Middle-aged people, who felt quite healthy, appeared to have several silent strokes without even knowing about that.
Boston University School of Medicine examined 2040 patients of average age of 69 who were given magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan tests every four years. MRI scans brain for damaged tissues and stroke symptoms.
Stroke
The study found that those who have never had stroke symptoms appeared to have numerous silent cerebral infarctions (SCI), which is also called 'silent stroke'. These patients, 10.7% out of all participants, were never been aware of the fact they have suffered stroke events. 84% of patients with SCI were found to have only one brain lesion, which is still dangerous for health.
This actually indicates that these people suffer from brain damage, which can further lead to increased risk of stroke and dementia.
While examining study participants, researchers excluded other risk factors affecting brain, such as 'cigarette smoking, diabetes, age, blood pressure, and cardiovascular conditions' to have the clear picture of stroke evidence.
Researchers also explain how these mentioned conditions increase stroke risk. Atrial fibrillation (AF) doubles silent stroke risk, but researchers are not yet sure what comes first - AF or SCI.
"The findings reinforce the need for early detection and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors in midlife," said Dr. Seshadri from Boston University. "This is especially true since silent cerebral infarcts have been associated with an increased risk of incident stroke and cognitive impairment."