People with conditions or habits such as high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, or smoking, not only have a higher risk of stroke, they may also have more severe strokes than people without these risk factors, according to a study published in the journal Neurology . "Stroke can lead to disability or even death, yet there are a number of risk factors that people can modify with a change in lifestyle or medication," said study author Catriona Reddin, MD at the University of Galway in Ireland and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Our results emphasize the importance of managing risk factors for stroke, especially high blood pressure , atrial fibrillation and smoking, in order to prevent severe, disabling stroke.
" The study involved 26,948 people from 32 countries with an average age of 62. Of this group, half the people had a stroke and half were people who did not have a stroke. Participants without stroke were matched for age and sex to people who had had a stroke.
Of those with stroke, 4,848 people had a severe stroke and 8,612 people had a mild to moderate stroke. Severe stroke was defined as outcomes ranging from being unable to walk or care for oneself without assistance to requiring constant nursing care until death. Mild to moderate stroke was defined as outcomes ranging from having no symptoms to requiring some help with personal care but being able to walk without the assistance of another person.
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