Lower Cognitive Function in Adolescence Linked to Stroke Risk
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, June 28, 2024 -- Lower cognitive function in adolescence is associated with increased risk of early-onset stroke, according to a study published online June 27 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Aya Bardugo, M.D., from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and colleagues examined the association between adolescent cognitive function and early-onset stroke in a nationwide population-based cohort study of 1,741,345 Israeli adolescents (42 percent women) who underwent comprehensive cognitive function tests at age 16 to 20 years during 1987 to 2012. Cognitive function was categorized as low (1 to 3), medium (4 to 7), or high (8 to 9) (corresponding to IQ scores <89, 89 to 118, and >118, respectively).
During 8,689,329 person-years of follow-up up to a maximum of 50 years, the researchers identified 908 first stroke events (767 ischemic and 141 hemorrhagic). Body mass index-adjusted and sociodemographic-adjusted hazard ratios for early onset stroke were 1.78 and 2.68 in the medium and low versus high cognitive function groups, respectively. Evidence of a dose-response relationship was seen, with a one-unit lower cognitive function z-score associated with a 33 percent increased stroke risk. In sensitivity analyses that accounted for diabetes status and hypertension, these associations were similar for ischemic stroke, but lower for hemorrhagic stroke.
"Our findings support the addition of cognitive function to the more traditional stroke risk factors, to provide more effective health education and health care," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2024
Read this next
Intensive BP Reduction Effective for Lowering All-Cause Dementia Risk
TUESDAY, April 29, 2025 -- An intensive blood pressure (BP) reduction intervention is effective for lowering the risk for all-cause dementia among individuals aged 40 years and...
32 Percent of Dementia Attributed to Audiometric Hearing Loss
MONDAY, April 28, 2025 -- The population attributable fraction of dementia from any audiometric hearing loss is 32.0 percent, according to a study published online April 17 in...
Early Combination of Lipid-Lowering Therapy Beneficial After Myocardial Infarction
MONDAY, April 28, 2025 -- For patients with myocardial infarction (MI), early oral combination lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) is beneficial, according to a study published online in...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.