MDs and ODs Preventing Strokes--Maybe Someday

"A simple eye test may someday offer an effective way to identify patients who are at high risk for stroke, say researchers at the University of Zurich," reports Medical News Today. "They showed that a test called ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) can reliably detect carotid artery stenosis (CAS), a condition that clogs or blocks the arteries that feed the front part of the brain. It's a known risk factor for stroke. The OPA test could be performed by ophthalmologists - physicians who treat eye diseases - during routine exams. The study, ...published in the June issue of Ophthalmology, ...confirmed that patients who had the lowest OPA scores also had the most seriously blocked arteries." Read more.

The Swiss research team used a device called the dynamic contour tonometer to check the OPA of 67 patients who were assumed to have CAS. The OPA score is calculated by finding the difference between the two pressure levels that occur inside the eye during the two phases of the heartbeat -- the systolic and diastolic. The tonometer measures the two pressure levels, then instantly computes the patient's OPA score. When blood flow to the eye is blocked by CAS, there is not much difference between the two pressure levels, so the OPA score is low. The study confirmed that patients with the lowest OPA scores also had the most seriously blocked arteries. The researchers used ultrasound exams to corroborate that each study participant had CAS and to detail the severity of his or her blockage.