NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Temperature lowering, either by pharmacologic or physical means, does not improve stroke outcomes, according to a review of trial data.

Prior research has linked elevated body temperatures with adverse stroke outcomes, Dr. Heleen den Hertog, from Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and co-researchers state in the July issue of Stroke. Moreover, research from animal studies of cerebral ischemia has shown that cooling can reduce infarct size.

These beneficial effects, however, may be offset by increased risks of infection, cardiac arrhythmias, hemorrhagic infarction, and DVT, the report indicates.

To assess the impact, if any, of temperature-lowering therapy on stroke outcomes, the researchers analyzed data from 8 trials (423 patients) identified through a search of Cochrane, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases. Five of the trials used pharmacologic methods of temperature reduction and three used physical means.

Temperature reduction, by physical or pharmacologic means, did not significantly improve survival or decrease the risk of dependency, the authors note. By contrast, both methods were linked to an increased risk of infection, although the associations were not statistically significant.

The authors conclude that large randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Reference:
Stroke 2009;40:e481-e482.