Stroke Severity Linked to Dementia Risk

Findings support greater attention to stroke prevention and poststroke cognitive monitoring.

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Greater ischemic stroke severity correlates with faster cognitive decline and increased dementia risk in over 42,000 patients.
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Patients with minor, mild to moderate, and moderate to severe strokes had nearly 2, 3, and 5 times the likelihood of developing dementia, respectively.
3

Cognitive decline rates were higher for global cognition and memory with increasing stroke severity, with moderate to severe strokes showing a decline equivalent to aging 2.6 years.
4

Executive function declined faster than global cognition or memory, particularly among patients without stroke, indicating sensitivity to vascular injury.
5

The study's findings emphasize the need for prevention strategies and cognitive monitoring in patients with ischemic stroke.

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