A new study suggests that while administering clot-busting drugs as quickly as possible to stroke victims is important, they can help even when administered late or in high-risk groups.
The study, which followed 6,700 stroke patients, found that those who received treatment with clot-busting drugs such as alteplase within 3 hours of the onset of symptoms had the best outcomes. However even if the drugs were administered as late as 4.5 hours, the benefits were still significant, and extended across all patient groups, including those over 80 and those suffering the most severe strokes.
These findings are in contrast to European and North American guidelines, which recommend against drug treatment after 3 hours or in these high-risk groups.
Original research paper published in The Lancet on August 5, 2014.
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