What are accepted ways to treat stroke?

Surgery, medications, hospital care and rehabilitation are all accepted stroke treatments.

Carotid endarterectomy is a surgical procedure often performed when the carotid artery in the neck is partially blocked by a fatty buildup called plaque. This procedure can remove the accumulated plaque. 

Cerebral angioplasty is another technique in which balloons, stents and coils are used to treat some types of problems with the brain's blood vessels. Its widespread use depends on its safety and effectiveness.

What about tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the clot-dissolving drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to treat strokes caused by blood clots. (Blood clots cause about 85 percent of all strokes.) tPA dissolves the clot and restores blood flow to the brain. tPA carries a risk of bleeding in the brain, but its benefits outweigh the risks when an experienced doctor uses it properly.

Not every stroke patient, particularly those having a hemorrhagic stroke, should be treated with tPA. That's why it's extremely important to determine the type of stroke very quickly. tPA is effective only if given promptly. For maximum benefit, the therapy must be started within three hours of the onset of stroke symptoms. That's why it's so critical that medical professionals and the public recognize stroke as a medical emergency and respond immediately.

What about using hyperbaric oxygen?

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association 2007 "Guidelines on the Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke," hyperbaric oxygen might be useful to treat selected patients with ischemic neurological symptoms caused by air embolism or Caisson disease (decompression sickness). A review of published studies did not find evidence that hyperbaric oxygen improved outcomes after stroke or brain injury, however. That means right now data don’t support the routine use of hyperbaric oxygen to treat patients with acute ischemic stroke.

What about treating heart disease?

Sometimes treating a stroke means treating the heart. The reason is that various kinds of heart disease can contribute to stroke risk. For example, damaged heart valves may need to be surgically treated or treated with anti-clotting drugs to reduce the chance of clots forming around them. Blood clots can also form in hearts with atrial fibrillation. This is a type of abnormal heart rhythm called an arrhythmia. If clots form in the heart or on the valves, there's a chance they can travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

For stroke information, call the American Stroke Association at 1-888-4-STROKE.

Related AHA and ASA publications:

• Know the Facts, Get the Stats... heart disease, stroke and risks
• Stroke: Are you at Risk? (also in Spanish on ASA Web site)
• Warning Signs of Stroke
• Smoking and Your Risk of Stroke  
• High Blood Pressure and Stroke  
• How Stroke Affects Behavior
• Living With Disability After Stroke
• Caring for Someone With Aphasia
• Sex After Stroke  
• Sheets from Let's Talk About Stroke kit

Related AHA Scientific Statements
Stroke