Important News
Improving stroke risk prediction in atrial fibrillation with circulating biomarkers
A study using data from the Reasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study found that certain circulating biomarkers were associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke in adults with atrial fibrillation (AF) who were already taking anticoagulant medications . These biomarkers included NT-proBNP, factor VIII, and D-dimer, which are related to cardiac strain, coagulation, and inflammation, respectively. A combination of these biomarkers may offer a way to better predict a patient's risk of stroke despite being on anticoagulation therapy.
Delaying onset of high blood pressure can lower stroke risk, study shows
Nearly half of adults in the United States have hypertension, or high blood pressure, which is the leading risk factor for stroke. While the link between hypertension and stroke risk is well studied, little is known about how long someone’s having hypertension affects these risks.
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham evaluated the association of hypertension duration on the management of hypertension and stroke risk. Results, published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke, found an increased risk of stroke and a need for more classes of antihypertension medications the longer one has high blood pressure.
REGARDS study secures NIH funding for another five years, expands research on stroke and brain health risks
The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is a cornerstone in cardiovascular and dementia research and has been awarded $40 million in funding for another five years by the National Institutes of Health. The UAB School of Public Health REGARDS study will continue its groundbreaking work to understand why Southern Americans and Black Americans have higher rates of stroke and related brain health issues.
Sponsored through a partnership between the National Institute of Neurologic Diseases and Stroke and the National Institute on Aging, REGARDS will continue following the 8,000 current participants and recruit a new cohort of 12,000 individuals ages 45-65 to explore the generational differenced in midlife health risks.
The study is led by Suzanne Judd, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Health Behavior; George Howard, DrPH, distinguished professor in the Department of Biostatistics; and Virginia Howard, Ph.D., distinguished professor from the Department of Epidemiology; all in the UAB School of Public Health, along with Jennifer Manly, Ph.D., from Columbia University and Mary Cushman, M.D., from the University of Vermont.