Abstract WP13: History Of Stroke Doubles The Risk Of Dementia: The Brain Attack Surveillance In Corpus Christi (BASIC)-Cognitive Project

• Published in: Stroke (1970) Vol. 53; no. Suppl_1
• Main Authors: Becker, Christopher J, Chang, Wen, Heeringa, Steven G, Briceno, Emily M, Morgenstern, Lewis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.02.2022
• ISSN: 0039-2499; 1524-4628
• DOI: 10.1161/str.53.suppl_1.WP13

Abstract only Background: We studied the association of stroke history with dementia in a population-based cohort study in Nueces County, Texas, USA, a bi-ethnic community with a large and primarily non-immigrant Mexican American population. Methods: Nueces County households were randomly identified and community-dwelling residents aged 65 years or older were recruited using door-to-door case ascertainment. Demographics, educational history, and medical history were obtained, and participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a screening scale that scores multiple domains of cognitive performance with aggregate scores ranging from 0 to 30 (lower scores worse). Using an inverse propensity weighting methodology, the 2015-2019 American Community Survey (ACS) data for the 65+ population of Nueces County were used to develop a population weight for each case in the analysis sample based on age, sex, race, ethnicity, and education level. A logistic regression model was developed to assess the relationship between stroke and dementia (defined as MoCA <20), controlling for age, ethnicity, education, and history of diabetes. Results: A total of 1226 participants completed MoCA screening, of whom 435 scored <20 (35.5%), and 154 (12.6%) reported a history of stroke. Stroke prevalence was higher among those with MoCA <20 than those with MoCA 20-30 (17.8% vs 10.3%; p < 0.001). Table 1 shows the final multivariable model demonstrating a 129% increase in the odds of MoCA <20 for those with stroke history. Conclusions: History of stroke was associated with more than double the odds of dementia after controlling for other factors. Aggressive stroke prevention is needed to reduce cognitive impairment.