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Tracking levels of an inflammation-related protein in the months following a stroke could help identify patients at risk of later memory and thinking problems, according to new research from the University of Manchester.
The study [1], published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, focused on interleukin-6 (IL-6), a protein linked to immune activity and inflammation. Researchers found that while IL-6 levels typically rise shortly after a stroke and then decline, patients whose levels remained elevated or increased again months later were far more likely to develop cognitive impairment.
In some cases, these individuals were around eight times more likely to experience difficulties with memory and thinking.
The findings come from the Stroke IMPaCT study, an international collaboration investigating how immune responses influence long-term outcomes after stroke. Researchers followed patients treated for ischaemic stroke at Salford Royal Hospital, measuring IL-6 levels over an 18-month period alongside cognitive assessments.
The study also found that smoking appeared to alter inflammatory recovery after stroke, with smokers more likely to show prolonged IL-6 elevation, which was linked to worse cognitive outcomes.
Lead author Natasha Carmichael said the results suggest inflammation after stroke is not a single event but a longer biological process that may help identify patients needing closer monitoring or future targeted treatment.
Researchers say the findings could open the door to using inflammatory markers to predict and potentially reduce long-term cognitive decline after stroke, although further studies are needed to confirm whether IL-6 is directly involved.
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