Genetic basis of stroke: An overview

Stroke or "brain attack" is a complex disease caused by a combination of multiple risk factors. It has major social and economic consequences. Various epidemiological studies in families and twins have revealed that there is a genetic component to stroke risk. Stroke may be the outcome of single gene disorders or more commonly, a polygenic multifactorial disease. Mutations in several candidate genes have been found to be associated with stroke. However, association studies in population-based samples have failed to identify reliable disease markers. The publication of the "Human Genome Project" has indeed improved our knowledge about the potential role of genetics in complex disorders including stroke. Rapidly expanding field of genetics is in a state of transforming medicine into a new kind in future, the individualized medicine, using tailor made drugs according to the genetic makeup of the individuals. However, this involves integrating genome wide genetic information with medical information. The first genome wide association study on ischemic stroke has been published recently. Further studies will hopefully tell us how far the genetic information will assist us to tailor clinical and therapeutic decisions to an individual's genotype.