U.S. approves new blood test to screen stroke



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A blood test already used to help screen for heart problems won U.S. approval to help predict a patient's risk for stroke, officials for the firm that makes it said on Friday.




The Plac test, made by privately held diaDexus, scans the blood for high levels of the protein Lp-PLA2, which studies found were more common in stroke patients.

GlaxoSmithKline Plc holds a partial stake in the biotech firm, which it co-founded in 1997 as SmithKline Beecham along with Incyte Genomics.

The test will be available through national laboratories, including Quest Diagnostics Inc. .