Second Stroke Risk
Reported June 02, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) After a stroke, time is of the essence. A new study on second strokes reveals they tend to occur within 24 hours of the initial event.
“Our study highlights the need for someone who is experiencing the symptoms of a mini-stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) to get to an emergency room fast,” Peter Rothwell, M.D., Ph.D., with the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, was quoted as saying. “That’s because even after a very minor initial stroke, the immediate risk of a major stroke is very high.”
Examining the medical records of more than 1,200 TIA patients, researchers looked at whether patients had a second stroke within six, 12 and 24 hours of the first stroke. After six hours, the risk of a second stroke increased by 1.2 percent; after 12 hours, the risk grew another percent; by 24 hours, the risk increased to 5 percent.
“We found a second stroke rate of about 5 percent, with half of all second strokes within seven days occurring in the first 24 hours, and half of these early recurrent strokes being disabling or fatal,” Dr. Rothwell said.
SOURCE: Neurology, 2009