In a recent study to be presented at the International Stroke Conference, findings reveal an increased risk of dementia in stroke survivors. The study incorporated about 180,000 stroke patients and reported that these individuals were 80% more likely to develop dementia compared to a comparable group from the general population.

Lead study author Raed Joundi, an assistant professor at McMaster University and an investigator at the Population Health Research Institute, confirms that stroke significantly elevates the risk of dementia. The data suggests that dementia is a common complication post-stroke, meriting efforts to lower the risk and regular monitoring for cognitive decline in stroke survivors, particularly in the first year post-stroke.

The research utilized health databases representing over 15 million people in Ontario, Canada. Participants were either ischemic stroke (clot-caused) or intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding within the brain) survivors, with an average age of 69. About 55% of the participants were men.

A surprising revelation from this study was that dementia diagnosis was more common than recurrent strokes. This fact underlines the urgent need for effective strategies to prevent dementia in stroke survivors. Intracerebral hemorrhage, or bleeding in the brain, increased the dementia risk even further.

With approximately 795,000 people experiencing a new or recurrent stroke every year, according to the American Heart Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2024 Update, this research underscores the necessity of taking measures to prevent strokes and lessen the risk of subsequent dementia.

Dr. Joundi emphasizes the importance of developing innovative strategies to prevent dementia after stroke as the number of stroke cases increases due to an aging global population. He urges lifestyle changes and medical interventions to control diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol to lower the stroke risk.