The Internet Stroke Center from the Washington University in St. Louis states that strokes are the “third leading cause of death in the United States” and the “leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States.”
Rapid treatment is needed to prevent serious brain damage or death, as strokes result in inadequate oxygen supply to brain cells. The right treatment is even more imperative for women, as about 55,000 more have a stroke each year than men, according to the Internet Stroke Center.
The Mayo Clinic states that treatment is based on the type of stroke. For example, an ischemic stroke is treated with aspirin or tissue plasminogen activator, or carotid endarterectomy or angioplasty. If a patient has a hemorrhagic stroke, treatment options include aneurysm clipping, coiling and surgical AVM removal. After the initial treatment, the patient undergoes different types of rehabilitation to restore loss brain functions. However, the patient may not regain all of her lost functions.
Research being done at the Henry Ford Hospital shows promising results of the effectiveness of vitamin B3, also called niacin, in brain function repair after a stroke. The rats used in this study had suffered ischemic strokes, had resulting blocked blood vessels, and after the niacin was administered, the rats “showed signs of blood vessel growth and new nerve cells in the brains,” according to HealthDay News.
Niacin has already been shown to have health benefits. The Mayo Clinic states that niacin can increase the “good” cholesterol—HDL cholesterol. In addition to medicine and supplements, niacin is also found in different foods, such as eggs, fish, poultry, dairy products, lean meats, nuts and enriched breads and cereals. It's benefits can be helpful for women who are at risk for heart disease (which includes those with a HDL level of below 50 mg/dL).
So what does this research mean for stroke patients? HealthDay News reports that the Henry Ford Health System is now testing niacin on human stroke patients. If successful, it can be a low cost treatment option. However, more extensive testing is needed to determine if the results found in rats will be repeated in humans.
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Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch received her bachelor’s of science degree in neuroscience from Trinity College in Hartford, CT in May 2009. She is the Hartford Women's Health Examiner and she writes about abuse on Suite 101.