Stroke and dementia are among the leading causes of death and disability in England. Research suggests that COVID-19 may increase the risk of both conditions. However, there is limited understanding of how COVID-19 interacts with vascular risk factors and medications to influence whether individuals experience a stroke or develop dementia and how severe the long-term effects will be.
This project will explore how these factors, including COVID-19 infection, treatment, and vaccination status, interact in the development and progression of stroke and dementia. This study will provide critical information for mitigating risks for affected individuals and aims to successfully predict whether certain COVID-19 patient groups are at heightened risk of neurological consequences.
The aims of this project are:
- To analyse whether COVID-19 is associated with an increased incidence of stroke and dementia and identify risk factors that may exacerbate these conditions. This will advance understanding of the long-term neurological impact of COVID-19, helping to better inform risk mitigation strategies.
- To explore whether medications prescribed for stroke and dementia treatment (e.g. anticoagulants, antihypertensives, memantine) contribute to the onset and progression of these conditions and whether these treatments interact with COVID-19 infection, treatment, and vaccination, potentially modifying the risk of stroke and dementia.
- To enhance clinical risk prediction models for the susceptibility and prognosis of stroke and dementia, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on these risks, aiming to enable earlier interventions and better targeted treatments.
This research will provide valuable insights into how COVID-19 has impacted the incidence and progression of dementia and stroke. Understanding the effects of COVID-19 and vascular risk factors on these conditions, alongside the influence of commonly used treatments, could lead to the implementation better management of patients in high-risk groups and more accurate prediction of patient outcomes.