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Radical stroke therapy has Owosso roots
OWOSSO
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Friday, February 18, 2005By Shantell M. Kirkendoll
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QUICK FACTS
Viagra for stroke recovery

Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit is investigating whether the popular
medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction could help people recover
from stroke. Patients with a moderate stroke must be enrolled within 72
hours of stroke symptoms. Details: (313) 916-7435.

***

After Owosso nurse Rene Jarinski, 43, suffered a stroke, her family
wondered what options were available to help her walk and talk again
besides physical therapy and speech therapy.

Doctors at Henry Ford Medical Center in Detroit tried something radical
by prescribing Viagra, the drug marketed to improve men's sex lives, to
boost Jarinski's chance for a comeback.

"We realized that we needed to look at what we can do to help people who
have had a stroke get their lives back," said Dr. Brian Silver, a
neurologist and researcher at Henry Ford.

Viagra had worked in lab tests on animals by somehow rejuvenating brain
cells, but could what they learned in the lab work at the bedside?

This week, Henry Ford launched a study to determine if Viagra can help
stroke patients regain and improve their motor skills.

Jarinski is one of two Michigan patients who have used Viagra for
neurological recovery and has had uncommon, promising results.

She had a stroke in July 2003 and after being transferred to Henry Ford
was diagnosed with locked-in syndrome, meaning she could only move her
eyes up and down.

After being given doses of 50 and 100 milligrams of Viagra early on, she
now takes 150 mg daily, according to Henry Ford hospital.

"We're not certain that Viagra is helping the recovery, but she is now
able to smile, eat, move all four limbs and stand up with assistance,"
Silver said in a news release.

Individuals with locked-in syndrome rarely walk or talk again, he said.
Most stroke patients have made all the progress they're going to make in
the first six months, Silver said, but Jarinski has shown consistent
improvement.

"This is very uncommon for individuals after stroke who typically see a
deceleration in recovery," Silver said. "Rene is making a recovery that
doesn't follow the normal recovery curve."

Henry Ford is financing the research without support from Pfizer, the
drug's maker; the hospital pays for every distinctive blue pill.

The medical center is applying for federal grants to support it in the
next phases, which could come in one to two years, to test the drug's
effectiveness, Silver said.

For now, researchers are making sure the drug does no harm. Jarinski's
family was aware Viagra was being used on an experimental basis, Silver
said Thursday.

Doctors picked Viagra because it's similar to other compounds that
create new cells in the brain, said Dr. Michael Chopp, scientific
director of the Neuroscience Institute at Henry Ford.

For years, Henry Ford researched stroke recovery using Viagra in
laboratory animals with good outcomes. With Viagra, animals had better
motor function and weight gain.

Strokes most often occur when blood flow to the brain is blocked,
resulting in what is called "brain attacks." Strokes are a leading cause
of disability among Americans and is the third leading cause of death.

Few patients are able to take advantage of the current treatment for
most strokes. The clot-busting drug t-PA must be given within three
hours of stroke symptoms for effectiveness, but it reaches fewer than 5
percent of stroke victims.

Jarinski, a former nurse for Blue Cross Blue Shield, started Viagra
eight days after suffering a stroke. Her stroke may have resulted from a
neck strain or a complication of migraine medication.

"The cause of her stroke is not really clear," Silver said.

Most strokes, though, come after years of cardiovascular trouble, such
as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Smoking, obesity and
diabetes are risk factors, and as people age, their risk for stroke goes
up.

***





C 2005 Flint Journal. Used with permission


Copyright 2005 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.
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