Cooling brain 'could prevent brain injury in stroke patients'RSS Feed

Lowering the body temperature could help to prevent brain injury in stroke patients, according to new research.

Scientists from the University of Edinburgh found that cooling the brain gives doctors more time to treat burst or blocked blood vessels.

Through the use of cold intravenous drips and cooling pads, doctors could lower the body temperature to around 35 degrees C, effectively putting the brain into hibernation.

Dr Malcolm Macleod, of the University of Edinburgh, said that the procedure had the potential to improve the outcome of a stroke for more than 40,000 Europeans each year.

"Every day 1,000 Europeans die from stroke - that's one every 90 seconds - and about twice that number survive but are disabled," he said.

This comes after scientists at the University of California, San Diego, found that although the overall stroke rate in the US has decreased, it has risen among individuals with HIV, sparking fears that the medication used to treat the virus could increase the risk of stroke.

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Posted by Matthew Dixon
 

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