Experts discover that stroke can cause the human brain to age by up to eight years. In a latest study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan U-M Medical School, School of Public Health in Ann Arbor and the VA Centre for Clinical Management Research, both black and white people who suffered from stroke scored as if they were 7.9 years older in a test that measured their thinking speed and memory.
The researchers analyzed the data from more than 4,900 black and white older adults aged above 65 years. The data they studied were collated from Medicare records and a vast national study conducted among senior Americans to test memory and thinking speed over the years. The initial set of detailed examinations and surveys were conducted in 1998 and the new tests were performed in 2012. They then narrowed their investigation on study subjects who had no dementia or conditions that involved cognitive impairments, but had a history of stroke within the 12-year scope of the study; this translates to 7.5 percent of blacks and 6.7 percent of whites.
The findings, which will be published on the July issue of the journal Stroke, show that there were no significant differences in terms of extent among the black and white participants. Previous studies discovered that black older adults are twice more at risk of cognitive decline compared to non-Hispanic whites. With this, memory and cognition in older adults across the racial spectrum does not necessarily rely on whether one had a stroke or not.
"Although we found that stroke does not explain the difference," says Dr Deborah Levine, study lead author and assistant professor at U-M Medical School. "These results show the amount of cognitive aging that stroke brings on, and therefore the importance of stroke prevention to reduce the risk of cognitive decline."
Although racial implications were not established, experts still say that stroke has serious effects on brain functions, and that people, regardless of race should take steps to prevent it. Several health tips advised by the researchers include blood pressure and cholesterol level control, smoking cessation, blood sugar regulation in diabetics and maintenance of physical activities.
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