Educated people who have completed a university degree and find themselves struggling to remember things can signal that they are at risk for suffering from memory loss and even stroke.
Dutch researchers have revealed that people who have completed a university degree and find themselves struggling in remembering things, they might be at risk for stroke. They acquired the findings following an experiment and examination of 9,000 people in Rotterdam area over a 20-year period.
The subjects were aged 55 and above wherein they utilized a questionnaire to ask them if they have issues and concerns about their memory. Their finding revealed that people who finished their university education and are struggling with memory loss have a 39 percent increased risk of stroke compared to people with less education.
According to Arfan Ikram, associated professor of neuroepidemiology at Erasmus University and one of the lead researcher said that an educated person should be more alarmed if they experience memory loss. He added, "In people with a high level of education, it takes longer for the brain to be damaged and for dementia to occur. But if these people start complaining about their memory, then the mechanism is gone. This can be an indicator they have reached an advanced stage, when the cognitive reserve is not compensating anymore."
They are at greater risk for stroke because the condition occurs when blood vessels that carry oxygen to the brain become blocked. When there is no blood going to the brain, it causes cell necrosis or cell death. The common hallmarks of stroke are sudden numbness on one side of the body, blurred vision and slurred speech.
Stroke is a fatal condition that can either result to paralysis of one side of the body or even coma and death. Lifestyle can also play a major role in the emergence of such condition. High blood pressure, diabetes and high serum cholesterol can increase the risk for stroke.