Cerebral stroke via Shutterstock
Scientists believe they have discovered a new set of genes linked to stroke -- but not just any stroke. The finding could help shed light on one of the most common types, and one closely associated with cases of dementia.
Until now, no research had identified a gene associated with a this very specific event called small vessel disease, or SVD. What's most interesting about this finding, researchers say, is the potential impact that it may have. Cerebral SVD is characterized by ischemic lesions located in the small arteries of either the basal ganglia, or the white matter of the brain. It is a very serious type of stroke known to contribute to 45 percent of all dementia cases.
The research was published in the journal Lancet Neurology.
The discovery stems from a collaborative effort between the Boston University School of Medicine and the University of Bordeaux in France, where researchers assessed nearly 85,000 individuals between 1948 and 2013. The data showed that 4,348 of these individuals suffered a stroke within the 65-year span.
“We looked at millions of markers in each person and said how do all the people who have stroke differ from all the people who don’t have stroke,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Sudha Seshadri, professor of neurology, speaking with CBS News. Investigators took this information and conducted "a genome-wide analysis of common genetic variants associated with stroke."
Previous research supports a strong association between genetic make-up and likelihood of stroke, with evidence suggesting that there are seven known stroke-related genes. In addition to finding these genes among the cohort -- thus confirming previous research -- scientists also uncovered an eighth gene set called FOXF2, the presence of which "increased the risk of having a stroke due to small vessel disease in the brain," according to neurosciencenews.com. "No previous study has identified a gene for the common type of small vessel disease stroke."
"Unraveling the mechanisms of small vessel disease is essential for the development of therapeutic and preventive strategies for this major cause of stroke,” Dr. Seshadri added, in a statement from BU School of Medicine.
The public health burden of strokes are considerable. According to the American Stroke Association, it is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Strokes are also a leading cause of disability -- such as paralysis, problems controlling movement, thinking and memory -- all of which have severe economic and emotional costs.
Identification of this eighth gene set could potentially help to improve targeted prevention efforts, as well as increase treatment options and recovery outcomes for those who have already been afflicted.