Lacunar strokes caused by widening of arteries in brain, study suggests | Stroke

The cause of a type of stroke which affects around 35,000 people each year in the UK has been discovered by researchers and could explain why some drugs are ineffective as treatment.

Lacunar strokes, which account for a quarter of all strokes in the UK, have been linked to fatty deposits blocking arteries in the brain.

However, a study published Wednesday suggests they are not caused by blocked arteries but by the enlargement and enlargement of arteries in the brain.

This would help explain why aspirin and other blood thinners, commonly used to prevent ischemic strokes, are not as effective in preventing lacunar strokes.

The research by academics from the University of Edinburgh and the UK’s Dementia Research Institute analyzed 229 patients who had mild lacunar or non-lacunar strokes.

Maeva May, policy director at the Stroke Association, said the findings “illustrate the value of the research and the potential it has to change the lives of stroke patients”.

“There is still so much we don’t know about stroke, despite it being the leading cause of complex disability in adults and the fourth leading cause of death in the UK,” May said.

“Answering these questions and developing effective treatments is crucial to ensuring a successful recovery for the 240 people who survive a stroke every day in the UK.

“Stroke research is chronically underfunded, with less than 1% of total UK research funding dedicated to the disease. This study – and others like it – must be a national priority within the NHS, government and the wider research community, with clear pathways to bring groundbreaking discoveries from the laboratory to patients.”

Specifically, the study found that narrowing of large arteries was instead more commonly seen in other types of strokes. Instead, widening arteries showed strong links to lacunar disease, with patients who suffered from them being more than four times more likely to have a lacunar stroke.

Joanna Wardlaw, professor of applied neuroimaging at the University of Edinburgh and group leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute, said: “This study provides strong evidence that lacunar stroke is not caused by a fatty blockage of the larger arteries, but by disease of the small vessels in the brain itself.

“Recognizing this distinction is crucial, as it explains why conventional treatments like antiplatelet drugs are not as effective for this type of stroke and highlights the urgent need to develop new therapies targeting the underlying microvascular damage. »