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#: 746916 S8/Complications  (CIS:DIABETES) 07-Aug-97  06:31:08 Sb: Strokes
	Linked to Genes Fm: SYSOP-Curtise McKenzie 71172,2135 To: all Replies: 0
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Study: Strokes could be linked to specific genes

CHICAGO - A study of rats suggests that a susceptibility toward having strokes
could be genetic, a finding that could pave the way for more effective stroke
prevention and treatment, according to a new study.

The presence of certain genes could put a person at a higher risk for having a
stroke, regardless of whether they have risk factors for strokes such as high
blood pressure or a bad diet, the study's senior's author said.

"The research shows that high blood pressure and other factors are not the
whole story," said Dr. Klaus Lindpaintner of Brigham and Women's Hospital in
Boston. "There are genes that directly affect the likelihood of having a
stroke."

The study appears in the August issue of the journal Nature Genetics and was
presented Sept. 19 at the American Heart Association's annual conference on
high blood pressure research in Chicago.

Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States behind heart
disease and cancer. Strokes occur when a blocked or broken blood vessel or
artery keeps blood and oxygen from getting to the brain.

There is no way to determine whether or not an individual will have a stroke.
Certain factors - such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and
some heart conditions - are known to increase the risk, so doctors concentrate
on controlling them with medication and lifestyle changes.

For the study, researchers interbred two strains of hypertensive rats with
cardiovascular disease, one that was stroke-prone and one that wasn't. After
examining their offspring's genetic structures, researchers found three areas
on the chromosomes that seemed to influence a predisposition toward having
strokes.

One area increased the risk, while the other two reduced it. Researchers found
that the combination of genes the rats possessed affected their predisposition
toward having strokes.

Lindpaintner and other researchers are trying to pinpoint the location of the
rat genes and determine if correlating genes can be found in human DNA. If
they are, he said, it could drastically change the way doctors try to prevent
strokes.

"We can't tell who will have a stroke so we treat everyone very aggressively,
and an awful lot of people have to endure high costs and medical side
effects," he said. "If we can determine a genetic cause, perhaps we can
develop more effective treatments."

Another doctor in the field said that while the research looks promising, more
study needs to be done.

"Given the fact that this is an artificially contrived model, it's all very
speculative," said Dr. Steven Brint, associate head of neurology at the
University of Illinois at Chicago.

By The Associated Press