Having a heart attack increases the risk of stroke more than previously believed, according to new study results.
Past research indicated that heart attack is a risk factor for stroke only for one month, but investigators have found that it is actually three months.
“That’s big news,” Alexander Merkler, M.D., an assistant professor of neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, told Health Day. “These findings will change the way we think of the relationship between heart attack and stroke.”
Current treatment protocols have patients taking antiplatelet drugs, such as aspirin, following a heart attack. However, findings from the study mean that patients may need blood thinners, instead, to prevent clots. Further studies are needed to determine which treatment works best, Merkler said.
UCLA and Weill Cornell researchers came to their conclusion after studying data from more than 1.7 million Medicare patients. About 46,000 of the study sample were hospitalized following a heart attack, and 80,000 after a stroke. They found a higher risk for stroke among those who had a heart attack versus those who did not.
From the December 2018 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
