Several metabolite markers are independently associated with incident ischemic stroke. However, prior studies have not accounted for intercorrelated metabolite networks. We used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to determine if metabolite factors were associated with incident ischemic stroke. Metabolites (n = 162) were measured in a case-control cohort nested in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, which included 1,075 ischemic stroke cases and 968 random cohort participants. Cox models were adjusted for age, gender, race, and age-race interaction (base model) and further adjusted for the Framingham stroke risk factors (fully adjusted model). EFA identified fifteen metabolite factors, each representing a well-defined metabolic pathway. Of these, factor 3, a gut microbiome metabolism factor, was associated with an increased risk of stroke in the base (hazard ratio per one-unit standard deviation, HR = 1.23; 95%CI = 1.15-1.31; P = 1.98 × 10-10) and fully adjusted models (HR = 1.13; 95%CI = 1.06-1.21; P = 4.49 × 10-4). The highest tertile had a 45% increased risk relative to the lowest (HR = 1.45; 95%CI = 1.25-1.70; P = 2.24 × 10-6). Factor 3 was also associated with the Southern diet pattern, a dietary pattern previously linked to increased stroke risk in REGARDS (β = 0.11; 95%CI = 0.03-0.18; P = 8.75 × 10-3). These findings highlight the role of diet and gut microbial metabolism in relation to incident ischemic stroke.
Keywords: Case-cohort; exploratory factor analysis; gut microbiome; ischemic stroke; metabolomics.