Multi-ancestry genetic study in 5,876 patients identifies an association between excitotoxic genes and early outcomes after acute ischemic stroke

Abstract

<b>Evidence before this study:</b> No previous genome-wide association studies have investigated the genetic architecture of early outcomes after ischemic stroke.<b>Added Value of this study:</b> This is the first study that investigated genetic influences on early outcomes after ischemic stroke using a genome-wide approach, revealing seven genome-wide significant loci. A unique aspect of this genetic study is the inclusion of all of the major ethnicities by recruiting from participants throughout the world. Most genetic studies to date have been limited to populations of European ancestry.<b>Implications of all available evidence:</b> The findings provide the first evidence that genes implicating excitotoxicity contribute to human acute ischemic stroke, and demonstrates proof of principle that GWAS of acute ischemic stroke patients can reveal mechanisms involved in ischemic brain injury.