Stroke patients who receive NAC along with standard treatment show better recovery from stroke symptoms over time compared to those who only get standard treatment.
Scientific Claim
N-acetylcysteine administration significantly improves stroke severity as measured by NIHSS scores at multiple time points (24 hours, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months) in ischemic stroke patients compared to standard treatment alone.
Original Statement
“NIHSS/24hIntervention = 4.38 ± 0.99 vs NIHSS/24hcontrol = 6.82 ± 1.24, p = 0.134, NIHSS/2weeksIntervention = 2.94 ± 0.70 vs NIHSS/2weekscontrol = 5.93 ± 1.36, p = 0.05, NIHSS/1monthIntervention = 2.22 ± 0.56 vs NIHSS/1monthcontrol = 6 ± 1.63, p = 0.02, and NIHSS/3monthsIntervention = 1.83 ± 0.51 vs NIHSS/3monthscontrol = 3.53 ± 0.71, p = 0.057”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
probability
Can suggest probability/likelihood
Assessment Explanation
The RCT design supports causation for this specific outcome. The verb 'improves' is appropriate but should be qualified with 'likely' or 'significantly' given the borderline significance at some time points and single-center design.
More Accurate Statement
“N-acetylcysteine administration likely significantly improves stroke severity as measured by NIHSS scores at multiple time points (24 hours, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months) in ischemic stroke patients compared to standard treatment alone.”
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Investigation of the effect of N-acetylcysteine on serum levels of oxidative inflammatory biomarkers in patients with stroke