Austria

ASPS

Austrian Stroke Prevention Study

Study website: n.a.
Organization website: www.medunigraz.at
Study population size: 2000 participants, 1000 with imaging
Study population: healthy population, aged 45 – 85 years old
Imaging modality 1: ultrasound – Duplex scanning, Transcranial Doppler, Echocardiography
Imaging modality 2: MRI – Brain MRI
Imaging modality 3: SPECT – Brain SPECT

Key publications:

  • Roob G, Schmidt R, et al. MRI evidence of past cerebral microbleeds in a healthy elderly population. Neurology, 1999.
  • Schmidt R, Fazekas F, et al. MRI white matter hyperintensities. Three-year follow-up of the Austrian Stroke Prevention Study. Neurology, 1999.
  • Schmidt R, Schmidt H, et al. Angiotensinogen Polymorphism M235T, Carotid Atherosclerosis And Small Vessel Disease-Related Cerebral Abnormalities. Hypertension, 2001.
  • Schmidt H, Fazekas F, et al. Angiotensinogen Gene Promoter Haplotype and Microangiopathy-Related Cerebral Damage: Results of the Austrian Stroke Prevention Study. Stroke, 2001.
  • Schmidt H, Aulchenko YS, et al. Angiotensinogen promoter haplotype B is associated with cerebral small vessel disease and enhances basal transcriptional activity. Stroke, 2004.
  • Schmidt R, Enzinger C, et al. Rapid progression of early confluent and confluent cerebral white matter lesions. Six-year results of the Austrian Stroke Prevention Study. The Lancet, 2003.
  • Enzinger C, Fazekas F, et al. Risk factors for progression of brain atrophy: 6-year follow up of the ASPS. Neurology, 2005.

SAPHIR Study

Salzburg Atherosclerosis Prevention Program in Subjects at High Individual Risk

Study website: n.a.
Organization website: www.salk.at
Study population size: 1799 participants
Study population: healthy population, aged 40 – 70 years old
Imaging modality 1: ultrasound – carotid-IMT

Key publications:

  • Oberkofler H, Iglseder B, et al. Associations of the UCP2 gene locus with asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis in middle-aged women. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 2005.
  • Iglseder B, Cip P,et al. The Metabolic Syndrome is a Stronger Risk Factor for Early Carotid Atherosclerosis in Women than in Men. Stroke, 2005.
  • Iglseder B, Mackevics V, et al. Plasma adiponectin levels and sonographic phenotypes of suclinical carotid artery atherosclerosis. Data from the SAPHIR-study. Stroke, 2005.
  • Heid IM, Wagner SA, et al. Genetic architecture of the APM1 gene and ist influence on adiponectin plasma levels and parameters of the metabolic syndrome in 1727 healthy Caucasians. Diabetes, 2006.
  • Iglseder B, Oberkofler H, et al. Associations of PPARGC1A Haplotypes With Plaque Score But Not With Intima-Media Thickness of Carotid Arteries in Middle-Aged Subjects. Stroke, 2006.

 

The Bruneck Study

The Bruneck Ischemic Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Study

Study website: n.a.
Organization website: www.i-med.ac.at
Study population size: 1000 participants
Study population: healthy population – smokers, aged 40 – 79 years old
Imaging modality 1: ultrasound –  Carotid ultrasound

Key publications:

  • Willeit J, Kiechl S. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Asymptomatic Extracranial Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 1993.
  • Kiechl S, Willeit J, et al. Alcohol consumption and atherosclerosis: what is the relation? Prospective results from the Bruneck Study. Stroke, 1998.
  • Kiechl S, Werner P, et al. Active and passive smoking, chronic infections, and the risk of carotid atherosclerosis: prospective results from the Bruneck Study. Stroke, 2002.
  • Kiechl S, Laxton RC, et al. Coronary artery disease-related genetic variant on chromosome 10q11 is associated with carotid intima-media thickness and atherosclerosis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 2010.