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REGARDS Study School of Public Health
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  • REGARDS is an ongoing, national cohort study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
    Between 2003-2007, the study enrolled 30,239 black and white participants from the continental United States.
    For over two decade, the study has followed its participants to understand why Southerners and Black Americans have higher rates of stroke and related diseases that affect brain health.

  • The largest cohort of its kind, REGARDS provides unprecedented opportunities to improve the public’s health.

    As of January 2024:

    200+ Funded Ancillary Studies
    650+ Publications

  • On behalf of the REGARDS team, we’d like to say,
    "Thank You"
    to our many participants!

    thank you thank you

REGARDS - REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke

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.

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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.

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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.

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Cognitive decline reduced by MIND diet, especially for women and Black people, study finds

September 18, 2024

Cognitive decline reduced by MIND diet, especially for women and Black people, study finds
By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

A recent REGARDS study published in Neurology, led by Jessica Blair, Ph.D. and Suzanne Judd, Ph.D., demonstrates the benefits of the MIND style diet in slowing cognitive decline. The MIND diet's main components are green leafy vegetables, berries, whole grains, seeds, fish and poultry, while red meats, butter/ stick margarine, cheese, fried/ fast foods, pastries and sweets are limited on the MIND diet.

Read More at CNN Website

Cognitive decline rate after a mini stroke is the same as a full stroke, UAB

While strokes are widely recognized as a major cause of long-term disability in the United States, their quieter cousin, the mini stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA), often flies under the radar. These brief episodes of disrupted brain function may seem harmless, but could they be warning signs of something more serious?

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham evaluated TIAs’ effect on cognitive function and found a correlation between TIAs and future cognitive decline. While TIA participants were less impaired than stroke participants, results showed the two groups have the same rate of cognitive decline after their cerebrovascular event. Results were published in JAMA Neurology.

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  1. "Association of Duration of Recognized Hypertension and Stroke Risk: The REGARDS Study"

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