Head Injury Raises Stroke Risk

Previously, some studies have suggested a connection between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and subsequent stroke, insofar as blows to the head strong enough to injure the brain are also likely to disrupt the vasculature. Herng-Ching Lin, from Taipei Medical University (Taiwan), and colleagues, analyzed hospital records for more than 23,000 individuals diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), finding a 10-fold increase in the risk of stroke within three months, after adjusting for other risk factors, as compared to age- and sex-matched controls.  The one- and five-year hazard ratios for stroke after a TBI diagnosis were 4.61 and 2.32, respectively.  While strokes in the TBI patients were more frequently ischemic than hemorrhagic, the team found increased risk was greater for hemorrhagic strokes.  Writing that: “This is the first report showing an increased risk of stroke among individuals who have sustained a [traumatic brain injury],” the researchers urge “more intensive medical monitoring and health education following [traumatic brain injury], especially during the first few months and years.”