blood Archives - Randox Laboratories

Improving stroke diagnoses with Randox Biosciences

Posted on 16th April 2019 at 12:15 am.

A stroke can happen to anyone at any time. It is a serious life-threatening medical condition which occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. It causes the brain cells to die resulting the abilities controlled by the brain such as memory and muscle control to become damaged. ¹

According to the Stroke Association, strokes are considered the fourth biggest killer in the UK. There are more than 100,000 strokes each year which equals around one stroke every five minutes^.2 Some people recover from the condition; however, two thirds of the survivors will have some sort of disability. ³

There are two mains types of strokes which are defined as “Ischemic strokes” and “Hemorrhagic stroke”.

Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic stroke is by far the most common kind of stroke, accounting for about 88% of all cases⁴. Ischemic strokes occur when there is an artery blockage which cuts off the blood supply to certain areas of the brain, which then results in brain cells being unable to make energy and dying. The arteries are vital for the brain as they bring fresh blood from the heart and lungs carrying oxygen and nutrients and taking away carbon dioxide and cellular waste. ⁴

Hemorrhagic Stroke

The hemorrhagic stroke is less common but is more severe as there is a higher risk of dying within the first three months. It is when a blood vessel ruptures causing a bleed inside the brain, resulting in the death of brain cells. They are responsible for 40% of all stroke deaths.⁵

Symptoms of Stroke

The most commons symptoms of a stroke are:

Weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
Loss of vision or dimming in one or both eyes
Loss of speech, difficulty talking, or understanding what others are saying
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Loss of balance or unstable walking, usually combined with another symptom

Many risk factors can increase your chance of having a stroke. Some life style factors include being obese/overweight, not exercising enough, heavy drinking, use of illegal drug such as cocaine, cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, disruptive sleeping pattern and family history of having stroke or heart attack.

Preventing Stroke

Up to 80% of strokes are preventable. ³There are simple healthy lifestyle recommendations that could decrease your chances of developing a stroke in the future which include:

Controlling your blood pressures as it is one of the biggest preventions of developing a stroke.
Maintaining a healthy weight through a well-balanced diet involving rich fruit and vegetables as well as decreasing the amount of cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium intake.
Exercising regularly and staying within a good routine will also reduce your risk of having a stroke.
Quitting tobacco usage and decreasing alohcal intake will help as well as regular usage increases the risk of having high blood pressure.
Avoid taking illegal drugs such as cocaine as it reduces your blood flow which narrows the arteries.

Randox Biosciences offers a stroke array which works quickly to determine which type of stroke a person has experienced. Ischaemic stroke can be treated by thrombolysis and, with early usage, it can help limit stroke damage and disability.

However, inappropriate administration of thrombolytic therapy can cause serious adverse effects, including intracranial haemorrhage. Hence, there is an unmet clinical need for a rapid and highly sensitive testing that complements existing CT scanning approaches and facilitate the definitive identification of ischaemic stroke patients.

Randox’s innovative Biochip Array Technology enables simultaneous detection of eight stroke biomarkers from a single blood sample.

The eight biomarkers that can be detected in a single blood sample are:

Glutathione S-Transferase-Pi (GSTP-Pi)
Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase A (NDKA)
Parkinson Protein 7 (PARK7)
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP)
D-Dimer
Interleukin 6 (IL-6)
sNFR1
Heart Fatty Acid Binding Protein (H-FABP)

For more information email us at info@randoxbiosciences.com or visit our newly improved website: https://goo.gl/8qkYkg

Focus on Chronic Kidney Disease diagnosis (CKD)

Posted on 29th December 2017 at 12:15 am.

Written by Randox Communications

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a long term condition which involves the progressive loss of kidney function a late diagnosis can result in end stage renal disease requiring kidney dialysis or transplantation. Typically, CKD is result of a combination of other conditions which puts a strain on the kidneys, these conditions can include high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol amongst many other ailments.¹

Randox Biosciences are continually researching and developing new tests, targeting various health concerns around the world to improve diagnostics and health worldwide. Recently, our dedicated scientists have developed a new test, utilising our proprietary Biochip Array Technology (BAT) that simultaneously and quantitatively detects multiple early biomarkers associated with kidney damage allowing for earlier intervention and treatment, preventing further kidney damage.

We offer two multiplex Chronic Kidney Arrays as shown below:

Early detection provides those diagnosed with the opportunity to alter their lifestyle in order to improve their kidney and overall health, whether that is through the reduction of salt in their diet, increased physical activity and alcohol limitation.

To find out more about the Chronic Kidney Disease Arrays offered by Biosciences email info@randoxbisociences.com

¹ NHS – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kidney-disease/

Product Focus: Latest RIQAS Programmes

Posted on 30th March 2017 at 11:38 am.

Written by randoxlaboratories

product spotlight - latest RIQAS programmes

RIQAS is the largest international External Quality Assessment (EQA)/ Proficiency Testing (PT) scheme, with over 45,000 participants across 32 comprehensive programme options. Providing access to large, international peer groups you can be confident in the statistical validity of the results obtained.

In March 2016, we added eight new RIQAS EQA programmes to our already extensive portfolio. The new programmes included; CSF, Sweat Testing, Immunosuppressant drugs, Trace Elements in Serum, Trace Elements in Urine, Trace Elements in Blood, Anti-TSH Receptor (TRAb) and Cyfra 21-1.

Like all programmes the latest additions are designed to cover the full clinical decision range, reassuring clinicians and patients that the results released are accurate and reliable. The added benefit of monthly reporting supports the rapid identification of errors, this combined with a report turnaround of 24-72 hours from the submission deadline allows faster implementation of any necessary corrective actions, reducing the need for expensive and time consuming patient sample retests.

With Cycle 2 of the new programmes just around the corner we thought we would take this opportunity to explore what each programme has to offer.

Download RIQAS Explained Brochure

Week 1- Trace Elements in Serum, Trace Elements in Urine, Trace Elements in Blood

RIQAS provide three trace element programmes designed for use in clinical and toxicology laboratories specialising in the testing of trace metals, heavy metals and minerals. Options are available for blood, serum and urine ensuring a matrix similar to that of the patient sample. Each programme will help ensure the accuracy of test results in patients who have experienced accidental or occupational exposure to such toxic metals