Stroke is the second commonest case of death worldwide and a major global cause of severe disability. Its pathogenesis and mechanism are still unclear, but stroke is a kind of disease that can be effectively prevented and controlled. Moderate reduction of risk factors can significantly reduce stroke morbidity and mortality. However, our knowledge about the early specific risk factors or key biomarkers of stroke and its subtypes remain unclear. It is of practical significance to explore the genetic, lifestyle and environmental causes of stroke and its subtypes. The three main pathological types (ischaemic stroke, intracerebral and subarachnoid haemorrhage) and their subtypes are likely to be caused by a combination of genetic and non-genetic lifestyle and environmental exposures, with individually modest effects and complex interactions.
We will explore deeply both established and potential new risk factors, key biomarkers, determine differences in associations between subtypes, and shed new light on causal pathways through Joint model and Survival analysis.
Aim 1: To explore the specific risk factors of the stroke and its pathological types and subtypes, including lifestyle, environmental factors, genetic determinants, as well as the interaction among those key risk factors.
Aim 2: To profile the dynamic changes of key risk factors and their effects on the incidence of stroke and its subtypes.
Aim 3: To establish the risk prediction models of different stroke subtypes based on the specific and key risk factors.
Project duration: 36 months.
Public health impact:
We expect that the specific risk factors and key biomarkers of stroke and its subtypes identified by our proposed approach will provide insight into the biological basis and pathogenesis of stroke, and provide improved approaches for risk reduction of stroke incidence and morbidity.