Demonstrate the relationship between the thickness of the carotid artery and stroke risk

The team of Neurology, Hospital del Mar (Barcelona) has shown that the thickness of the carotid wall may determine the risk of recurrence of stroke or stroke , as reported by the health center Thursday. The research, conducted over 600 patients who have suffered strokes, points to the utility of measuring the thickness of the intima and media layers of the carotid artery by ultrasound, as an early warning in the probability of relapse and therefore, as a clinical marker of prognosis.

The findings, published in Stroke , help identify high-risk patients and to "focus efforts" on them, as highlighted by the author of the study, Jaume Roquer. "Thanks to the report, the thickness of the carotid artery will become another important element to keep in mind to identify patients most at risk," reiterated Roquer, who stressed the great value of the study to improve prevention.

Experts, who have done this work in the Arctic multicenter study that evaluated potential markers of recurrence in stroke, have a "big step" in the study of this disease, with 7 percent of patients who suffer again a new episode during the first year, rising to 15% if you add cardiovascular events and death.