Adult preterm cerebrovascular phenotype and influence of cardiovascular fitness
Previous studies have shown that being born prematurely can increase your risk of high blood pressure and stroke in adult life. Professor Paul Leeson and colleagues are using sophisticated imaging techniques to analyse the blood vessels in the heart and brain to understand what causes this increase in risk. Researchers have shown that preterm birth can have an effect on the shape, size and function of the person’s heart and blood vessels. This team has also seen that young adults who were born preterm tend to be less fit despite doing a similar level of exercise as people who were born full term. Now they want to understand how these differences in the blood vessels of the heart and brain, in addition to the reduced ability to stay fit, is related to the increased risk of high blood pressure and stroke in people who were born prematurely. The study will involve volunteers aged 18-35 who were born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, and a comparison group who were born after 37 weeks. The team will take a series of measurements of the hearts and brains of volunteers using MRI (a type of scan that uses strong magnetic fields). They will also investigate if participants who have active lifestyles exhibit any positive changes in their brain. It is hoped that this work could identify opportunities to help people born preterm to reduce their risk of stroke.
Project details
| Grant amount | £313,449 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 01 January 2018 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | PG/17/13/32860 |
| Status | In Progress |
