Department of Clinical Science and Education, Södersjukhuset

In a study in mice, researchers at KI SÖS have discovered a new potential therapeutic approach to facilitate neurological recovery in people with diabetes suffering from stroke. The treatment strategy is based on the chronic normalization of hyperglycemia and insulin resistance after stroke. The scientists believe that this new finding, presented in the prestigious British Journal of Pharmacology, can open the possibility to improve rehabilitation against stroke in the diabetic population.

Diabetic people suffering from stroke have slower recovery in the rehabilitation phase and no cure is available. Since the prevalence of diabetes in the world is expected to rise dramatically to 700 million people in 2045, diabetic patients constitute an enormous candidate group for stroke treatment/care. The results show the efficacy of the anti-diabetic treatment Exendin-4 to facilitate neurological recovery after stroke.  The rehabilitative effect was associated with chronic glycemia regulation and improved insulin sensitivity. Importantly, the treatment could even start several days after stroke still showing positive results.