E Science News -- Treating mild strokes with the clot-busting drug approved for severe stroke could reduce the number of patients left disabled and save $200 million a year in disability costs, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC). The study led by Pooja Khatri, MD, an associate professor in the department of neurology, examined the public health impact of treating mild strokes with the clot-busting drug intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). It is being presented Wednesday, Feb. 9, in Los Angeles at International Stroke Conference 2011, the annual meeting of the American Stroke Association.