Silent stroke risk higher for type 2 diabetics

Do you know 10 people over the age of 60? If so, chances are one of them has had a stroke and doesn’t even know it.

When researchers at Boston University reviewed MRI scans from more than 2,000 subjects with no history of stroke, more than 10 percent were found to have suffered a silent stroke.

Silent cerebral infarction (SCI) is known as a “silent stroke” because it occurs without stroke symptoms. The stroke victim isn’t even aware that a stroke had occurred. Nevertheless, brain damage DOES occur. And chances of a second stroke are very high.

In another study, Japanese researchers found that among patients with type 2 diabetes, nearly three in 10 had suffered SCI. In addition, long-term follow up revealed an unexpected link: Diabetic stroke victims were also at high risk of kidney disease. In fact, they were two and a half times more likely to die of kidney disease.

The BU researchers caution that high blood pressure and high levels of homocysteine are two key risk factors for SCI.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Sources:
“Silent Strokes Take a Toll” Kelley Colihan, WebMD Health News, 6/26/08, webmd.com
“Silent Strokes Signal Kidney Disease” Ivanhoe Newswire, 1/29/10, ivanhoe.com