Odds of cognitive impairment increase after stroke in certain populations
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History of stroke was associated with increased odds of cognitive impairment in both non-Hispanic white and Mexican American individuals, researchers reported.
The magnitude of the impact of stroke on cognition was less in Mexican American participants than in non-Hispanic white participants, according to the researchers.
The association between stroke and dementia is well established, but less is known about the prevalence in underrepresented ethnic groups, according to the study background.
Christopher J. Becker, MD, neurologist in the University of Michigan Health System, and colleagues conducted a population-based, cohort study in Nueces County, Texas; residents younger than 65 years were recruited via telephone or door-to-door from May 2018 to December 2021. The county is a bi-ethnic community with a primarily Mexican American population. Participants lived in the community for at least 6 months of the year, were aged 65 years or older, spoke English or Spanish and were living in the community or a nursing-care facility.
Of the 1,801 participants, 50% were Mexican American, 44% were non-Hispanic white and 6% were another race/ethnicity. Crude prevalence of stroke history was 12% for Mexican Americans, 12.3% for non-Hispanic white participants and 17.2% for participants of other races/ethnicities (P = .34).
Becker and colleagues found stroke was associated with cognitive impairment in each race/ethnicity, but the magnitude of effect was greater in non-Hispanic white participants (cumulative OR = 3.81; 95% CI, 2.37-6.12) than in Mexican American participants (cumulative OR = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.04-2.41).
Older age and lower educational attainment were also associated with cognitive impairment in all races/ethnicities, the researchers wrote.
“Overall, our findings underscore the importance of aggressive stroke prevention measures not only to minimize the morbidity of poststroke cognitive impairment for patients and caregivers, but also to reduce the burden of dementia at a population level,” Becker and colleagues wrote.
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Becker CJ, et al. Stroke. 2022;doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.122.039533.
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