Researchers have identified a potential cause for lacunar strokes, a type of stroke affecting 35,000 people in the UK each year. A study by experts at the University of Edinburgh and the UK Dementia Research Institute suggests these strokes may stem from the widening of tiny brain arteries, rather than narrowing.
New Understanding of Lacunar Strokes
This discovery could explain why current treatments, such as anti-platelet drugs, are often ineffective for lacunar strokes. Patients with widened arteries were found to be four times more likely to suffer a lacunar stroke and also had a higher risk of “silent strokes”.
Implications for Treatment
The findings, published in Circulation, are being used in ongoing trials to develop new therapies targeting the underlying microvascular damage.
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