Approximately a third of all stokes; and as many as half of those occurring in adults aged under 49 years of age, cannot be explained by considering common causes or risk factors. Inflammatory diseases of the peripheral organs (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease), which affect around 10% of the UK population, may represent an under-researched but clinically relevant stroke risk factor.
Our hypothesis is that these pathologies may cause an increase in stroke incidence and/or severity through von Willebrand factor (VWF)-driven systemic thrombo-inflammation, similar to that observed during infection (e.g. bacterial pneumonia, COVID-19 etc).
We have devised a programme of work focussed on epidemiological analysis, to define the potential link between inflammatory disease and incident stroke, and analysis of patient samples to substantiate a possible causal role of VWF in this context. Establishing a causal mechanism linking inflammatory disease and stroke would provide rationale for prospective studies of these patient populations providing a meaningful contribution to the prevention/treatment of stroke and benefit to patients.
