Your generous gifts are making a difference. 2019 Impact Update — Spring Report
Preventing stroke helps prevent dementia
Shedding light on one of the most devastating consequences of stroke. Dr. Eric Smith’s research could lead to critical findings that could change how we diagnose, identify and prevent both clinical and covert strokes.
The Problem:
The Solution:
Stroke happens when blood flow to your brain is interrupted, and cells are damaged or die as a result. This damage can lead to dementia—at any age. While stroke and dementia have common risk factors, researchers are discovering that dementia is more closely related to stroke and changes in blood vessels than they previously thought. But while the connection between stroke and dementia is frightening, when we prevent one, we help prevent that other.
Dr. Eric Smith’s PURE-MIND study is the first in Canada to look at covert strokes — small strokes in the brain that cause very subtle symptoms. Common among people in Canada, they can be as likely to lead to dementia as large strokes. Dr. Smith and his team are also the first to look at covert strokes among people in their late-30s, 40s, and 50s, along with those in their 70s and 80s.
“Reducing stroke risk protects your brain. Healthy living is about dementia too. Everything you do to protect your body protects your brain.” — Stroke Neurologist Dr. Eric Smith, Calgary Stroke Program
Supported by Heart & Stroke donors like you, the study uses brain scans to look for evidence of a covert stroke. Through memory tests at three-year intervals, Dr. Smith’s research will help identify people in midlife who might be at risk for memory and thinking problems later in life. By figuring out who is at risk, Dr. Smith hopes we can do more to prevent issues later in life through lifestyle changes and medication.
Your continued generous support helps us to fund important research that improves the lives of those affected by stroke.