Cognitive decline, common post-stroke dementia

CNN
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Up to 60% of all stroke survivors develop memory and thinking problems within one year, One-third will develop dementia within five years, according to a new scientific statement from the American Stroke Association.

“The numbers are staggering, aren’t they?” said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver.

“This is a call to action to step up our game and focus on prevention,” said Freeman, who was not part of the scientific committee that made the statement.

An estimated 9.4 million US adults, representing approximately 3.6% of the US adult population, report having experienced a stroke. According to 2023 statistics From the American Heart Association.

said Nada El Husseini, Ph.D., associate professor of neurology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. statement.

Approximately 40% of stroke survivors have mild cognitive impairment that does not meet diagnostic criteria for dementia. Mental disorders, whether mild or not, can seriously affect quality of life, said El Husseini, who chaired the statement’s writing committee.

“Cognitive impairment after stroke can range from mild impairment to dementia and can affect many aspects of life, including memory, thinking, planning, language and attention, as well as an individual’s work. , driving, and the ability to live independently,” said El-Husseini.

Cognitive impairment is most common within the first two weeks after a stroke, the statement said. There are other conditions associated with stroke, such as behavioral and personality changes, depression, physical disabilities, and sleep disturbances, all of which can contribute to poor quality of life.

Statement from the American Stroke Association About 20% of people who experience mild cognitive impairment after stroke usually recover full cognitive function within the first six months.

Risk of stroke is increased if you have atrial fibrillation heart in the chest. People who have uncontrolled high cholesterol or high blood pressure, who smoke, use drugs, or use alcohol are also at increased risk. Being diabetic or obese can be risk factors, that too.

According to the statement, ischemic strokes caused by blood clots in blood vessels that supply blood to the brain account for 87% of all strokes. Cerebral hemorrhages caused by rupture of fragile blood vessels in the brain, called hemorrhagic stroke, are much rarer, accounting for about 13% of all strokes.

Below are the signs of a stroke. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:

Other less common symptoms include dizziness, disorientation, nausea, memory loss, and vomiting.

One of the warning signs may only last for a few minutes and then disappear. It means that a person has had a minor stroke or transient ischemic attack, or TIA. Experts say that any symptoms should not be ignored and may be signs of a more serious stroke.

“Some might call a TIA a ‘lucky stroke’. It’s not that serious, but it’s actually a Sentinel event,” said Freeman.

It’s never too late for prevention, but even minor strokes require serious efforts to “put the fire out with positive change and aggressive medication when necessary.”

“It should force people to make very drastic lifestyle changes. To make the risk as low as possible, eat better, exercise more, get the right statin or aspirin, or see a doctor as appropriate.” Use what we suggest,” he said.

Damage to the brain occurs when some cells stop receiving oxygen and die, while other brain cells may die from intracerebral hemorrhages. Brain damage can occur within minutes to hours.”While some brain cells die quickly, many remain weakened or weakened for hours.

Immediate medical attention is important to reduce the effects of a stroke.Learn the symptoms of stroke using According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the acronym FAST helps identify symptoms quickly.

To help CDC determine the best treatment, be sure to record the time your symptoms first appeared.

Additional strokes will only exacerbate potential cognitive decline, says a scientific statement, so prevention is important. should be treated in the same way as movement.

Keeping high blood pressure under control is associated not only with mild cognitive impairment, but also with a reduced risk of further stroke, the statement said.

“Stroke survivors should be systematically assessed for cognitive impairment so that treatment can be initiated as soon as symptoms appear,” said El Husseini.

“But perhaps the most pressing need is the development of effective and culturally appropriate treatments for post-stroke cognitive impairment,” she said. We look forward to large enough clinical trials evaluating different techniques, medications and lifestyle changes in different patient groups.”