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Circulating Biomarkers May Be Indicative of Stroke Risk

High levels of CRP, tHcy, TNFR2, and VEGF indicate significantly higher odds for incident ischemic stroke

THURSDAY, Aug. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In the future, a simple blood test might gauge a patient’s odds of incident ischemic stroke (IIS), according to a study published online Aug. 24 in Neurology.

A team of researchers measured levels of biomarkers in 3,224 individuals. The patients averaged 61 years of age and were tracked for an average of nine years. During that time, 98 of them did suffer IIS.

Elevated levels of four of the biomarkers were linked with increased IIS risk. High blood levels of homocysteine indicated a 32 percent higher risk compared to individuals with the lowest levels. And high levels of three other biomarkers — vascular endothelial growth factor, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 — also indicated a similar heightening of IIS risk, the investigators found.

“Identifying people who are at risk for stroke can help us determine who would benefit most from existing or new therapies to prevent stroke,” lead author Ashkan Shoamanesh, M.D., of McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, said in a journal news release.

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