Memory, Thinking Problems Linked to Stroke Risk

Stroke is a known to cause significant damage to thinking ability and memory. A new study shows that even the opposite is true, cognitive problems can also be a risk factor for stroke.

The research is important because it shows that declining mental abilities aren't just linked to deteriorating physical health, but can also serve as a strong marker for stroke.

"Most clinical studies observe cognitive impairment after a stroke event," said Kumar Rajan, Ph.D., lead author of the study and assistant professor of internal medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL., according to a news release. "Only a handful of large population-based studies measured long-term cognitive functioning before stroke and deaths from all different causes."

Stroke is a leading cause of death in the U.S. In a year, as many as 130,000 Americans die due to stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data for the study came from 7,217 adults, of whom 61 percent were African Americans and 59 percent were women. The participants were above the age of 65 years. The researchers gave each participant four tests every three years. The tests assessed participants' mental abilities such as memory - short and long-term - attention, awareness etc.

The researchers found that people with low scores in the tests had, on an average, 61 percent higher risk of stroke than other people. Also, stroke coupled with thinking deficits led to an increased risk of early death.

African-Americans were at higher risk of suffering from stroke. The researchers found that decline in cognitive test scores was associated with a five-fold risk of stroke in this group when compared to European-Americans.

"Stroke in old age can be caused by poor cognitive function; whereas, faster decline in cognitive function can be caused by stroke," Rajan said in a news release. "Low cognitive function is generally associated with poor neurological health and brain function. Worsening of neurological health can lead to several health problems with stroke being one of them."

The study is published in the Stroke.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is known to lower stroke risk. The National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke has information on how people can assess their stroke risk.