What leads to stroke and how it affects thinking and memory
Precursors of Stroke Incidence and Prognosis
['FUNDING_R01'] · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · NIH-11178711
This project uses long-term heart and blood vessel health information to find who is more likely to have thinking problems or dementia after a stroke, focusing on Black and White adults.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BOSTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11178711 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From my view as a patient, the team is using decades of health records from large U.S. studies to trace how lifetime exposure to things like obesity and high cholesterol links to thinking problems after stroke. They will combine and compare data from Framingham, REGARDS, and ARIC to build and test risk tools that work in Black and White participants and include social factors. The researchers will use statistical and causal methods on these cohort records to see whether obesity or dyslipidemia directly raise the risk and whether existing drugs might be repurposed. Their goal is to create practical risk predictions and prevention ideas that clinicians could use before or after a stroke.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with a history of stroke, older adults with vascular risk factors (like obesity or high cholesterol), or participants in the Framingham, REGARDS, or ARIC cohorts—particularly Black and White adults—are the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: Young healthy people without vascular risk factors or those whose cognitive decline is driven by non-vascular causes may be unlikely to benefit directly from this project's findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians identify people at high risk for cognitive decline after stroke and tailor prevention or treatment to reduce dementia risk.
How similar studies have performed: Prior cohort studies have linked vascular risk factors to dementia, but comprehensive, racially validated risk tools and clear causal evidence for obesity and dyslipidemia in post-stroke dementia remain limited.
Where this research is happening
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
- BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS — BOSTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: ROMERO, JOSE RAFAEL — BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
- Study coordinator: ROMERO, JOSE RAFAEL
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 below.
Conditions: Alzheimer disease dementia, Alzheimer syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease