A QUICK FIX FOR STROKES

HEART EXPERTS ADVISE DOCTORS ON HOW TO MAKE BETTER USE OF A POWERFUL CLOT-BUSTING AGENT

Of all the medical catastrophes that can befall a person, suffering a stroke is one of the most terrifying. Suddenly, your arm goes numb. You can't speak. Half your body becomes useless. Until recently, doctors could do little more than watch as their stroke patients either recovered on their own or became permanently paralyzed. Then researchers determined that a drug called tissue plasminogen activator, or TPA, which has been used for years to treat heart attacks, can also alter the course of a stroke. But many physicians wouldn't try the new treatment because there is also a chance that it can...

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