A study published in the online journal Stroke and conducted by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas has presented a link between blood biomarkers, which are proteins that appear when there is inflammation, and a person’s risk of ischemic stroke. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) are the two biomarkers that researchers found to be associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke, which occurs when an artery to the brain is blocked. For the study, researchers tested for the two blood biomarkers in 949 participants involved in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Researchers analyzed the blood tests and used those results, in addition to the traditional risk factors for each participant, to predict the risk of a stroke. The traditional risk factors that researchers looked at included age, race, sex, blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and weight. Researchers also took into account whether or not each participant was taking any blood pressure medications.
Before incorporating the biomarkers into the prediction process, researchers were able to place those participants with a 2 percent chance of ischemic stroke within the next five years in the low risk category, participants with a 2 to 5 percent chance in the intermediate risk category and participants with more than a 5 percent chance in the high risk category. When the biomarker information was added to the traditional risk factors for each participant, researchers were able to get a clearer idea of the risk of ischemic stroke for each person. After biomarker data was included, about 4 percent of those participants previously in the low risk category moved into the intermediate risk category, 11 percent of those in the intermediate risk category moved into the high risk category and about 33 percent of participants previously placed in the high risk category were placed in the intermediate category.
Although there is much more to learn about the link between ischemic stroke risk and biomarkers in the blood, this study did reveal some very useful information for researchers and doctors. If doctors are able to better determine a patient’s risk of ischemic stroke by using blood biomarker data in addition to the traditional risk factors, it may be possible to provide treatment to lower the chance of stroke for high risk patients. Ischemic strokes make up about 88 percent of all stroke occurrences and can have a serious impact on a person’s health. If you or a loved one has experienced a delay in diagnosis or treatment of a stroke in New York, including the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, contact Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for your free consultation. Our medical malpractice attorneys will evaluate the facts of your situation and answer any questions you may have regarding your case.
Call us toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
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