RESEARCH - Genetic variant tied to increased stroke risk

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Genetic Variant Tied To Increased Stroke Risk

ScienceDaily (Apr. 17, 2009) — Millions of people have a genetic

variant linked to increased risk of ischemic stroke, reports an

international research team including scientists at The University of

Texas Health Science Center at Houston in a study published online by

The New England Journal of Medicine on April 15.

Ischemic stroke accounts for nearly 90 percent of all strokes and is

caused by blockage of blood to the brain. More than 150,000 Americans

succumb to stroke every year, making it the third leading cause of

death. Survivors often experience permanent stoke-related

disabilities.

Data gleaned from four large genome-wide association studies in the

United States and Europe revealed that about 20 percent of whites and

10 percent of blacks have at least one copy of this genetic variant

and that each copy increases the risk of ischemic stroke by

approximately 30 percent.

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Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090415172235.htm

Not an MD