Brain Injury - Raise Stroke Risk

People who have a traumatic brain injury may be more likely to suffer a stroke, a large new study suggests. And while the chances of having a stroke are still small, incurring a traumatic brain injury may be as big a risk factor as is high blood pressure, said study author Dr. James Burke.

While stroke risk is usually tied to older adults, about 20 percent occur in those under 65, said Burke, a research fellow in the neurology department at the University of Michigan Medical School. "Stroke is not typically associated with young people, and why younger people have strokes is not well understood.

After taking into account factors that can affect the risk of stroke, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, the severity of the trauma and age, the scientists found that those with TBI were 30 percent more likely to develop a stroke than were those with trauma but no brain injury.