Charity Leads Way in Stroke Research

In connection with Stroke Awareness Week ¹, The Stroke Association has just has awarded a £100,000 grant to look into what causes a quarter of all strokes. Over 100,000 first strokes occur each year in England and Wales alone.

A research team at St George's Medical School, London ² will be looking into the causes of lacunar stroke, a type of stroke caused by a reduction of blood supply in the small blood vessels in the brain. Around a quarter of all strokes are lacunar strokes - 25,000 new cases each year.

Professor Hugh Markus, who is leading the study said: "Our research will look at whether common variations in a number of specific genes controlling the functioning of the blood vessels in the brain result in an increased risk of stroke. This research is vital in helping to prevent the thousands of strokes that occur each year."

The reasons why some people are more susceptible to lacunar stroke than others are unknown, but doctors suspect that genes may play a part in this.

This research project is one of seven grants that has been funded by The Stroke Association in its latest round of awards. Over £435,000 in total has been allocated to stroke research projects around the country. The charity, dedicated to helping people of all ages affected by stroke, funds around £2 million of stroke research each year.

Other grants include £85,000 awarded to Dr Sally Webster at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. Her team will be looking at why aspirin stops working during an operation (carotid endarterectomy) that reduces the risk of stroke. When aspirin stops working the risk of stroke or heart attack after this type of surgery may be increased. This study will help to provide information that may reduce these risks.

Two other grants include £48,000 awarded to University of Newcastle to develop a
coping skills programme for new carers whose relatives have recently experienced stroke. And another £64,000 has been awarded to researchers in London who will be seeking to understand a complex condition after a stroke. A stroke patient who has this condition will be totally unaware that their arm or leg is physically paralysed and will insist that they are well, despite doctors informing them otherwise.

"These projects cover a range of areas by top researchers in their field," says Professor Peter Fentem, Chairman of The Stroke Association's Research and Development Committee. "Their work may help provide the prevention and treatment so badly needed to reduce the level of death and severe disability from stroke in this country."

Other research grants include a £54,000 study in Edinburgh looking at changes in muscle strength after a stroke, a £47,000 study looking into a treatment for word-finding problems ( a common problem for people with aphasia after a stroke), and £35,000 grant for developing a falls prediction strategy.

"All these projects are of the highest calibre and The Stroke Association is pleased to be able to support this level of research," adds Professor Fentem. "The charity remains a leading
funding body for research in this field, which receives very limited support from Government funds."

Ends

Notes to editor

1. Stroke Awareness Week runs from 29th September to 5th October 2002. For details of events in North London call 020 8994 2847 and South London, please call 020 8697 1636.

2. What causes cerebral small vessel disease: the role of genetic variation in endothelial function.
Professor H Markus, Professor N Carter, Dr A Hassan, Dr J Bamford.
Clinical Neurosciences Department, St George's Hospital Medical School, London. Professor Hugh Markus is also available for interview on 020 8725 2735.

3. For more information on the Research grants or Stroke Awareness Week, please call The Stroke Association's press office on 020 7566 0317/ 0328.

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