(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new finding may improve the prognosis of stroke patients.
In a recent study involving patients who had suffered ischemic strokes, researchers found gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding to be a strong determinant of patient survival. Experts hope this eye-opening discovery will enable doctors to keep stroke patients alive with medication.
In cases with GI bleeding, patients were more than three times more likely to die during their hospital stay or be severely dependent on others for care at the time they left the hospital. In addition, those with GI bleeding were 1.5 times more likely to die within six months after the stroke than those without.
"This is an important finding since there are effective medications to reduce gastric acid that can lead to upper gastrointestinal bleeding," study author Martin O'Donnell, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, was quoted as saying. "More research will be needed to determine whether this is a viable strategy to improve outcomes after stroke in high-risk patients."
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, stroke killed 143,579 people in 2005 alone. Ischemic stroke, the most common type, takes place when blood flow to the brain is reduced or blocked.
SOURCE: Neurology, published online August 6, 2008
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