New Delhi, A lower ability to concentrate and learn during childhood and adolescence could be linked to a tripling of the risk of suffering a stroke before turning 50, according to research.
While lower mental abilities have been linked to higher risks of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, researchers said the evidence in this regard is inconsistent. The latest findings are published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
In their analysis, the team of researchers, including those from the Hebrew University, used data from more than 17.4 lakh young Israelis (aged 16 to 20) taken as part of an assessment before starting military service.
These data included weight, blood pressure, diabetic status, and other factors such as education, socioeconomic background, and mental ability, including concentration, reasoning, and problem solving.
Recorded between 1987 and 2012, the military assessment data were compared to the Israeli national stroke database, for which mandatory reporting began in 2014. Until 2018, the first stroke or death of an individual, whichever comes first.
Among participants with low to medium mental ability (IQ scores up to 118), cases of stroke were found to be more common, and these individuals faced a 2.5 times higher risk of suffering a stroke before turning 50 years, compared to those with greater mental capacity. Mental abilities (IQ scores greater than 118).
Of the total 908 stroke cases recorded between 2014 and 2018, 767 were caused by a blood clot (ischemic stroke), 41 percent of which occurred before the age of 40.
The researchers found that among these 767 cases of ischemic stroke, the risk was almost twice as high in participants with average mental abilities and more than three times as high in those with low mental abilities during adolescence.
Additionally, the authors found that the risk of suffering a stroke increased by 33 percent for each unit of loss of mental capacity on a scale of 1 to 9 they developed.
A score of 1 to 3 corresponded to an IQ below 89 (low), 4 to 7 to an IQ of 90 to 118 (medium), and 8 to 9 to an IQ above 118 (high), according to the scale developed by the researchers.
Although no cause-and-effect relationships were established, they suggested that mental ability (or cognitive function) could serve to identify people at higher risk of suffering a stroke, thereby delaying disability and death.
"Providing early health and social support for people with lower cognitive function could be essential to mitigate their elevated risk," the authors wrote.
While lower mental abilities have been linked to higher risks of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, researchers said the evidence in this regard is inconsistent. The latest findings are published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
In their analysis, the team of researchers, including those from the Hebrew University, used data from more than 17.4 lakh young Israelis (aged 16 to 20) taken as part of an assessment before starting military service.
These data included weight, blood pressure, diabetic status, and other factors such as education, socioeconomic background, and mental ability, including concentration, reasoning, and problem solving.
Recorded between 1987 and 2012, the military assessment data were compared to the Israeli national stroke database, for which mandatory reporting began in 2014. Until 2018, the first stroke or death of an individual, whichever comes first.
Among participants with low to medium mental ability (IQ scores up to 118), cases of stroke were found to be more common, and these individuals faced a 2.5 times higher risk of suffering a stroke before turning 50 years, compared to those with greater mental capacity. Mental abilities (IQ scores greater than 118).
Of the total 908 stroke cases recorded between 2014 and 2018, 767 were caused by a blood clot (ischemic stroke), 41 percent of which occurred before the age of 40.
The researchers found that among these 767 cases of ischemic stroke, the risk was almost twice as high in participants with average mental abilities and more than three times as high in those with low mental abilities during adolescence.
Additionally, the authors found that the risk of suffering a stroke increased by 33 percent for each unit of loss of mental capacity on a scale of 1 to 9 they developed.
A score of 1 to 3 corresponded to an IQ below 89 (low), 4 to 7 to an IQ of 90 to 118 (medium), and 8 to 9 to an IQ above 118 (high), according to the scale developed by the researchers.
Although no cause-and-effect relationships were established, they suggested that mental ability (or cognitive function) could serve to identify people at higher risk of suffering a stroke, thereby delaying disability and death.
"Providing early health and social support for people with lower cognitive function could be essential to mitigate their elevated risk," the authors wrote.
