Researchers have identified a genetic risk factor associated with ischemic stroke, a type of neurological disorder caused by the death of brain tissue due to inadequate blood and oxygen supply. Ischemic strokes often occur after a blood clot prevents blood from reaching the brain.

A study published in the April 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reports that two genetic variants on chromosome 12 are strongly linked to incidence of stroke. These variants are in close proximity to two genes that are compromised during stroke. One, NINJ2, is linked to brain injury repair and the other, WNK1, is tied to blood pressure and hypertension.

The study showed that people with the genetic variation are 30 percent more likely to suffer from stroke than populations who do not exhibit the variation. These genetic symbols were found in roughly 20 percent of the studied Caucasian population and in about 10 percent of the studied African-American population.

The research team compared the incidence of these genetic factors in 1,544 people who had experienced stroke and 18,058 who had not. Populations studied were from the Netherlands and North America.

The report notes that these genetic codes are not likely the cause of stroke, but rather are somehow linked with the actual cause.

Visit the Healia Stroke Community and Support Group for more information and to share experiences with stroke.

_{Photo: andypowe11, Flickr, Creative Commons}