Effect of Doxycycline on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Ischemic Stroke

Background and Objective: Stroke is the second leading cause of disability and mortality across the globe. The present study aimed to assess the effect of doxycycline on clinical outcomes of patients with ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: In this double-blind clinical trial, 60 patients with ischemic stroke were selected in the first 24 hours of post-stroke and randomly assigned to two groups: intervention and control. In the intervention group, patients received 100 mg of doxycycline every 12 hours for seven days in addition to standard treatments. Both groups were followed up before the intervention, on days 7, 30, and 90 after the treatment in terms of the severity of stroke clinical outcomes using National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) tests. Results: The mean age of patients in the intervention and control groups were 68.33±12.15 and 67.40±9.99 years (P>0.05). No significant difference was observed between the intervention and control groups in terms of NIHSS and mRS scores at baseline and on the seventh day. Nonetheless, in the intervention group, the NIHSS score on days 30 (P=0.007) and 90 (P<0.001), as well as the mRS score on days 30 (P=0.009) and 90 (P<0.01) was significantly less than the control group. Conclusion: In ischemic stroke, the administration of doxycycline 100 mg every 12 hours for seven days is safe, reduces neurological disorders, and improves the clinical outcome of patients within one to three months after the treatment.