Risk of StrokeStroke is claimed to be the third top cause of death and primary reason for grave disability in the US. Well, a study alleges that cumulative exposure to five general infection-causing pathogens may be connected with an augmented danger of stroke.

Identified threat issues comprise of high blood pressure, heart disease, abnormal cholesterol levels and smoking, but several strokes supposedly arise in patients due to none of these factors. Some proof apparently exists that before, infection with pathogens like herpes viruses apparently supports inflammation, adds to arterial disease and thus augments stroke risk.

Mitchell S. V. Elkind, M.D., M.S., of Columbia University Medical Center, New York, and colleagues examined about 1,625 adults. The average age of people is in the study was 68.4 years. They lived in the mixed metropolitan society of northern Manhattan, New York. Blood was apparently received from all the subjects who have never had a stroke. They were examined for antibodies signifying former contact to five common pathogens i.e. Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus 1 and 2. A subjective complex file of exposure to all five pathogens was said to be created. Participants were followed up yearly over a midpoint of about 7.6 years. Around 67 people had strokes during this time period.

The authors commented, “Each individual infection was positively, though not significantly, associated with stroke risk after adjusting for other risk factors. The infectious burden index was associated with an increased risk of all strokes after adjusting for demographics and risk factors.”

The authors observed that there were various motives to inspect these five particular pathogens.

The authors explained, “First, each of these common pathogens may persist after an acute infection and thus contribute to perpetuating a state of chronic, low-level infection. Second, prior studies demonstrated an association between each of these pathogens and cardiovascular diseases.”

The authors added, “Our study could have potential clinical implications. For example, treatment and eradication of these chronic pathogens might mitigate future risk of stroke. Antibiotic therapy directed against C pneumoniae has been tested in randomized controlled trials without evidence of benefit against heart disease.”

The authors remarked that whether the same holds true for stroke has not yet been established. More studies will be required to further explore infectious burden as a potential modifiable risk factor for stroke.

This study was published in the Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.