Lower concentration and learning abilities during childhood and adolescence may be linked to a threefold increase in the risk of having a stroke before age 50, according to research. Although lower mental abilities have been associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, researchers note that the evidence is inconsistent. These new findings have been published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
The research team, including members from Hebrew University, analysed data from over 1.74 million young Israelis, aged 16 to 20, who were evaluated before starting military service. This data encompassed weight, blood pressure, diabetic status, education, socioeconomic background, and mental abilities such as concentration, reasoning, and problem-solving.
The data, recorded between 1987 and 2012 from military evaluations, was compared with records from the Israeli national stroke database, which mandated reporting starting in 2014. For the analysis, an individual's first stroke or death, whichever occurred first, was considered up until 2018.
Among participants with low to medium mental ability (IQ scores up to 118), stroke cases were more prevalent. These individuals had a 2.5 times greater risk of experiencing a stroke before the age of 50 compared to those with higher mental abilities (IQ scores above 118).
Of the total 908 stroke cases recorded between 2014-2018, 767 were caused by a blood clot (ischaemic stroke), 41 per cent of which were found to have occurred before turning 40 years of age.
The researchers discovered that among the 767 cases of ischemic stroke, the risk was nearly twice as high for participants with moderate mental ability and more than triple for those with low mental abilities during their teenage years.
Additionally, the authors discovered that the risk of stroke increased by 33 percent for each one-unit decrease in mental ability on a 1-9 scale they developed. According to their scale, a score of 1-3 indicated an IQ below 89 (low), 4-7 corresponded to an IQ of 90-118 (medium), and 8-9 represented an IQ above 118 (high).
Although no cause-and-effect relationships were determined, researchers suggested that mental ability (or cognitive function) might help identify individuals at higher risk for stroke, potentially delaying disability and death.
"Provision of early social and health support for individuals with lower cognitive function might be essential for mitigating their elevated risk," the authors wrote.
(with PTI inputs)
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