Developing a scan to detect patients at a higher risk of stroke

18F-Fluoride positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance imaging in patients with acute neurovascular syndrome (Mr Jakub Kaczynski)

BHF Professor David Newby and his colleagues at the University of Edinburgh are using a new scan that uses very strong magnets to study fatty deposits in the arteries of the head, neck and chest of people who have had a recent stroke. Professor Newby and the team have discovered that a new scanning method called 18F-fluoride positron emission tomography better detects build-ups of fatty materials, known as plaques, that are most likely to break apart and cause a heart attack or stroke. This technique measures how the plaques absorb a marker called 18F-Flouride and now the team are going to investigate how well this relates to disease. In this project, a student working with Professor Newby will scan people who have had a recent stroke using this technique to find the affected blood vessels. They will also examine diseased blood vessels, after they have been removed during surgery, under the microscope to work out how 18F-fluoride uptake matches with the development of clots and fat build-up in the blood vessels, which can ultimately lead to strokes and heart attacks. This research aims to identify features of artery disease that could be used to predict future problems and diseases of the circulation in patients. The scan could detect patients at higher risk of stroke and heart attacks, and mean that they could receive preventative medicines or surgical treatments.