Blood test could help doctors drill down into stroke cause

A few postings back, I cited a recent report that a quick MRI might help stroke patients fare better. The idea, in essence, is that with proper, accurate information, better decisions can be made.

Now, there's another story in a similar vein - a new blood test could help doctors drill down into what caused a patient to have a stroke:

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Clinical trials are underway for what could be a first-of-its-kind blood test that would help doctors determine what caused a patient to have a stroke.

Developed by Cincinnati-based Ischemia Care, the test isolates RNA from whole blood and examines immune responses, with the goal of differentiating where an ischemic stroke originated in a patient’s body.

Again, better information, obtained quickly, could potentially guide treatment and, in turn, potentially produce better outcomes. This story is not over, but worth watching.