According to a new study, Anemia more than triples a person’s risk of death after suffering a stroke. Severe anemia among stroke survivors increases their chance of dying throughout the first year after their stroke.
Anemia, a common blood disorder, is a better predictor of death after stroke than heart disease, cancer or a severe stroke.The risk is even there in people who are slightly anemic.
It can cause changes in the blood vessels of the brain, making the brain less able to counteract a stroke.It can also change how effectively oxygen is delivered to the brain, and may play a role in common medical problems that also increase the risk of having a stroke.
Higher blood pressure at the time of a stroke is something the body does to try to get more blood to the brain and especially to the part of the brain where the stroke is happening. This process, called 'cerebral autoregulation,' is oftentimes impaired in those with long-standing anemia.
It also decreases the amount of oxygen reaching the brain, which is even more detrimental during a stroke, when blood and oxygen are prevented from getting to the brain, he added. Patients with moderate anemia had twice the risk of dying six months to a year after their stroke, compared to patients without anemia. For mild anemia, the risk was 1.5 times higher in that time frame.
People with anemia don't have enough healthy red blood cells. Symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat.Earlier research shows that anemia increases the risk of death after a heart attack, heart failure or kidney disease.
It is important to treat this disease in stroke patients, especially women because it can impair oxygen delivery to the brain.