The study found genetic markers in inflammation that may be linked to a second stroke or another major cardiovascular event after a stroke. These findings could help identify drug targets to alleviate stroke-related disability and mortality.
People who have an arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) or a transient ischemic attack (TIA) are at increased risk of having a second stroke or another major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), making it extremely important to identify risk factors and treatments to prevent these subsequent occurrences.
A new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Bristol Biomedical Research Center (Bristol BRC) and Veteran’s Affairs Boston Healthcare System (VA Boston) has identified new genetic risk factors and molecular that may reveal new ways to treat patients after their first stroke.
Published in Stroke, the study identified CCL27 and TNFRSF14, two proteins that are associated with subsequent MACEs but not with initial strokes. These proteins are known to activate inflammation, which plays a key role in the development of strokes and many chronic conditions and diseases.
The findings suggest that inflammation is a contributing factor to MACE outcomes among people after their first stroke.
The second leading cause of death and third leading cause of disability worldwide
“While previous studies have found associations between inflammation and incident AIS/MACE, our study found that these causative proteins may also have a role in subsequent MACE, which could lead to potential new drug targets,” says study co-lead author Nimish Adhikari, a doctoral student in biostatistics at BUSPH and VA Boston.
Using genetic information and medical history data from two large biobanks, the VA’s Million Veteran Program and the UK Biobank, the research team performed ancestry-specific genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to find associations between DNA and incident AIS and MACE and subsequent ones.
GWAS are typically performed to determine whether individuals had a medical event for the first time, but applying this method to subsequent MACE events could yield new information about stroke progression, information that would be valuable for identifying therapeutic drugs, the researchers say .
The prevalence of stroke has decreased worldwide
In total, the researchers examined 93,422 people who had an incident stroke, of whom 51,929 had subsequent MACEs and 45,120 had subsequent AISs.
“We used this data to find out if there were certain molecules that were associated with incident or subsequent states,” says Elmore. “From this, we were able to identify a link between certain molecules that play a role in inflammation and these stroke and MACE outcomes.”
Although the prevalence of stroke has decreased worldwide over the past three decades, it remains the second leading cause of death and third leading cause of disability worldwide and remains a significant public health problem. EurekAlert.
Stroke also continues to disproportionately affect racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic populations, exacerbating health inequalities in both high- and low-income countries. Identifying new drug targets for new therapeutic interventions to prevent stroke progression could save millions of people from stroke-related disability and mortality.
We recommend you also read:
A smartphone app can identify stroke symptoms in real time
Trouble sleeping? You may have an increased risk of stroke
A teacher explains the link between chicken pox and stroke risk
Video game therapy helps stroke patients
Source: www.descopera.ro
