Abstract

POSSIBLE ROLE OF ANTIOXIDANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE ISCHEMIC STROKE: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

*Balarabe S. A.

ABSTRACT

Cerebrovascular disease or stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. It is ably described with the initials 6:6:6, meaning: 6 million people die every year from a stroke, every 6 seconds someone somewhere dies from stroke, and 1: 6 persons worldwide will have a stroke in their lifetime. each year, about 15 million people around the world experience a stroke; of these, 6 million die and 5 million are left permanently disabled. In general, stroke is a disease of the elderly, and so these trends will increase over the next several decades as a result of an aging population combined with the disturbing persistence of many well understood ‘modifiable’ risk factors, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, cigarette smoking, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol intake and diets high in saturated fats and low in fruits and vegetables. The health burden of stroke is staggering, as loss of a productive life inflicts a heavy toll on patients, families and the society. Yet, this disease has no effective therapeutic treatment beyond a limited (about 2%) treatment with thrombolytics that has a significant adverse effect. In addition, thrombolytic therapy in our resource limited environment purses a serious challenge to neurological practice. A wide variety of currently unproven acute stroke therapies continue to be used around the world. There are significant differences in attitudes of both treating specialists and primary care doctors in different countries. For example, while Traditional medicines are popular in China, in Nigeria Antioxidants are often used. This review tends to focus on the role of Antioxidants (Beta-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E) in the management of acute ischemic stroke hoping that, the review would not only create more awareness on stroke management but would inform policy-makers on the urgency and mechanism required for cheap and affordable treatment of acute stroke in resource limited countries like Nigeria. It would also be a useful resource material for regional, national and international bodies that are involved in the management of patients with acute ischemic stroke, especially in developing nations.

Keywords: Antioxidant, Acute Ischemic stroke, Oxidative stress, Vitamins Cerebrovascular disease.