Understanding What Causes Stroke in Women
Official title: Risk Factors for Ischemic Stroke in Women
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11109384 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at many different proteins in women to understand what might lead to a stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 11, 2008 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $681,564 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL088521-13 |
| Project ID | NIH-11109384 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research focuses on understanding stroke in women, particularly those who have participated in large health studies like the Nurses’ Health Studies or the Women’s Health Initiative.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not at risk for or experiencing ischemic stroke, or those outside the demographic of the large studies being analyzed, may not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Stroke is a major health concern for women, causing death and disability. This project uses advanced techniques to measure a wide range of proteins in the body. By looking at these proteins, we hope to find new clues about what causes ischemic stroke. The goal is to discover new biological markers that could help predict stroke or lead to new treatments. This work uses information from several large health studies involving many women.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to identify women at risk for stroke and develop better prevention or treatment strategies.
How similar studies have gone: While some smaller studies have explored proteomics and cardiovascular disease, this project represents a more comprehensive and larger-scale approach to understanding stroke in women.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rexrode, Kathryn M — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Rexrode, Kathryn M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Improving blood flow after stroke by breaking down NETs
Aims to see if breaking down neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) after an ischemic stroke can improve blood flow and reduce brain injury in patients.
-
EP2 blockers to protect the brain after a stroke
Aims to test brain-permeable EP2 antagonists to reduce damage after ischemic stroke and improve recovery.
-
Genetic testing to find causes of early-onset ischemic stroke
This project uses whole-exome sequencing to look for gene changes that may cause ischemic stroke in adults who had a stroke at a young age.
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Targeted nanomedicine to protect the brain after stroke
A targeted drug-delivery approach aims to boost blood-brain barrier repair and reduce brain damage after an acute ischemic stroke in patients at risk.
-
How biological aging and blood proteins relate to thinking after a stroke
This project looks at whether measures of biological aging and patterns of blood proteins help explain which stroke survivors keep their thinking sharp and which go on to develop vascular dementia.
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Repurposing NEXLETOL to treat ischemic stroke
Aims to see if the cholesterol drug NEXLETOL can help people after an ischemic stroke by supporting brain energy use and reducing injury.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.