[ad_1]
By Lisa Rapaport
(Reuters Health) – A new study suggests that people who have recently suffered a stroke may be twice as likely to develop dementia as people who have not had a stroke.
Although stroke has long been associated with an increased risk of dementia, especially in the elderly, the exact magnitude of the increased risk has not been consistent in previous studies on this link. For this study, researchers grouped data from 48 previous studies with a total of 3.2 million participants worldwide.
The analysis revealed that people with a recent stroke were 2.2 times more likely to develop dementia than people who had never had a stroke. And a history of stroke was associated with a 69% chance of developing dementia.
"These findings underscore the importance of protecting the blood supply of the brain to protect against dementia," said Dr. David Llewellyn, senior author of the study at the Faculty of Medicine of the United States. University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.
"By focusing on the lifestyle factors that are under our control, we can reduce our risk of developing dementia as a result of stroke," Llewellyn said via e-mail.
"Quit smoking, take a Mediterranean diet, be physically and mentally active and drink less alcohol," Llewellyn advised. "Most people with stroke therefore do not develop dementia, so lifestyle improvement after a stroke is also likely to be beneficial."
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. Progressive brain disorder slowly erodes memory and thinking skills and makes people unable to handle the basic tasks of daily living.
Previous research has linked vascular risk factors, including obesity, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and higher risks of dementia, decline cognitive and Alzheimer's disease.
But it is not known whether these factors contribute indirectly by limiting blood flow in the brain or whether they directly cause an accumulation of amyloid protein fragments related to Alzheimer's disease.
Some stroke characteristics, such as the location and extent of brain damage, can also influence the risk of dementia, the study's authors conclude. Men may also have a higher risk of dementia after stroke than women.
One of the limitations of the analysis is that the design, duration, and manner in which they evaluated stroke and dementia varied among smaller studies, according to researchers in Alzheimer's & Dementia.
Nevertheless, the findings add to a broad body of evidence linking stroke to dementia, said Dr. Andrew Budson, a researcher at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and the Boston School of Medicine.
"Although not surprising, this important review focuses on how people can reduce their risk of dementia," said Budson, author of "Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory: What's New, What's New?" nine and what to do. "
"The message to remember," he said in an e-mail, "you are less likely to develop dementia if you reduce your risk of stroke by quitting if you control diabetes if you take medication for hypertension and cholesterol as prescribed, lose weight if you are overweight or obese, eat a Mediterranean style diet and do aerobic exercise. "
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2NsZTOs Alzheimer & Dementia, Online August 31, 2018.
Source link
