Brain News – A study identified insomnia as a potential risk factor for brain aneurysm and a type of stroke called a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). It also showed an association between increased risk for brain aneurysms and other risk factors for strokes, such as smoking and high blood pressure.
In a new study, researchers at the American Heart Association examined the data collected from several genome-wide association studies to measure genetic associations to lifestyle and cardiometabolic risk factors. The genetic information was used to identify nearly 6300 intracranial aneurysm cases and 4200 SAH cases. Then the researchers compared the cases of intracranial aneurysm and SAH with over 59,500 controls to determine genetic predisposition for aneurysms.
They researched the established risk factors, such as smoking and high blood pressure and analyzed the association between aneurysms and sleep, BMI, type 2 diabetes, chronic inflammation, kidney function, coffee consumption, physical activity, blood pressure and glucose levels.
The study discovered a significant association between a genetic predisposition for insomnia and a 24% increased risk of intracranial aneurysm and SAH. The findings showed that the risk for intracranial aneurysm was about three times higher for smokers than non-smokers and for each 10 mm Hg increase in diastolic blood pressure. However, high triglyceride levels and high BMI didn’t report higher risk for intracranial aneurysm and SAH.
“Our research supports the thinking that risk factors that people can change or manage may impact brain aneurysms and hemorrhage risk. Once confirmed, future studies should examine ways to incorporate this knowledge into prevention programs and therapies,” said Susanna C. Larsson, lead author of the study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
To Know more You May Refer To:
Karhunen, V., Bakker, M. K., Ruigrok, Y. M., Gill, D., & Larsson, S. C. (2021). Modifiable risk factors for intracranial aneurysm and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: A mendelian randomization study. Journal of the American Heart Association, 10(22). https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.121.022277
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