Study Shows Treating Stroke Patients with Intravenous Magnesium Fails to Improve Stroke Outcome

According to research presented by UCLA physicians at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference, giving stroke patients intravenous magnesium within an hour of symptom onset does not improve stroke outcomes. However, the eight-year study found that by working with paramedics in the field, intravenous medications can be given to stroke patients within the “golden hour,” the window in which patients have the best chance to survive and avoid debilitating, long-term neurological damage. Currently, the only immediate treatment for strokes caused by blockage of blood vessels is the clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). However, tPA cannot be given until the patient arrives at the hospital and receives a CT scan to rule out bleeding in the brain. The UCLA study demonstrated how to test therapies in stroke patients before they arrived at the hospital. Magnesium was chosen because it dilated blood vessels in the brain in animal studies, increasing blood flow and countering the damaging calcium build up that occurs in cells deprived of oxygen. Although the study found that magnesium does not improve stroke-related disability, the search is on for new drugs and treatments that can be administered to improve long-term outcomes. To read more about this study, click here.