Greater Long-Term Decline in Stroke Seen Among Older Adults

New research conducted by Hugo J. Aparicio of Boston University and using data from the Framingham Study found a greater decline in ischemic strokes for older adults than for middle-aged adults over time, according to Medical Xpress . Aparicio and his colleagues examined age- and sex-adjusted 10-year incidence of ischemic strokes over more than four decades for two distinct groups from the Framingham Study: participants aged 35-54 at the start of follow-up, and participants older than 55 at the start of follow-up. The risk for ischemic stroke did not significantly decline over time for the mid-life group, while the older group saw a decline in strokes from the earliest data sets to the most recent. Aparicio stressed that early attention to cardiovascular risk factors and preventative lifestyle changes are essential to minimizing the risk of ischemic stroke.