Innovative Blood Test Predicts Stroke Risk
Ronald Grisanti D.C.,D.A.B.C.O., M.S.
A newly approved blood test may help spot people at increased risk for strokes. The test, called protein lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2(PLAC) is an important blood test approved by the FDA to predict a person's risk of ischemic stroke. Over 700,000 people are found to suffer an ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke. Ischemic stroke is caused by a blockage in a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. According to Christie Ballantyne, MD, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston, the PLAC
test provides a new tool to help physicians identify at-risk patients earlier, so we can start therapies in time to prevent a stroke altogether. How the Study was Conducted
The study followed 12,773 people for about 6 years, during which some had strokes. Researchers found that people with higher than normal levels of this enzyme are twice as likely to suffer an ischemic stroke.
 Researchers found that people with higher than normal levels of this enzyme are twice as likely to suffer an ischemic stroke. 
|
|
-- Christie Ballantyne MD
|
|
|
The test, first approved for heart disease in 2003, will be available through national laboratories, including Quest Diagnostics Inc. Dr. Grisanti's Comments
As you see from the below references, this test was first published in 2000. According to this study it was concluded that elevated levels of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 appeared to be a
strong risk factor for coronary heart disease
I find this quite disturbing considering the great number of people who succumb to strokes. Why the delay for such a useful test? The Most Powerful Supplements To Reverse Heart Disease
Stay Informed and Subscribe to Dr. Grisanti's Free Health Tip of the Week
References
Hoogeveen RC, Ballantyne CM.PLAC test for identification of individuals at increased risk for coronary heart disease. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2005 Jan;5(1):9-14. Sudhir K.Clinical review: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2, a novel inflammatory biomarker and independent risk predictor for cardiovascular disease. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 May;90(5):3100-5. Epub 2005 Feb 15 Dada N, Kim NW, Wolfert RL. Lp-PLA2: an emerging biomarker of coronary heart disease. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2002 Jan;2(1):17-22. Packard CJ, O'Reilly DS, Caslake MJ, McMahon AD, Ford I, Cooney J, Macphee CH, Suckling KE, Krishna M, Wilkinson FE, Rumley A, Lowe GD. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 as an independent predictor of coronary heart disease. West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study Group. N Engl J Med. 2000 Oct 19;343(16):1148-55.
| 