Endovascular Therapy Beyond Treatment Window Is Still Beneficial

Endovascular therapy even beyond the ideal 6-hour treatment window can still improve the quality of life in a stroke survivor, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers, was presented at the American Heart Association’s International Stroke Conference on Wednesday, February 6.

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To determine whether stroke survivors who were treated with endovascular therapy within 6 to 16 hours of symptom onset would have better quality of life than those treated with only standard drug therapy, the researchers examined participants of the DEFUSE 3 trial who had had an ischemic stroke and had salvageable tissue visible on brain imaging.

The researchers surveyed participants 3 months after the stroke about their mobility, ability to participate in social activities, cognitive function, and depression.

Based on results from 136 participants who had completed all or some of the surveys, the researchers deduced that those treated with endovascular therapy after the ideal treatment window had superior quality-of-life results in all 4 surveyed areas compared with those who had medical therapy alone.

“In addition to improved functional outcomes, endovascular therapy 6 to 16 hours after onset preserves mental health and social capabilities critical to patients’ quality of life,” the researchers concluded.

—Colleen Murphy

Reference:

Clot removal beyond normal treatment time, still improved quality of life after stroke [press release]. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association; January 30, 2019. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/clot-removal-beyond-normal-treatment-time-still-improved-quality-of-life-after-stroke. Accessed February 7, 2019.