New research highlights hormone's role in stroke recovery
European researchers have discovered that having high levels of a hormone that is associated with the growth hormone system can significantly benefit recovery after a stroke. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the team from the Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden show how patients with high levels of the hormone IGF-I can recover better during the later phases of rehabilitation after a stroke. Insulin-like growth factor I, IGF-I, is a hormone that is found in the blood and contributes to growth and bone mass, among others. People who exercise regularly and who have good health generally possess have higher levels of this hormone. 'This study is interesting for two reasons. The first is that we show that a hormone is associated with improved long-term recovery, and thus there is still the prospect of improvement - even after three months after the stroke. The second is that levels of this hormone are known to be elevated in those who exercise often,' says Associate Professor David Åberg of the Sahlgrenska Academy, one of the study's lead authors. 'It is, however, important to add that the levels of IGF-I are controlled also by other factors such as other growth hormones, heredity and nutrition.' The findings are based on 407 patients who are participating in the 'Sahlgrenska Academy Study on Ischemic Stroke study' (SAHLSIS). The participants were people aged between 18 and 70 and who were suffering from stroke effects up to 2 years after their stroke occurred. After measuring the levels of IGF-I in these 407 patients, the scientists deduced that increased levels are clearly linked with better recovery, when the degree of recovery is determined between 3 and 24 months after the stroke. These findings complement previous research studies which have also shown the positive effect of high IGF-I levels in the early phase after a stroke. This new study builds on this previous work by demonstrating that the positive effects on recovery remain long after the stroke event. 'Our results may explain why patients who exercise more actively, with physiotherapy and physical exercise, demonstrate better recovery after a stroke. Unfortunately, we do not know how much our patients exercised after the stroke. This means that we need to carry out further studies in which we measure both the amount of physical activity and the levels of IGF-I, in order to understand the exact relationships better,' comments Associate Professor David Åberg. These results have implications for future studies which could explore whether drug treatments that raise IGF-I levels can improve long-term recovery after a stroke. The Swedish team believe that there exist two possibilities: to treat patients either with IGF-I, or with the better known growth hormone (GH) which can stimulate the body's own production of IGF-I 'These possibilities must be tested in carefully constructed clinical trials, so that we discover any undesired effects that must be considered. This is particularly true during the acute phase of a stroke, while treatment during the recovery phase is probably easier and has greater benefit,' says David Åberg.For more information, please visit: Sahlgrenska Academy: http://www.sahlgrenska.gu.se/english(opens in new window) Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism: http://jcem.endojournals.org/(opens in new window)
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Sweden