PREDICT-EV; the Association of Extracellular Vesicles and Dysregulated Coagulation in the Prediction of Stroke
Annually 100,000 strokes occur, placing stroke as the largest cause of disability in the UK. 90% of strokes are preventable, leading to national focus on programmes including The National Stroke Programme to act on preventing, treating, and improving post-stroke care. Importantly, over 25% of ischaemic stroke sufferers have previously had a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA), which presents the biggest concern for TIA patients. There are no measures which reliably identify TIA patients most likely to suffer a stroke. Novel biomarkers for predicting stroke are key to addressing this problem. The PREDICT-EV study aims to screen 300 TIA patients and follow them over 12-months. The investigators will determine if a novel biomarker we've identified to increase thrombotic risk (endothelial derived extracellular vesicles) and the resulting increased prothrombin time is associated with patients at highest risk of stroke.
• Patients with or without diagnosis of TIA made by a physician working in stroke medicine, sufficiently so to start post-TIA care or so that no further investigation is thought necessary to confirm or refute the diagnosis.
• TIA confirmed patient has been prescribed antiplatelet drugs or anticoagulants.
• Patients must be aged \> 18 years.
• Patients are taking an ordinary diet by mouth.
• Radiological evidence, on CT and/or MR imaging of the brain of cerebral infarction, with or without secondary haemorrhage.
• The underlying mechanism of cerebral infarction is embolic from a cardiac source (e.g. atrial fibrillation), atherothromboembolic (from aorta or other large vessels in the neck) or in-situ thrombosis. No further investigations are thought necessary to confirm or refute the diagnosis.
• No further investigations are thought necessary to confirm or refute the diagnosis.
• Patients must be aged \>18 years.
• Patients must not be pregnant or breast feeding.
• Patients are taking an ordinary diet by mouth. Exclusion Criteria