A study led by the research center Médica Aplicada (CIMA) of the University of Navarra, in partnership with the University Hospital of Salamanca and the Clínica Universidad de Navarrahas shown that cellular aging increases the risk of suffering a stroke or cerebral infarction by a factor of five. Thus, this depends on biological age and less on chronological age. With a blood test, patients with atrial fibrillation can find out their probability of suffering this cerebrovascular pathology. The results of the research are published in the latest issue of Stroke, the scientific journal of the American Heart Association (association ).

Stroke affects some 130,000 Spaniards every year, of whom 80,000 die or suffer some disability, according to the Spanish Society of Neurology. "This is a highly relevant health problem, given the prevalence and the health care expense involved in this disease, so it is essential to find markers that help to identify people at high risk in order to provide preventive treatment for this cerebrovascular pathology," says Dr. José Hermida, researcher of the Cardiovascular Diseases Program at CIMA and director of the study.

A 35% of cerebral strokes have their origin in atrial fibrillation, the most frequent arrhythmia subject . Specifically, Dr. Hermida points out, "the study of 187 patients with this cardiac pathology has shown that patients whose leukocytes (blood cells) have shortened telomeres (ends of chromosomes considered biomarkers of the aging process) have a 5 times greater risk of suffering cerebral stroke, regardless of their chronological age. These results will help us to properly select candidates for treatment with anticoagulants, which will reduce the risk of subsequent stroke," concludes researcher at CIMA.