Double whammy
Having a stroke doubles the risk of developing dementia
Dr. David Llewellyn of the University of Exeter Medical School and his colleagues analyzed data from more than 3.2 million stroke patients.
The study is based on data from previous studies on the relationship between stroke and the development of dementia, and its novelty lies in calculating exactly how much a stroke increases the risk of dementia.
The relationship between stroke and dementia can be traced even after taking into account risk factors such as blood pressure, diabetes and the presence of cardiovascular diseases.
A history of stroke increases the risk of dementia by about 70%, and recent strokes more than double the risk.
Localization of strokes and the degree of brain damage caused by them can help in understanding the differences in the types of dementia that have been observed in various studies. It has also been suggested that the predisposition to dementia is higher in men who have had a stroke than in women.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 15 million people suffer strokes every year, and there are up to 50 million patients with dementia, and this number is growing: according to medical forecasts, by 2050 it will reach 131 million people. Already, with timely prevention and treatment, about a third of cases of dementia can be prevented, and by understanding the mechanism of the effects of stroke on the development of dementia, even more such cases can be prevented.
A topic for future research in this area may be the study of the influence of characteristics such as education or race on the development of dementia. It is also necessary to find out how important care and lifestyle after a stroke are for the prevention of dementia.
Article by Kuzma et al. Stroke and dementia risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia.
Anastasia Poznyak, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru / based on the materials of the University of Exeter Stroke doubles dementia risk, concludes a large-scale study.