Not taking your medicine is an important risk factor for repeat stroke. According to one study in patients with coronary artery disease, those patients who took 75 percent or less of their medications as prescribed had a four times higher risk of stroke than patients who took their medications exactly as directed.
“One in four people who have a stroke may have another,” says Dr. Feliks Koyfman, a neurologist and director of stroke services at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens. The risk of a second stroke is elevated whether someone has a transient ischemic attack (TIA), known as a mini-stroke, or a regular stroke.
The major risk factors for stroke include: High blood pressure. Diabetes. Heart and blood vessel diseases: Conditions that can cause blood clots or other blockages include coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, heart valve disease, and carotid artery disease.
In one study, 39% of second strokes were fatal (2). Within 4-5 years after a stroke, 18% of patients will have another one (3,4), and 17% will suffer from a heart attack or vascular death (4). In other words, within 4-5 years after surviving a stroke, 35% of patients will die or have a life-altering CV event.
There is no defined limit to the number of strokes a person can have without dying. However, each stroke injures the brain, which can cause lasting damage. Brain cells need a constant supply of blood and oxygen to stay alive.
How Does a Stroke Impact Life Expectancy? Despite the likelihood of making a full recovery, life expectancy after stroke incidents can decrease. Unfortunately, researchers have observed a wide range of life expectancy changes in stroke patients, but the average reduction in lifespan is nine and a half years.
Lack of blood flow to the brain — from a blood clot or blocked vessel — causes ischemic strokes. “Your risk of a second stroke is highest within the first two days,” says neurologist Blake Buletko, MD. “But you remain most vulnerable for up to three months and even up to one year after the first stroke.”
Unfortunately, blood thinners can reduce the risk of clot-related stroke only to increase the risk of stroke related to bleeding and blood vessel rupture. To prevent unwanted complications from blood thinners, patients may need to make lifestyle and adjustments moving forward.
A 2021 study found that about 66% of stroke victims survived past the three-year mark.
High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke and is the main cause for increased risk of stroke among people with diabetes.
Some people recover fully, but others have long-term or lifelong disabilities. Learn more about stroke rehabilitation from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Second strokes are serious medical emergencies, and the risk of recurrent stroke increases greatly after a single stroke. All of this makes second stroke prevention a crucial part of recovery.
Managing blood pressure levels, reducing or quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, and regular physical activity will reduce the risk of a second stroke, along with managing conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.
There are undeniable links between heart disease, stroke and stress. Stress can cause the heart to work harder, increase blood pressure, and increase sugar and fat levels in the blood. These things, in turn, can increase the risk of clots forming and travelling to the heart or brain, causing a heart attack or stroke.
Sleep is especially important for those who have suffered a stroke. It is common for patients to have poor health after a stroke, but patients with better sleep quality tend to recover more quickly.
Some people will experience symptoms such as headache, numbness or tingling several days before they have a serious stroke. One study found that 43% of stroke patients experienced mini-stroke symptoms up to a week before they had a major stroke.
Sleep disruption is very common after suffering a stroke, more than half of survivors have problems sleeping in the months following. Poor sleep can slow recovery, cause depression, and even lead to memory problems.
A stroke changes life for the survivor and everyone involved. Not only do survivors experience physical changes, but many experience personality changes ranging from apathy to neglect. Some survivors just don't seem to care about anything. The best response to apathy is activity.
The survival rate was the highest for those 50 years and younger (57%), and the lowest for those aged over 70 years (9%). Predictors of 5-year mortality were older age and hypertension for both types of stroke, heart diseases for ischemic stroke and diabetes for intracerebral hemorrhage.
If you have a stroke and your brain scan confirms that it has been caused by a blood clot, you will probably be given a daily dose of aspirin, which you will need to take for up to two weeks.
Other brain cells die because they are damaged by sudden bleeding in or around the brain. Some brain cells die quickly but many linger in a compromised or weakened state for several hours. Stroke causes permanent brain damage over minutes to hours.
About one-half of patients who survive acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) are at increased risk of recurrent stroke within a few days or weeks of the initial event, with the greatest risk during the 1st week [3].