People sometimes get head injuries during accidents. Healthcare professionals prescribe them some medications to treat their injuries. But some injuries can increase the risk of several health complications. In a recent study, researchers have revealed that head injuries increase the risk of a stroke. Head injuries also can increase this risk for a person who did not have a stroke before. This study was conducted by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine. Â
This research was recently published in the journal Stroke. In this study, researchers used data of 13,000 people which was collected after tracking them for 30 years. These people did not experience stroke before a head injury. People who had a stroke before head injury were not included in this study. The researchers mainly wanted to check whether head injuries cause a blood clot in the brain and increase the risk of stroke. This type of stroke is known as ischemic stroke. Researchers identified their head injuries either through some medical scores or by asking them questions. Â
When researchers observed the collected data, they found that the risk of stroke was 34% higher for those people who had a single head injury. They also noticed that the risk of ischemic stroke was even higher for those who had more than one head injury. But the intensity of the head injury did not affect the risk of getting stroke in the future. Â
One of the researchers said that it is very important to protect people from the risk of ischemic stroke who have had head injuries during accidents and never had a stroke. She suggested these people follow a good diet and do exercise regularly. She also said that healthcare professionals should also suggest the same. Â
The results of this study clearly show that head injuries can increase the risk of ischemic stroke. So, healthcare professionals should make some effective strategies such as suggesting they follow a good diet and exercise daily. They should also prescribe some effective medications for some factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol as they increase this risk. People can also use helmets and seatbelts to reduce the risk of head injuries. Â
Reference link:Â
Holly Elser et al, Head Injury and Risk of Incident Ischemic Stroke in Community-Dwelling Adults, Stroke (2024). Â
