Does resveratrol enhance recovery from acute ischemic stroke? A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial

Introduction: Animal studies indicated the protective effect of resveratrol against cerebral ischemic damages, but it has not been researched well in human ischemic stroke. In the present study, the effect of resveratrol on recovery outcomes after acute ischemic stroke was investigated among patients with ischemic stroke who were not eligible for taking recombinant tissue plasminogen activator as an accepted intervention for stroke condition. Materials and Methods: In this double-blind clinical trial, 100 patients with ischemic stroke who suffered from the territory of the middle cerebral artery were randomly allocated to either resveratrol or placebo group. In the intervention group, resveratrol was administered orally at a dose of 500 ± 10 mg daily in three 170 mg divided doses, whereas the placebo group was treated with lactose, both for 30 consequent days. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures and the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) were measured at the stroke onset and during discharges. Besides, the Barthel index and Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) were performed 3 months after the intervention. Results: Resveratrol had no significant effects on NIHSS (P = 0.97), systolic (P = 0.17), and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.42) compared with placebo. There were no significant differences in the Barthel index (P = 0.84) and MRS (P = 1.00) between the two groups 3 months after treatment. Conclusion: Resveratrol did not improve functional recovery measured by the NIHSS, MRS, and Barthel index in patients with acute ischemic stroke. In addition, it had no significant effect on blood pressure.