There has been debate over the best treatment for a certain type of stroke caused by a blockage of a large artery in the brain. A new meta-analysis finds that people who have this kind of stroke who can be treated within four-and-a-half hours after their symptoms start may do better after their stroke when treated with both a clot-busting drug and physical clot removal, compared to physical removal only. The research is published in the February 16, 2022, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Combining the two therapies, called bridging therapy, was linked to better chances of a person surviving and living independently after stroke.