A groundbreaking preliminary study to be presented at the 2025 International Stroke Conference suggests that a blood test measuring glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels could quickly differentiate between hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes before patients reach the emergency room. The study found that GFAP levels were almost seven times higher in bleeding strokes compared to clot-caused strokes, with 90% to 95% accuracy in predicting bleeding strokes when using age-based criteria.
Seeing that the two types require opposite treatments, early identification of stroke type is critical. This test could be particularly revolutionary because current stroke diagnosis relies on imaging, which can take hours to obtain while crucial brain tissue dies. While the study, which included 353 patients, demonstrated that GFAP levels below 30 pg/mL could rule out bleeding strokes in patients with moderate to severe neurological deficits, the test currently requires blood centrifugation and may be less accurate in elderly patients.
If larger studies confirm these results, this blood test could transform stroke treatment by allowing medical interventions to begin even before patients reach the hospital. Such a change in timing and treatment could potentially lead to better outcomes for stroke patients.