Investigating Stroke Risk Profiles in Austria and their Sensitivity to Climate Change

Introduction:
Climate change poses significant threats to global health, extending beyond environmental modifications to impact human physiology and increase the occurrence of cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases including stroke. Despite experiencing a reduction in the age-adjusted hospitalization for stroke in Austria in the past decades, the prevention goal of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe is still to be reached.

Aim of the Study:
This study aims to describe a multifaceted risk-factor profile for the development of stroke in the Upper Austrian population. The objectives are (1) to determine the interaction and burden of risk factors for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke from administrative health care data, socioeconomic and demographic records, (2) to
identify phenotypes based on previously identified risk factors using clustering analysis, and (3) to determine the influence of environmental indicators on stroke risk profiles.

Design and Methodology:
The ISAAC study is a retrospective, observational cohort study encompassing adults insured with the Upper Austrian Health Insurance Fund from 2005 to 2021. By integrating health, labor, and environmental data of more than 1,5 million individuals, we will employ econometric methods for causal inference and machine learning concepts.

Significance:
This interdisciplinary collaboration between the Department of Health Economics and the Department of Neurology offers a comprehensive approach to quantify individual stroke risk profiles and study their interaction with environmental changes. By combining individual-level health data with socioeconomic and environmental information, we aim to provide a scientific tool to identify stroke risk profiles for preventive strategies in the Upper Austrian population.