Understanding elevated stroke risk in Black African-Caribbean women
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Under stress: Why Black African and Black Caribbean women are at elevated risk of stroke.
IRAS ID
347113
Contact name
Lydia Simpson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, days
Research summary
There are differences in the rates of high blood pressure (BP) across ethnicities in the UK, with the highest rates in Black African-Caribbean women. Black African-Caribbean women are 1.7 times more likely to develop hypertension and hypertension is more likely to lead to stroke, contributing to the three times greater risk of hypertension-related mortality in this population. Chronic stress contributes to this elevated risk as Black African-Caribbean women experience larger surges in BP during stress, a predictor for future stroke. Yet, why periods of high BP are more likely to lead to stroke in Black African-Caribbean women is unclear. One potential reason is a reduced ability to dampen pressure pulsations the brain is exposed to during BP surges. Normally, large vessels in the brain narrow during BP surges, to protect the delicate smaller vessels from damage. However, this has not been examined in Black African Caribbean women. The primary aim of this study is to determine whether Black African-Caribbean women experience greater pressure pulsations in the large and small cerebral vessels during elevations in BP with mental stress, versus White European women. A secondary aim is to determine whether greater pressure pulsations during stress are associated with markers of damage to the small cerebral vessels, which is a leading cause of stroke. To assess these aims, we will recruit four groups (16 in each group, total of 64 participants): normotensive and hypertensive Black African Caribbean women and normotensive and hypertensive white European women. Participants will attend two visits: one screening visit at the Bristol Clinical Research Facility and one visit to Cardiff University Brain Imaging Centre where they will undergo a brain MRI. These findings will improve our understanding of cerebrovascular control mechanisms in Black African Caribbean women and help to explain why they have increased stroke risk.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/NE/0209
Date of REC Opinion
5 Dec 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion