Determine Your Risk of Stroke With the PLAC Test
Until now, there hasn’t been a test that could measure your risk of having a stroke. The latest technology gives us, for the first time, a conclusive test for stroke risk. The PLAC test, as it’s called, detects the presence of an enzyme that could lead to a stroke. Scientists have identified an enzyme called lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2 for short) that’s involved in the inflammation of blood vessels. This inflammation contributes to both plaque formation and instability. Eventually the unstable plaque can rupture, turning potentially lethal clots and debris loose in your bloodstream—causing a stroke or a heart attack.
Results from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study performed by the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute demonstrated that folks with elevated Lp-PLA2 had double the risk of suffering an ischemic stroke over a six to eight year period compared to those with low Lp-PLA2. This risk was found for everyone, not just those with other cardiac risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, or obesity. Moreover, when high Lp-PLA2 was combined with high systolic blood pressure (more than 140 mmHg), it created six times the risk of developing a stroke. This result makes it quite clear that anyone with high blood pressure and elevated Lp-PLA2 needs to take very aggressive preventive measures to avoid a stroke.
If you have risk factors for stroke—especially high blood pressure—ask your physician to do a PLAC test. Other common risk factors include a family history, race (African Americans are at higher risk), advancing age, diabetes, obesity, arterial disease, atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease, tobacco use, high levels of inflammatory markers such as CRP and interleukin-6, and an HDL cholesterol level less than 40. For more information on the test, visit the Web site www.plactest.com.
Read more: http://www.drsinatra.com/heart-disease-tests-stroke-risk/#ixzz2pkfwqDOR
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