In the United States, approximately 795,000 people have a stroke each year. Approximately 600,000 of these are first attacks and for many, a stroke can be life-changing.

In fact, after having a stroke, you are at a significantly higher risk of developing dementia.

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, 10 percent of stroke survivors are expected to develop dementia within a year. This risk increases to a third within five years.

Of these stroke survivors, vascular dementia accounts for 75 percent of all dementia cases. Being the second most common form, following Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia accounts for nearly one fifth of all cases. This form of dementia is caused by damaged blood vessels or stroke, both which affect blood supply to the brain.

Stroke Survivors with Symptoms of Dementia Have a Greater Risk of Stroke-Related Death

Based on data collected from a stroke registry, patients who suffer from dementia following a stroke have a more than eight-fold increase in risk of death within two years after the stroke compared to patients who showcased no signs of dementia.

It was also found that a dementia diagnosis before the stroke doubled one’s risk of death, compared to those who did not have dementia before or after having a stroke. Based on an emerging field of research, it has been reported that approximately 20 to 30 percent of stroke survivors suffer from post-stroke dementia.

In one study, published in Stroke, researchers followed 324 stroke patients to assess survival rates. In addition, they were interested in the relationship between pre-existing or stroke-related dementia and mortality rates. Of these patients, 15 percent were found to have pre-stroke dementia.

After three months, 251 patients were reexamined based on their availability. Of these individuals, 50 were living with stroke-related dementia, in addition to 25 individuals with dementia prior to the stroke. In this study, 63 of these 75 patients living with post-stroke dementia had vascular. The remaining 12 had degenerative dementia plus stroke.

After nearly two years of follow-up, it was found that 58.3 percent of the patients living with stroke-related dementia had survived, in comparison to 95.4 percent of patients who did not suffer from dementia. It was concluded that risk of mortality for patients with stroke-related dementia was much greater.

Walk For One-Hour, Three Times Weekly 

For those currently living with vascular dementia, exercise could significantly improve your well-being and quality of life. In a recent study, researchers looked at vascular cognitive impairment. As discussed above, this form of dementia is often associated with stroke, as well as heart disease and high blood pressure.

Many researchers agree that by reducing your blood pressure, you could potentially lessen vascular dementia symptoms. There has been a significant amount of research on the link between exercise and Alzheimer’s, yet few studies have specifically addressed patients with vascular dementia.

As published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine, 38 older patients who had been diagnosed with a mild, early form of vascular dementia were examined. None were physically active at the beginning of the study. During their first visit to the lab at the University of British Columbia, the researchers measured their memory, thinking skills, and general health.

Each participant’s brain was also scanned to reveal neural activity. Scanned while completing a computerized test of attention, this scan showed how hard various parts of the brain were working during the task itself. The researchers then randomly assigned the volunteers to either a walking group or a control group.

• The walking group was supervised during one-hour sessions, three times weekly. Walks were brisk enough to raise their heart rates to at least 65 percent of their maximum capacity. This continued for six months.

• After six months, the same cognitive test was completed, as well as the brain scan. What they found was that the walking group had lower blood pressure and their brains were also functioning differently.

• Although differences were subtle, the walkers’ showcased improved attention and decision-making abilities.

Take Care of Your Heart

From risk factors such as a stroke to a sedentary lifestyle, the connection between heart and brain health is clear. It is imperative that you take a proactive approach, caring for your heart health in order to protect yourself against neurological decline.

You should also be mindful of any abnormal early warning signs, which is why we recommend the BrainTest® app. The sooner you address potential warning signs, the better. Test your cognition and discuss your results with your physician. Access your free trial today!