Vascular predictors for the onset of stroke and dementia in older Canadians
Description: In Canada, about one-third of seniors have at least 2 of the 10 most common chronic diseases. The prevalence of multimorbidity increases to 70 to 80% among seniors living with dementia and stroke. Stroke and dementia share several common risk factors, such as physical inactivity, smoking, diet, excessive alcohol intake, hypertension, and mid-life obesity. In addition to the many lifestyle-related modifiable risk factors, several blood biomarkers (such as cholesterol level) might be predictive of stroke, post-stroke complications, cognitive decline, and dementia. Studying these blood biomarkers and their link with the onset of stroke and dementia could improve our understanding of how these diseases develop and support earlier identification of an individual's risk for both diseases. In this project, we will leverage the richness of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) data to develop prediction models for 6-year incidence of dementia and stroke, then implement them as web-based health calculators to support Canadian older adults' understanding of and action toward dementia and stroke risk reduction.
Amount: CA$70,000
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: Catalyst Grant: Analysis of Canadian Longitudinal Study in Aging (CLSA) Data
Start date: 2025-03-01
End date: 2026-02-28
Investigator: Amy Hsu
Institution: Bruyere Health Research Institute (Ottawa, ON)
Funded outputs count: 0
Funder award ID: 200172_1
OpenAlex ID: G8990102768