Undetected high cholesterol found in 2 out of 3 stroke patients
Stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, is a leading cause of brain damage, long-term disability, and death.
More than 4 out of 5 strokes are ischemic strokes. These happen when a blood clot or other substance blocks blood and oxygen from reaching a part of the brain.
Researchers from the Centre Vaudois in Lausanne, Switzerland, discovered that 67.7% of stroke patients had at least one major risk factor. However, the individuals were never diagnosed with the conditions before their stroke.
The researchers investigated medical records of 4,354 stroke patients from the Acute Stroke Registry and Analysis of Lausanne from 2003 to 2018. Of these patients, 1,125 had previously undiagnosed major risk factors (UMRF).
The leading risk factor was dyslipidemia, seen in 61.4% of the patients. This condition is characterized by high cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
High blood pressure, the second most common risk factor, affected 23.7% of the individuals studied.
About 10.2% of the patients had atrial fibrillation, which can cause a fast and irregular heartbeat.
Speaking with Medical News Today, lead author Dr. André Rêgo mentioned eight other major risk factors explored in the study: other cardiac issues including silent heart disease, diabetes, diet, obesity, stress, smoking, and alcohol.
Dr. Rêgo and his team believed that many people overlook UMRFs because they do not seek or adhere to preventive care. The researchers supposed that financial reasons may in some casessometimes limit doctor’s visits.
Also, certain risk factors can be silent, which can make people think nothing is wrong. Dr. Rêgo imagined that “people may react more to symptomatic health issues.”
The Centre Vaudois colleagues also noticed that the UMRF patients were more likely to be younger and not Caucasian.
Women under 55 years old using contraceptives and patients 55 and older who smoked were also prone to have at least one UMRF.
On the other hand, individuals taking blood thinners before their stroke were less likely to have an undiagnosed stroke risk factor. The researchers observed the same trend with people who had a higher body mass index.
Dr. Tarpley appreciated this research because it quantifies what he has observed anecdotally regarding patients with undiagnosed stroke risk factors.
Most importantly, he said, “It tells us that there are things we can do to prevent these strokes. Many of these strokes are actually preventable.”
Dr. Tarpley explained that the top risk factors – dyslipidemia, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation – are all treatable to help reduce stroke risk.
He urged: “I mean that there’s something you can do. You don’t have to just wait and see. You can actually get your cholesterol [and] blood pressure checked. If you have atrial fibrillation, see your doctor and get put on a blood thinner.”
