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New studies quadruple the window for stroke treatment

Hellerhoff/Wikimedia Commons

By Katie Langin

When treating stroke victims, time is of the essence—but doctors may have more time than previously thought, The Washington Post reports. In many cases, surgeons can save brain tissue that’s on the brink of death by removing clots in the brain. That treatment option is normally only performed within 6 hours of a stroke, but a pair of new studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine push that time window back anywhere from 16 to 24 hours. “We are quadrupling the stroke treatment window,” one study author said to the Post. “It’s going to have a massive impact on how stroke is triaged and assessed.”

Source: Science Mag