Low Childhood And Teenage Learning Difficulties Increase Risk Of Early StrokeStroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts.
A recent study has found that lower abilities of concentration and learning during childhood and teenage could be related to a tripling of the risk of having a stroke before turning 50.
While lower mental abilities have been linked to higher risks of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, researchers said that evidence in this regard is inconsistent.
This data included weight, blood pressure, diabetic status and other factors, such as education, socioeconomic background and mental ability, including concentration, reasoning and problem-solving.
Further, the authors found that the risk of stroke heightened by 33 per cent for every one-unit drop in mental ability on a scale of 1-9 developed by them.
Low Childhood And Teenage Learning Difficulties Increase Risk Of Early Stroke
Stroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. This prevents the brain from getting the oxygen and nutrients it needs which leads to the death of brain cells. Common signs of a stroke are sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body, confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech and difficulty seeing or walking. While the condition usually affects older people, it can happen to anyone.
A recent study has found that lower abilities of concentration and learning during childhood and teenage could be related to a tripling of the risk of having a stroke before turning 50. The new study is published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
While lower mental abilities have been linked to higher risks of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, researchers said that evidence in this regard is inconsistent. In their analysis, the team of researchers, including those from Hebrew University, used data of over 17.4 lakh young Israelis, aged between 16 to 20 years, taken as part of an evaluation before they began military service.
This data included weight, blood pressure, diabetic status and other factors, such as education, socioeconomic background and mental ability, including concentration, reasoning and problem-solving. Recorded between 1987 and 2012, the data from the military evaluation was compared with those from the Israeli national stroke database, mandatory reporting for which began in 2014. Up until 2018, an individual’s first stroke or death, whichever came first, was used for analysis.
Among the participants with low to medium mental ability (IQ scores up to 118), stroke cases were found to be more common, with these individuals facing a 2.5 times higher risk of experiencing a stroke before turning 50 years old, compared to those with higher mental abilities (IQ scores above 118).
Of the total 908 stroke cases recorded between 2014-2018, 767 were caused by a blood clot (ischaemic stroke), 41 per cent of which were found to have occurred before turning 40 years of age.
The researchers found that among these 767 ischaemic stroke cases, the risk was almost double in the participants with medium mental ability and over three times higher in those with low mental abilities during their teenage. Further, the authors found that the risk of stroke heightened by 33 per cent for every one-unit drop in mental ability on a scale of 1-9 developed by them. A score of 1-3 corresponded to an IQ below 89 (low), 4-7 to IQ of 90-118 (medium), and 8-9 to IQ above 118 (high), according to the scale developed by the researchers.
Even as no cause-and-effect relationships were established, they suggested that mental ability (or cognitive function) could serve to identify people at a higher risk of getting a stroke, thereby delaying disability and death. The authors wrote, “Provision of early social and health support for individuals with lower cognitive function might be essential for mitigating their elevated risk.”
(With inputs from PTI)
