Study Links Memory Problems to Stroke Risk

Posted on December 12, 2014

Recent findings were published in the scientific journal Stroke showing that problems with memory in highly educated populations may correlate with a higher risk of stroke. Researchers from Erasmus University in the Netherlands set out to reverse the idea that stroke causes issues with memory by asking whether or not problems with memory can signal an increased risk of stroke.

The study included almost 10,000 participants over the age of 55 and took place over the course of many years.  Over 1,000 of the participants involved ended up suffering from a stroke. The researchers found that ultimately, problems with memory were indeed linked to an increased risk of stroke.

Interestingly enough, the study found the strongest association between reported memory problems and risk of stroke in participants that were considered to be the most “highly educated”. In fact, the researchers found that participants with self-reported memory issues had a 39% higher risk of stroke when they were in the “highly educated” category.

The researchers plan to use the results of their study to conduct further experiments to investigate whether preventative measures to reduce the risk of stroke should be taken when patients initially complain of changes in their memory. In order to read more about strokes and being diagnosed with a stroke, read our Stroke Diagnosis FAQ page. In order to read more about this study, click here to visit a study abstract with more detail on the journal Stroke‘s website.

Time is of the essence in diagnosing strokes, and it is important to stay educated on signs and symptoms of stroke and the ways in which the first warning signs can be identified. If you or a loved one has experienced a devastating delay in the diagnosis of a stroke, contact our firm for help.