Thrombolysis Tied to Better Stroke Outcome at All Ages

The treatment appears to improve outcomes even in patients older than 80

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous alteplase tend to fare better than those who do not undergo thrombolysis, and this holds true for those over the age of 80, according to research published online Nov. 23 in BMJ.

Nishant K. Mishra, of the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom, and colleagues compared outcomes data on 23,334 subjects who underwent thrombolysis and 6,166 who did not to assess the impact age has on response to alteplase in acute ischemic stroke patients.

The researchers found that those who underwent thrombolysis had better functional outcome scores at 90 days than those who did not, and this association occurred independently in patients up to and older than 80 years of age.

"Outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke is significantly better in those who undergo thrombolysis compared with those who do not. Increasing age is associated with poorer outcome but the association between thrombolysis treatment and improved outcome is maintained in very elderly people. Age alone should not be a barrier to treatment," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies.

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