Clinical Trial Service Unit

About: Clinical Trial Service Unit is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Stroke. The organization has 428 authors who have published 1387 publications receiving 181920 citations.

Homocysteine, silent brain infarcts, and white matter lesions: The Rotterdam Scan Study.

Abstract: Silent brain infarcts and white matter lesions are frequently seen on magnetic resonance imaging in healthy elderly people and both are associated with an increased risk of stroke and dementia. Plasma total homocysteine may be a potentially modifiable risk factor for stroke and dementia. We examined whether elevated total homocysteine levels are associated with silent brain infarcts and white matter lesions. The Rotterdam Scan Study is a population-based study of 1,077 people aged 60 to 90 years who had cerebral magnetic resonance imaging. The cross-sectional relation of total homocysteine with silent infarcts and white matter lesions was analyzed with adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. The mean plasma total homocysteine level was 11.5 micromol/l (standard deviation 4.1). The risk of silent brain infarcts increased with increasing total homocysteine levels (odds ratio 1.24/standard deviation increase, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.45). The severity of periventricular white matter lesions and extent of subcortical white matter lesions were also significantly associated with total homocysteine levels, even after excluding those with silent brain infarcts. The overall risk of having either a silent brain infarct or severe white matter lesions was strongly associated with total homocysteine levels (odds ratio 1.35/standard deviation increase, 95% confidence interval 1.16-1.58). We concluded that total homocysteine levels are associated with silent brain infarcts and white matter lesions independent of each other and of other cardiovascular risk factors.

Genome-wide association and Mendelian randomisation analysis provide insights into the pathogenesis of heart failure.

Abstract: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A small proportion of HF cases are attributable to monogenic cardiomyopathies and existing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have yielded only limited insights, leaving the observed heritability of HF largely unexplained. We report results from a GWAS meta-analysis of HF comprising 47,309 cases and 930,014 controls. Twelve independent variants at 11 genomic loci are associated with HF, all of which demonstrate one or more associations with coronary artery disease (CAD), atrial fibrillation, or reduced left ventricular function, suggesting shared genetic aetiology. Functional analysis of non-CAD-associated loci implicate genes involved in cardiac development (MYOZ1, SYNPO2L), protein homoeostasis (BAG3), and cellular senescence (CDKN1A). Mendelian randomisation analysis supports causal roles for several HF risk factors, and demonstrates CAD-independent effects for atrial fibrillation, body mass index, and hypertension. These findings extend our knowledge of the pathways underlying HF and may inform new therapeutic strategies.

UK Biobank Data: Come and Get It

Abstract: Biomedical science now faces the daunting challenge of deciphering the genetic and environmental determinants that contribute to common life-threatening and disabling diseases ([ 1 ][1]). To meet this challenge, the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and Wellcome Trust established UK Biobank, a