Prevention of stroke in older Australians

Professor Sophia Zoungas, Monash University

2017 Stroke Prevention Grant

Years funded: 2019-2023

This application aims to build a program centred on the theme of primary prevention of stroke. It will utilise national and international expertise in primary prevention, stroke and cardiovascular disease, epidemiology, clinical trials, healthy ageing, health economics and modelling, biostatistics and biobanking to target key research areas that have been recommended as priorities for global stroke prevention. The program centres on the Statins in Reducing Events in the Elderly randomised clinical trial (STAREE). Four complementary research streams that address key priorities for primary prevention of stroke will be developed and embedded in the STAREE RCT:

1. Intervention study (randomised clinical trial) to as effetiveness of statins for primary prevention in older adults;
2. Biobank and imaging sub-studies to explore mechanisms and novel predictors of stroke;
3. Modelling and health economics to examine cost effectiveness and budget impact of prevention strategies; and
4. Cohort study to investigate behavioural, lifestyle and medical risk factors for stroke.