TL;DR
Get health and wellness essentials delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
A Swedish study of 4,912 adults found that, among people ages 60 to 69, lower scores in overall thinking, memory and processing speed were associated with higher risk of a first stroke during follow-up. The association was not seen in participants ages 70 and older after adjustment for other factors, and the observational study cannot show that lower cognitive scores cause strokes.
A Swedish study has linked lower cognitive test scores among adults ages 60 to 69 with a higher risk of having a first stroke years later, though it found no comparable pattern among participants age 70 and older after accounting for other health and lifestyle factors. The observational research, published September 30 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, shows an association, not evidence that poorer thinking ability causes stroke.
The study followed 4,912 adults ages 60 to 80 and older who took part in the Good Aging in Skåne project. None had a reported history of dementia, stroke or transient ischemic attack when enrolled. Researchers assessed memory, processing speed, verbal fluency and executive function, and used available test results to estimate overall thinking ability. Scores were grouped as low, middle or high within age groups.
Over an average 12.3 years of follow-up, 572 participants had a first stroke, more than 10% of the study group. Researchers identified stroke events through Sweden’s National Patient Register of specialized inpatient and outpatient care. Among adults ages 60 to 69, lower overall thinking scores were associated with an estimated 86% higher stroke risk than higher scores; lower memory and processing-speed scores were associated with risks 68% and 66% higher, respectively.
The same pattern was not found among participants ages 70 to 79 or those 80 and older once researchers accounted for other health and lifestyle factors. The findings concern relative differences between score groups in this study; they do not provide an individual’s absolute chance of stroke or show that a change in cognitive performance would change that person’s risk.
Why Scores in the 60s Matter
The results suggest that cognitive test performance in a person’s 60s could be one factor researchers and clinicians examine when considering later stroke risk. The association may matter because it appeared in a group younger than the older participants, among whom multiple medical conditions and medication use may make relationships between cognition and stroke risk harder to distinguish. The study does not establish that cognitive tests should be used alone to screen for stroke.
Elisabeth Breese Marsh, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins University who was not involved in the research, said the findings support attention to vascular risk factors and brain health during midlife. She also said people in their 40s and 50s should focus on risk-factor management and habits associated with overall brain health. Her comments are guidance on the broader issue, not a result tested by this study.
For readers, the key point is the distinction between a possible risk marker and a cause. Lower scores could reflect existing, undetected brain changes or other health factors that also relate to stroke. The research cannot determine which explanation accounts for the association, and it does not replace assessment of established stroke risks by a health professional.
cognitive assessment test for adults
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Researchers Compared Age Groups
The analysis used health and cognitive data gathered from 2001 through 2023 in the Good Aging in Skåne project, alongside records from Swedish health authorities. Participants were at least 60 when enrolled, and 46% were men. Researchers examined first-time strokes rather than repeat events and compared cognitive score groups separately by age.
Lead author Alice Askemyr, a geriatrics researcher at Lund University and Skåne University Hospital in Malmö, said the team studied different age spans because older adults are diverse in health status. She noted that people in their 80s may have more medical conditions and take more medications than people in their 60s, and that a risk factor’s relevance may differ depending on when it emerges.
Askemyr also proposed that lower scores among some younger participants could reflect undetected or “silent” brain injuries, which might affect both cognition and subsequent stroke risk. That is a possible explanation offered by the researcher, not something this study proved. The analysis did not establish whether cognitive changes preceded any underlying brain injury.
“The older population is very diverse.”
— Alice Askemyr, lead study author and geriatrics researcher at Lund University and Skåne University Hospital
Cause and Generalizability Remain Open
Because this was an observational study, researchers could identify associations but not determine whether lower cognitive performance directly contributes to stroke. Other factors, including underlying brain injury, medical conditions, medications or unmeasured differences, could help explain the pattern. The researchers adjusted for health and lifestyle factors, but adjustment cannot remove every possible source of confounding.
The reason the association appeared among adults ages 60 to 69 but not in the older groups is also unresolved. A lack of a similar observed pattern in those groups does not establish that cognition is unrelated to stroke risk for every older adult. The study’s results may also not apply in the same way to people in countries with different health systems, socioeconomic conditions and lifestyle patterns; Askemyr identified generalizability as a limitation.
The report does not establish a cognitive-score threshold that predicts an individual stroke, or show that screening with these tests improves outcomes. It also does not show that improving test performance prevents strokes. Those questions require further research.
Further Research and Risk Assessment
The study does not announce a planned clinical screening program or a change to stroke-prevention guidance. Further studies would need to examine whether the association is reproduced in other populations, clarify what may account for the age-group difference and test whether cognitive scores add useful information beyond established risk factors.
For now, the finding is best read as a research signal about adults in their 60s, not a diagnostic result. People concerned about their cognition or stroke risk can discuss those concerns and their health history with a qualified health professional. Researchers have not shown that a low score alone predicts a stroke or that treating a score changes the outcome.
Key Questions
What did the Swedish study find?
Among adults ages 60 to 69, lower scores in overall thinking, memory and processing speed were associated with higher risk of a first stroke during follow-up. The study did not find the same pattern among participants age 70 and older after adjustment for other factors.
How many people in the study had a stroke?
Of 4,912 participants, 572 had a first stroke during an average 12.3 years of follow-up. Researchers obtained stroke-event data from Sweden’s National Patient Register.
Does the study show that lower cognitive scores cause strokes?
No. The study was observational and found an association; it cannot establish cause and effect. Other factors, including underlying brain changes or health conditions, may help explain the result.
Do the findings apply to people over 70?
The study did not find the same adjusted association among participants ages 70 to 79 or 80 and older. That does not prove there is no relationship for any individual in those age groups, and the findings may not generalize to all populations.
Should people get cognitive tests to assess stroke risk?
This study does not establish that cognitive testing should be used on its own to screen for stroke or that testing improves outcomes. Anyone concerned about cognitive changes or stroke risk should discuss their situation with a qualified health professional.
Source: rss
Cold & flu season Picks
humidifiers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
