Approved research

Vascular diseases; their consequences and determinants.

Lay summary

This study aims to use UK Biobank to study diseases of blood vessels which have not yet been studied in such a large number of people. For instance, migraines are common and disabling condition that has not been widely studied despite the significant toll it takes on the UK economy and the life of sufferers. Migraine sufferers are known to be more likely to have a stroke or other cardiovascular disease, but the reasons for this are not known. An aneurysm is a swelling of part of a blood vessel which can rupture, causing often fatal bleeding. Aneurysms often cause no symptoms until they rupture, so understanding how to avoid them developing in the first place is very important. This size of UK Biobank gives us more power to uncover important causes of these conditions, and their subsequent health effects. We aim to better understand these diseases so that we can formulate advice to help people avoid or manage these diseases better.