The\u00a0Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) has granted US$2 million to build\u00a0the first stroke centre of excellence in the Middle East, run by a partnership between Imperial College London and\u00a0Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar.<\/p>\n
The researchers in the centre will be studying genetic factors in stroke patients from the Qatari population that could influence the risk of stroke.<\/p>\n
While strokes account for only\u00a03.23% of total deaths in Qatar, it is increasing. The main risk factors for stroke in the small country, according to a 2008 study<\/a>, were hypertension and diabetes mellitus.\u00a0Poor lifestyles and unhealthy habits, such as smoking, also increase the risk of stroke.\u00a0Genetic factors and lifestyle factors are thought to be equally important for an individual\u2019s risk of having a stroke, however.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re already conducting similar studies in the UK and in India, but this centre will allow us to study the genes affecting stroke risk in a Middle Eastern population for the first time,\u201d said Pankaj Sharma, who heads the\u00a0Imperial College Cerebrovascular Research Unit and will become the director of the centre, in a press statement. “\u201cThis is important because different genes might influence stroke risk in different populations. The results will tell us about the biological causes of stroke, and could ultimately lead to treatments that are tailored to the patient\u2019s ethnic background.”<\/p>\n As part of the agreement, Qatari clinicians will also receive stroke management training at Imperial College London.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The\u00a0Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) has granted US$2 million to build\u00a0the first stroke centre of excellence in the Middle East, run by a partnership between Imperial College London and\u00a0Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar. Read more<\/a> Continue reading