Reducing risk of recurrent stroke and cognitive decline after transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and stroke through characterisation and treatment of novel physiological markers

Strokes, dementia and blood flow-related damage to the brain related to blood flow continue to occur despite excellent control of blood pressure and other recognised risk factors. Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide.

This study will recruit 1,000 patients already participating in a long-term follow-up study after having a stroke, who are receiving the best available investigations and treatments. We will use non-invasive techniques to measure the characteristics of these patients’ blood vessels and blood supply to the brain to assess how much these contribute to their ongoing risk of chronic injury to the brain or a further stroke. We will identify the most important abnormalities and systematically test potential treatments in a series of focused studies. This will include medications to expand blood vessels and control blood pressure, to determine which improve these measures and therefore have the potential to reduce the risk of stroke. Ultimately, we will test the effects of these agents in large clinical trials to determine their effect on recurrent strokes, death and other events.

This study has the potential to identify novel treatments that will significantly reduce the incidence of stroke and associated chronic brain injury and dementia.