New clue to brain bleeding after stroke treatment
Monday, October 17, 2011 - 08:50
in Health & Medicine
The only medication currently approved for stroke treatment tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which dissolves blood clots is associated with an increased risk of bleeding in the brain, particularly among patients with hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). A study led by Raymond A. Swanson, MD, chief of the neurology and rehabilitation service at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, provides a possible reason: high blood sugar fuels the formation of superoxide, a toxic form of oxygen, which in turn damages tissues, weakens blood vessels and promotes excess bleeding.