Size of Hemorrhagic Stroke Reduced by Indian Spice

Curcumin, an active ingredient of the Indian curry spice, turmeric, not only lowers a person's risk of getting cancer and Alzheimer's disease, but may reduce the size of a hemorrhagic stroke.

Second-year medical student Jay McCracken is working with Dr. Krishnan Dhandapani, neuroscientist at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG; Augusta, GA, USA), using animal models to study curcumin's effect on intracerebral hemorrhages, bleeding in the brain caused by ruptured vessels.

Patients with this type of stroke are often treated for symptoms--such as headache and nausea--with medications, but not the stroke itself. Invasive surgery to remove the clot is usually required, but some patients may not be good candidates, according to Mr. McCracken. Approximately 17% of strokes are hemorrhagic, according to the American Stroke Association, and typically occur in people with high blood pressure.

"We found that curcumin significantly decreases the size of a blood clot, but we're not sure why it happens,” said the Mr. McCraken. He believes it may be because curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. For the study, he dissolved the yellow powder, which gives turmeric its color, in corn oil and injected it into the abdomen of an animal model of hemorrhagic stroke three times over three hours. He suspects less may work and is trying to establish the optimal dose and timing.

Timing is crucial for patients who often do not know they had a stroke and may not be seen by a physician for hours. "Usually, patients can experience other symptoms like seizures, vision, or cognitive problems, so they come to the [emergency room] fairly quickly under most circumstances,” remarked Dr. Dhandapani. "Many patients also arrive due to head trauma and are seen within an hour or so. However, treating these injuries, even after an hour, can be tricky.”

Patients most probably will need to get curcumin intravenously. The investigators think it may also help prevent strokes; they intend to pursue this line of research with the proposal of also making it available in a concentrated tablet form for those at-risk.

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Medical College of Georgia