Health: Hidden Signs Of Stroke

Strokes seem to come on with a frightening suddenness, but new research in the journal Stroke suggests that subtle signs may be measurable as much as 10 years beforehand. The finding comes out of a study of 2,175 men and women ages 33 to 88 with no history of stroke or dementia. Researchers found that as the risk of stroke increased--indicated by variables like age, blood pressure, diabetes, smoking status, history of heart disease--the subjects' cognitive functions declined, perhaps owing to small, undetectable changes in the brain. "People don't just wake up one morning and find they are demented," says lead...

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