Could a blood test someday be used predict whether someone will have a stroke?

BOSTON - One day, a simple blood test may help predict whether someone will suffer a stroke.

Researchers at UCLA looked at data on more than 2,000 people enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study and found that high levels of a group of inflammatory molecules in the blood may put people at higher risk of cerebral small vessel disease, a common cause of stroke and memory loss.  

Right now, the condition is diagnosed by MRI, but it can still be hard to predict whether a given patient will eventually suffer a stroke. 

Scientists hope that one day, patients can be screened by simply testing for these molecules in blood and then counseled on lifestyle changes to reduce their stroke risk.

In:
• Health
• Stroke

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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