David Goodhue - AHN Reporter
Houston, Texas (AHN) - Scientists have identified a genetic variant that millions of people have, which is linked to a common and deadly type of stroke.
Ischemic strokes make up almost 90 percent of all strokes. They are caused by blockages of blood to the brain. More than 150,000 Americans die of strokes yearly, making death from stroke the third-leading cause of death, according to a press release from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Researchers from the university said in a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that about 20 percent of white people and 10 percent of black people have at least one copy of the genetic variant, and each copy ups the risk of ischemic stroke by about 30 percent, according to the media release.
The researchers said they hope the discovery could lead to better detection strategies before stroke symptoms surface.
"This research gives us a pointer or a beacon on the genome where we can look further," Myriam Fornage, one of the study's lead authors, said in a statement.
The study observed 20,000 people from the United States and Europe.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved
|
