TUESDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The antibiotic minocycline appears to have neuroprotective effects that benefit ischemic stroke patients, according to study findings published in the Oct. 2 issue of Neurology.
Yair Lampl, M.D., of the Edith Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Israel, and colleagues conducted an open-label, evaluator-blinded study of 152 patients, of whom 74 received oral minocycline 200 mg a day for five days, and 77 of whom received placebo.
At seven, 30 and 90 days' follow-up, patients treated with minocycline had substantially improved scores on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, modified Rankin Scale and Barthel Index. However, both the minocycline and placebo groups had similar rates of death, myocardial infarction, recurrent stroke and hemorrhagic transformations during follow-up.
"The favorable effects of minocycline in a therapeutic window of 72 hours can be due to the various minocycline mechanisms of action during stroke," the authors write. "The findings suggest a potential benefit of minocycline in acute ischemic stroke," though the authors recommend a larger randomized trial to confirm these findings.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
