New Delhi, Feb 10 A team of Chinese researchers has found that clot-dissolving medication – alteplase – can be key to improving stroke patients' recovery by more than 50 per cent.
The team from Zhejiang University, presenting the research at the American Stroke Association's recent International Stroke Conference 2025, held in Los Angeles, US, reported that the medicine is effective when given up to 24 hours after the beginning of an ischemic stroke.
The golden hour for patients with stroke, which occurs when poor blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death, is the first 60 minutes after symptoms begin, during which treatment is most effective. Till now the known window for effective treatment was up to 4.5 hours for some patients.
The study results show promise to patients suffering from stroke worldwide, who may not be able to access clot-dissolving medications within the time period, said Min Lou, Professor at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University's School of Medicine in China.
Their study was based on 372 stroke patients whose symptoms began 4.5 hours to 24 hours earlier. The participants were randomly split into two groups. While one group received the clot-busting medication alteplase, others were prescribed standard stroke care of antiplatelet therapy.
About 40 per cent of participants treated with alteplase showed little to no disability after 90 days. Conversely, only 26 per cent of those who received standard care had no disability. The findings show a 54 per cent higher chance of functional recovery with alteplase.
However, the risk of brain bleeding was higher among those who received alteplase than among participants who did not (3.8 per cent vs. 0.5 per cent), but researchers believe this is a manageable risk.
Calling for more research, Lou explained, that the findings must be applied to other groups of people, especially in areas with different stroke risks and health care resources to understand the efficacy and safety of alteplase and other such medicines.
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