Vitamin E Variant Helps “Redirect” Blood During a Stroke

In animal studies, researchers have discovered that brain damage during a stroke can be prevented by triggering the surrounding blood vessels to dilate and redirect the blood flow around a blockage. The blood vessel “redirect” is the result of 10 weeks’ worth of supplementation with a little-known type of vitamin E called tocotrienol. Tocotrienol appears to stimulate arteriogenesis, and this collateral blood supply can make a major difference in stroke outcomes. “We know that people who have good collaterals have better recovery from strokes. We think that tocotrienol helps improve the function of collaterals, which would offer someone better protection from an initial or secondary stroke,” said Cameron Rink, MD, a professor of surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. To find out exactly how tocotrienol is impacting blood vessel remodeling, Rink pioneered a technique using laser capture microdissection (LCM) to take microscopic pieces of brain tissue and blood vessels from the exact area where collaterals are called into action during a stroke. To learn more about the study, click here.