Researcher non-invasive test can determine the risk of stroke

Physicians are developing a test that could save many people's lives in the future
Strokes are a dangerous disease that affects mostly the elderly. Researchers have now found that a newly developed non-invasive test can determine if individuals are at increased risk for stroke.

Researchers at the internationally renowned University of Oxford found in their study that a novel MRI scan can be used to predict an increased likelihood of stroke development. The doctors published a press release on the results of their study.

A stroke is a life-threatening event that often leads to the death of those affected. Physicians have now developed a new test that can successfully predict the risk of stroke. (Image: hriana / fotolia.com)

Test measures cholesterol in plaques for risk assessment
The new test can predict whether plaques (deposits) in the so-called carotid arteries contain much cholesterol and therefore there is an increased likelihood that those affected develop a stroke, the experts explain.

What are the effects of high cholesterol plaques??
The carotid arteries deliver blood to the brain. High cholesterol plaques can cause dangerous blood clots to form. Thus, the supply of the brain with blood can be blocked and a life-threatening stroke occur. In the UK alone, a quarter of 100,000 strokes a year are caused by plaques in the carotid arteries, the researchers explain.

The test could lead to a faster and more effective treatment
If people with a so-called small stroke are admitted to a hospital, physicians must be able to assess whether these persons are at risk of another stroke, explains the author. Luca Biasiolli. The ability of the new non-invasive test to quantify cholesterol in carotid plaques could help physicians identify patients at higher risk of stroke in the future and make informed decisions about how to treat them.

So far, the risk of small but fatty plaques is often underestimated
Physicians are currently doing plaque in the carotid artery so they measure the size of plaques found and then assess the risk of stroke. If found plaques are too large, they are removed or dissolved. However, fatty plaques do not have to be unusually large to increase the risk of stroke, say the experts. Therefore, the danger posed by them may be underestimated by medical professionals.

The more cholesterol in the plaques, the higher the risk of stroke
In the study, the researchers used the newly developed MRI scan to determine the amount of cholesterol in the carotid plaques in 26 subjects. In one operation, these plaques were then surgically removed and the cholesterol level in the plaque was measured, explain the physicians. The scientists were able to determine that the new technology worked very precisely. The more cholesterol was contained in the plaques, the higher the risk of suffering a stroke, the experts add. Another study on over 50 participants confirmed the findings.

Further research is needed
The new test will enable physicians to more easily identify people with fatty carotid plaques at higher risk of stroke. The affected patients can then be treated early, for example, by a surgical procedure to remove the dangerous plaques, the researchers explain. Other patients may be spared surgery by the new test if the test does not identify an increased risk. Further research is now needed before the new test can be used in clinical practice. (As)