Stroke in Canon of Medicine

Stroke has a huge negative impact on the society and more adversely affect women. There is scarce evidence about any neuroprotective effects of commonly used drug in acute stroke. Bushnell et al. provided a guideline focusing on the risk factors of stroke unique to women, including reproductive factors, metabolic syndrome, obesity, atrial fibrillation, and migraine with aura. The ten variables cited by Avicenna in Canon of Medicine would compensate for the gaps mentioned in this guideline. The prescribed drugs should be selected qualitatively opposite to Mizaj (warm-cold and wet-dry qualities induced by disease state) of the disease and according to ten variables, including the nature of the affected organ, intensity of disease, sex, age, habit, season, place of living, occupation, stamina and physical status.

Information related to stroke was searched in Canon of Medicine, which is an outstanding book in traditional Persian medicine written by Avicenna.

A hemorrhagic stroke is the result of increasing sanguine humor in the body. Sanguine has warm-wet quality, and should be treated with food and drugs that quench the abundance of blood in the body. An acute episode of ischemic stroke is due to the abundance of phlegm that causes a blockage in the cerebral vessels. Phlegm has cold-wet quality and treatment should be started with compound medicines that either solve the phlegm or eject it from the body.

Avicenna has cited in Canon of Medicine that women have cold and wet temperament compared to men. For this reason, they are more prone to accumulation of phlegm in their body organs including the liver, joints and vessels, and consequently in the risk of fatty liver, degenerative joint disease, atherosclerosis, and stroke especially the ischemic one. This is in accordance with epidemiological studies that showed higher rate of ischemic stroke in women rather than hemorrhagic one.