New Predictor for Stroke Death

PARIS (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- For the first time, researchers say they have found a risk factor linked to fatal strokes. Their study shows the stiffness of the aorta can indicate the risk of a fatal stroke regardless of other risk factors.

The aorta is the major artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. An increased stiffness in the aorta can lead to elevated blood pressure. Researchers from Paris conducted a study to determine if arterial stiffness is a risk factor for fatal strokes.

The study included 1,715 patients with mild high blood pressure but no apparent signs of cardiovascular disease. The patients were followed for nearly eight years. All of the patients had some arterial stiffness, which was measured by determining how long it took a pulse wave to move from the heart to other parts of the body. Those with stiffer arteries had higher numbers.

Over the study period, researchers say 157 participants died including 25 from strokes and 35 from a coronary event. Researchers looked at the risk for fatal stroke as it compared to the arterial stiffness measurement. They report a 72-percent increase in the risk for a fatal stroke for each four meters per second in the measurement of arterial stiffness. This risk remained even after adjusting for other risk factors including age, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and high blood pressure.

Researchers say there are several explanations for this association between arterial stiffness and a fatal stroke. First, the stiffness could increase the difference between the upper and lower numbers of a blood pressure reading in turn increasing the risk of a stroke. They say another possibility is that the stiffness measurement may indicate damage to the artery wall. Authors of the study say large clinical trials are needed to see if relieving arterial stiffness could prevent stroke deaths.

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