INFO - Silent strokes may occur in early middle age

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" Silent " strokes may occur in early middle age

Thu Jun 26, 2008 4:26pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Silent cerebral infarctions (strokes) --

brain damage detected on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the

absence of stroke symptoms - may be present in early middle age and

are associated with many of the same risk factors as strokes that do

cause symptoms, according to findings from a study released Thursday.

The findings reinforce the importance of prevention, early detection

and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors in mid-life, the study

group maintains. " This is especially true because silent cerebral

infarction has been associated with an increased risk of incident

stroke and cognitive impairment. "

Dr. Sudha Seshadri, at Boston University School of Medicine, and

associates determined the prevalence of silent brain infarctions in

2040 people whose average age was 62 years and who were free of stroke

and cognitive impairment when they had an MRI of the brain between

1998 and 2001.

The overall prevalence of silent brain infarction was roughly 11

percent, increasing from about 7 percent in subjects aged 30 to 49

years to more than 15 percent in subjects aged 70 to 89 years.

These silent strokes were significantly associated with the presence

of cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, as well as

the presence of a heart arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation and with

thick neck arteries, and partially blocked neck arteries.

SOURCE: Stroke, online June 26, 2008

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTON67352220080626

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Not an MD