Up to 60 percent of stroke survivors may have cognitive impairment

A new report from the American Heart Association, published in the journal Stroke, shows that stroke can affect cognition in 60 percent of people. This occurs within the first year after the onset of the disease. It manifests itself, including memory problems, but not only. In turn, 1/3 of people develop dementia within 5 years.
These data should encourage people to make radical changes in their lifestyle, that is, to better nutrition, regular physical activity. Risk factors for cerebrovascular disease are common, especially in the elderly, but many of them can be effectively addressed through healthy lifestyle promotion or treatment.

Cognitive decline in people after a stroke

Dr. Nada El-Husseini, professor of neurology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, notes that post-stroke cognitive impairment is a common condition, but patients don’t report it often enough that many of them go undiagnosed. Therefore, people after a stroke are advised to undergo screening examinations and be under constant medical supervision. Then it will be possible to start treatment as soon as possible after the onset of the first symptoms. More research is now needed to determine which stroke survivors are most likely to experience cognitive problems.

Stroke can affect cognitive function in more than half of patients. Their deterioration ranges from mild impairment to dementia. Approximately 40 percent of stroke survivors have mild cognitive impairment (they do not meet the diagnostic criteria for dementia or mental decline, but cognitive decline is greater than normal). Regardless of the degree of intensity, this problem can affect the quality of life, and therefore many aspects of life, such as::

• memorization,

• planning,

• thinking,

• Language,

• Attention,

• concentration.

Cognitive impairment also affects, among other things, driving a car or independent functioning of daily life, such as keeping a job. It can also affect interpersonal relationships.

When do cognitive impairments most often occur?

Cognitive impairment most often this occurs two weeks after a stroke. This may be due to other factors such as behavioral changes, physical disabilities, sleep disturbances, and depression. According to data provided by the American Stroke Association, approximately 20% of stroke survivors with mild cognitive impairment make a full recovery in this area within the first 6 months.

Who is most at risk for a stroke?

People with the following diseases are most at risk of stroke:

• atrial fibrillation,

• arrhythmia,

• high cholesterol

• high blood pressure,

• other diseases of the circulatory system (ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, peripheral atherosclerosis),

• hematological disorders (may aggravate other risk factors),

• diabetes,

• obesity.

People who smoke, use drugs, or abuse alcohol are also at high risk. The risk of stroke also increases with age, for both women and men (however, this is a factor we cannot control).

What are the symptoms of a stroke?

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the most common symptoms of a stroke are:
sudden numbness of the face, legs, or arms (especially on one side of the body)

• speech problems,

• vision problems (in one or both eyes)

• dizziness,

• problems with walking

• loss of balance

• impaired coordination of movements,

• severe headache (no specific cause).

Less common stroke symptoms include nausea, vomiting, memory loss, dizziness, and confusion. Each of the above symptoms may last only a few moments and then disappear, but according to experts, none of them should be ignored. Many people have more than one risk factor, and they often coexist. Therefore, prevention is very important, both in the case of people who have had a stroke, and those who have not experienced this disease. Prevention of recurrent stroke includes, first of all, the elimination of risk factors, as well as regular physical activity and a diet low in sodium and high in potassium, vegetables and fruits.