Symptoms can appear 10 years before the onset of stroke, according to a new study. Explanations.
A cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or stroke, is a failure of the circulation of the blood which affects a more or less important area of the brain. Nearly 150,000 French people are victims of it each year. Obviously, risk factors can cause or accelerate the risk of having a stroke: tobacco, alcohol, stress, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, high blood pressure, overweight, etc.
But according to a new study published in the medical journal Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, symptoms can put you in the ears and even 10 years before the onset of stroke.
Cognitive decline over the years
To reach their conclusions, the researchers followed nearly 14,000 volunteers for 26 years (1990-2016). The volunteers performed a panel of tests: physical, memory, reasoning, speed, dexterity. During the study, 1,662 volunteers had a first stroke at the average age of 80 years. The results show that the latter experienced a period of accelerated decline nearly ten years before the stroke unlike healthy participants. But it didn’t stop there, as participants with stroke also had more difficulty with daily tasks like getting ready to eat, getting ready, or bathing.
The researchers also concluded that women were at greater risk than men. They represent 60% of patients who have had a stroke. “The accelerated decline in cognition and difficulty managing daily tasks before a stroke suggest that these people suffer from an accumulation of intracerebral damage years before the event”, explain the authors of the study.
Faced with this risk of having a stroke, the Ministry of Health recommends 10 practices, such as controlling high blood pressure, losing weight in case of overweight or obesity, practicing regular physical activity, balancing your diet or reducing your exposure to stress.
