U.S. approves blood test to screen for stroke risk

	Tweet

The PLAC test, already used to screen for heart problems, won U.S. approval to help predict a patient’s risk for Stroke, officials for the test’s manufacturer diaDexus said on Friday.

The test detects high levels of the protein lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-Pla2), which studies found were more common in stroke patients.

“The PLAC test provides new information, over and above traditional risk factors, that can guide physicians and patients to make the necessary changes that may prevent patients from suffering cardiovascular disease and events, like stroke and heart attack,” diaDexus Chief Executive Officer Patrick Plewman said.

A study followed 12,773 people for about 6 years, during which some had strokes. Researchers found levels of the protein were higher in the stroke cases than in people who did not have one.

The test, first approved for heart disease in 2003, will be available through national laboratories, including Quest Diagnostics Inc. 

RELATED STORIES:
Are all meditation techniques the same?   Research Seeks to Understand Memory Loss in Older People   Parkinson’s disease affects more than just motor control   Hand-held device brings speech to impaired   The faces of Alzheimer’s   Vertigo Linked to Osteoporosis   Workers Have High Rates of ‘Psychological Distress’   Alzheimer’s drug may help with Parkinson’s too   Eating fruit and vegetables may protect against stroke   First Atomic-Level Look at a Protein That Causes Brain Disease   Researchers identify a molecular switch that controls neuronal migration in the developing brain   Multiple sclerosis seen associated with headache

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]