1 in 5 Minor Stroke Patients Face Another Stroke Within 10 Years: Study Finds - Video

A new study has found that individuals who have experienced a minor stroke or a transient ischemic attack remain at an elevated risk of suffering a more severe stroke for several years following the initial event. Findings are published in JAMA.

Anonymized data on 171,068 patients who experienced a minor stroke or transient ischemic attack were analyzed from hospital- or community-based studies conducted across four continents spanning 20 countries. Khan says the findings are relevant to everyone no matter where they live in the world.

The findings show that risks of a subsequent stroke are 5.9 percent in the first year, 12.8 percent within five years, and 19.8 percent within 10 years.

A lot of focus has been put on preventing stroke in the first 90-days post- transient ischemic attack or minor stroke, which is when a person is at the highest risk of a second stroke. However, what we're seeing in this study is that the risk continues and remains high for at least the next decade," says Dr. Faizan Khan, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at the Cumming School of Medicine and lead author of the study. What's really important from these findings is that people need to stay vigilant. Attention to and treatment of stroke risk factors, such as high blood pressure, is essential not just when people are released from hospital, but for their lifetime."

Reference: https://news.ucalgary.ca/news/global-study-led-ucalgary-researchers-establishes-long-term-risk-stroke