After non-cardiac surgery, one in 14 people over the age of 65 have a silent stroke.
Undergoing surgery is often a cause for concern because there is always a risk, however small, of complications. In The Lancet, Canadian researchers show that they are more numerous for seniors. Silent post-operative strokes are common in people over 65.
NEW: Perioperative covert stroke is associated with increased risk of cognitive decline 1 year after non-cardiac surgery & occurred in 1 in 14 patients aged ≥65 years undergoing non-cardiac surgery: findings from NeuroVISION, a prospective cohort study https://t.co/jWXkl6GllU pic.twitter.com/w3mDziUPSR
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) August 16, 2019
Risks of “classic” stroke and cognitive decline
Silent strokes can only be detected by doing an MRI because the usual symptoms, such as arm weakness, do not show up. Scientists conducted a study on 1,114 patients aged 65 and over, from New Zealand, North and South America, Asia and Europe. All underwent an MRI within 9 days of their operation and their cognitive functions were analyzed over a period of one year. A total of 78 participants had a silent stroke, or 7% of the sample.
Among them, 13% were at risk of having an “ordinary” stroke in the year following the operation or of being affected by cognitive decline. “We found that ‘silent’ strokes are actually more common than overt strokes in people aged 65 or older undergoing surgery,” says Dr PJ Devereaux, one of the authors. principals of research.
15 million strokes per year
According to the researchers, if one out of 14 patients over the age of 65 suffers from a silent stroke after an operation, this means that a total of three million seniors suffer from it each year in the world. The world health organization estimated that 15 million people have a stroke each year.
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