Can a beam of light help stop deadly blood clots?

NEAR-INFRARED light could be used to help detect those at heightened risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Scientists found using the light can help them spot plaques — fatty deposits in blood vessels — with internal bleeding that are likely to rupture imminently.

Those that rupture can cause clots that lead to a heart attack or stroke. No imaging techniques can predict which plaques are most dangerous yet.

Researchers at the University of Warwick and Australia’s Monash University made the finding, as reported in Nature. It’s hoped the technique could monitor the effectiveness of drugs used for plaques.