advance.

They report on a trial of recombinant Factor VIIa, a protein used to promote clotting in hemophiliacs, in a group of 399 patients with ICH. Mortality was 38 per cent reduced compared to placebo. Scans revealed that there was a significant reduction in bleeding in those given the clotting factor. In the long-term, patients on the new treatment were less likely to be disabled - the researchers say that for every six patients treated, one case of death or severe disability can be avoided. The treatment now has to undergo larger trials before its use will be approved.

Source
New England Journal of Medicine 24th February 2005

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