Traditional Medicine in the Treatment and Prevention of Ischemic Stroke

The article can be download from https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=41880Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death worldwide, bringing about serious long lasting disability and considerable social burden. During ischemic stroke, ischemia takes place due to blood flow interruption as a result of cerebral artery blockage and subsequently reperfusion occurs, triggering a complex cascade of molecular events that eventually results in irreversible cell death, affecting functioning of the brain and body. Sometimes vision impairment also occurs due to ischemia/reperfusion injury in the retina. Treatment of ischemic stroke is important to alleviate the subsequent outcome. Yet, no ideal neuroprotective agents are available. Some research has turned to traditional medicine, which has been used for decades. The traditional medicine has shown efficacy in cell and animal models, making it an attractive option in treatment of ischemic stroke. Another attractive alternative would be the prevention of ischemic stroke using traditional medicine, which may be beneficial for patients at high risk for ischemic stroke. This chapter aims to give an overview of the traditional medicine being tested and its efficacy in the treatment and prevention of ischemic stroke