Experts believe that screening for heart disease has the potential to save thousands of lives. The threat of so-called “silent” heart disease is severe because these patients do not have the visible outward signs of heart disease, like those with noted high blood pressure portray. Still, it has been observed that about one third of all stroke victims have had no known history of heart disease, yet still have suffered from issues with their arteries, which in turn led to their stroke. They suffer from a hardening of the arteries around the heart, and statistics show that about 3 percent of them will have a heart attack within a year of their stroke. Many of these are fatal, but foreknowledge could have the potential to save some of these lives.
The study looked at the medical records of over 50,000 patients before drawing the conclusion that there were risk factors in place, yet they had gone completely undetected because no measures for finding them had ever been introduced. After the fact, researchers were able to find that about one in three of these patients had severe (50 percent or more) coronary stenosis. This means that the inner diameter of their arteries near the heart had been restricted by more than half. The reality of this is that it is far harder for oxygen to get to the brain, which caused the stroke in the first place. But it also means that a heart attack is more likely. Medications and exercise both have the potential to lower the risk of a heart attack. In some cases, surgery would have been necessary. Either way, the long term prognosis for those that suffered a heart attack could have been improved.
Strokes can often lead to permanent disability, creating a need for long term senior care. Many people find that their disabilities are mild enough that in-home care or even a professional respite caregiver is enough, but others that have a stroke need to live within a nursing home for the rest of their lives. This is unfortunate, and if it is preventable in even a handful of cases, this is a path that should be pursued. Ensuring that your elderly loved ones have more complete and more regularly conducted physical examinations is an essential part of keeping them healthy for longer.
No one wants to need senior care, but for many people, it’s a necessity. Still, by taking the proper preventative steps, we can help our loved ones to stay healthier and happier for longer and reduce the need for in-home care. If your loved one does need senior care, though, Paradise In-Home Care is happy to help your loved one and see if they are the right solution for their care needs with a consultation.
This study also revealed that the likelihood of a heart attack after a stroke is far higher than originally thought. As disturbing as this information might be, it does stress the need for healthy living and proper preventative checkups. If you have an elderly loved one, ensuring that they get their physicals with regularity–even if they seem healthy–is a must.
Leave a Reply