Acne drug offers hope for stroke victims

An antibiotic used to treat acne may be effective for some stroke patients.

New research shows that when the drug minocycline was given within 24 hours of a stroke, it reduced brain damage and physical and mental impairment.

Results from the trial at Tel Aviv University, Israel, based on 150 patients, show that those given the drug six to 24 hours after suffering the most common type of stroke, caused by a blood clot, did much better than those given a dummy pill.

The conditions of the patients were rated the same when they arrived at hospital, but as soon as seven days later, those who had been taking the drug for five days were showing superior overall improvements.

Just how the antibiotic works is not clear, but one theory is that it has a beneficial effect on inflammation and that it may slow or prevent cell death.

An estimated 150,000 people have a stroke in the UK each year, and strokes are responsible for more than 67,000 deaths, making it the third most common cause of death after heart disease and cancer.

Stroke has a greater disability impact than any other chronic disease, with more than 300,000 stroke victims living with moderate to severe disabilities.

Stroke patients occupy 20 per cent of all acute hospital beds and 25 per cent of long-term beds.

Traditional treatments include surgery to remove arterial plaques, and clot-dissolving drugs, which restore blood flow to the brain.