Having an ischemic stroke increases the risk of dementia, and that risk increases with the number and severity of strokes, according to a preliminary study presented at the International Stroke Conference American Stroke Association 2021.
The virtual meeting is March 17-19, 2021 and is a major global meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science of stroke and brain health.
Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke, making up 87% of all strokes. It occurs when a vessel that supplies blood to the brain is blocked. Stroke is the leading cause of disability prevention in adults, and stroke is a major determinant of the negative outcome of action after a stroke.
Studies have shown that stroke is a strong predictor of depression. It is unclear how the severity of a stroke and more than one stroke affects the risk of dementia. Our study specifically identifies the link between stroke and depression and sets the platform for prevention strategies aimed at reducing the risk of dementia after a stroke. “
Silvia Koton, Ph.D., MOccH, RN, FAHA, Study Author, Head, Herczeg Institute for Aging, Tel Aviv University
Koton is also President of the Ph.D. program in the nursing department, Faculty of Sackler Studies at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Researchers examined the health information of nearly 15,800 adults (aged 45-64 years) at baseline (enrolled from 1987-1989) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, which is a follow-up study, planned in four U.S. communities (Forsyth County, North Carolina; Jackson, Mississippi; suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Washington County, Maryland).
Researchers used follow-up data from three decades of the ARIC database, which covers the registration period beginning in 1987 and continuing throughout 2019 with data collected at each personal visit of several consecutive years and ongoing phone calls annually until 2012 and twice annually through 2019.
Using all available information in ARIC to examine the association between stroke incidence, stroke depth and depression, the researchers found:
- The risk of depression in individuals who had at least one ischemic stroke was 2 times higher than those who did not have a stroke.
- The risk of dementia increased with the severity of the number of ischemic strokes.
- Adults with a single stroke were almost 80% more likely than those without a stroke to be depressed.
- The risk of dementia jumped to 8.5 times more likely for people who had three or more strokes during the study period, from 1987 to 2019.
- Among adults with a severe stroke, the risk of dementia was nearly five times higher than those with a minor stroke.
“The association between stroke incidence and stroke severity with dementia risk was surprisingly strong, and the continued increase in risk of depression after the first stroke and each subsequent stroke was a remarkable finding,” Koton said.
“Our findings underline the importance of preventing stroke in preventing depression and maintaining high levels of physical and mental activity and quality of life, especially at a more advanced age. older, “said Koton.” Stroke is largely preventable.
The treatment and control of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, along with the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular physical activity and no smoking, are essential for the prevention of stroke and depression. . “
Researchers alone did not study ischemic stroke. “It would be important to study the impact of other stroke subtypes on dementia risk,” Koton said. “Next, we plan to examine the link between stroke and brain impairment as well as between stroke and changes in mental performance over time. Future studies will also include information on brain images that help evaluate the potential effects of additional vascular brain injuries. to stroke. “
Source:
American Heart Association