AARP Hearing Center
For more on stroke and brain health, go to AARP’s Brain Health Resource Center at AARP.org/brainhealth
Key takeaways
- The Brain Docs link sleep apnea symptoms to increased stroke risk.
- Poor oral health and skipped flossing may contribute to inflammation.
- Migraines with aura are associated with higher stroke risk than migraines without aura.
Summary
The Brain Docs explain several lesser-known stroke risk factors and why recognizing them early can support better brain health. They highlight sleep apnea, poor oral health and migraines with aura as conditions linked to increased stroke risk, while emphasizing that many of these risks can be identified and addressed with medical care and healthy habits.
The discussion also explores how stroke risk can differ for men and women. The Brain Docs note sex-specific risk factors and stress that about 80% of strokes are preventable through regular exercise, whole-food nutrition, restful sleep and ongoing attention to changes in health.
The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
Full Transcript:
[0:00:00] Ayesha: Here’s an alarming fact.
[0:00:02] Strokes are on the rise for adults ages 45 to 64.
[0:00:07] Dean: Every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke, and it’s the
[0:00:11] second leading cause of death worldwide.
[0:00:14] Ayesha: A stroke can happen in two main ways.
[0:00:16] A blood vessel carrying blood to the brain is blocked by a clot or a plaque,
[0:00:21] or the blood vessel in the brain leaks or bursts, sending blood all over the brain.
[0:00:27] When either occur, parts of the brain can’t get the blood or oxygen it needs, and brain cells die.
[0:00:34] Dean: How to stay ahead of this?
[0:00:35] There are behaviors and health conditions that could be red flags.
[0:00:39] Ayesha: And if you identify these risks early, you can get them treated.
[0:00:43] Dean: Here are three unusual risk factors of a stroke.
[0:00:47] Ayesha: The first is sleep apnea.
[0:00:49] If you snore heavily or your partner notices that you stop breathing in your sleep, that’s worth paying attention to.
[0:00:56] It can be the most visible sign of sleep apnea, and sleep apnea is linked to higher stroke risk.
[0:01:02] Dean: In sleep apnea, your breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout the night.
[0:01:07] Each pause drops your oxygen, spikes and drops your blood pressure, and drives inflammation. And over time, that pattern is associated with significant damage to the brain.
[0:01:18] Ayesha: The more severe the apnea, the stronger the link to stroke tends to be.
[0:01:22] So if you’re snoring loudly or you’re gasping for air at night, please get evaluated, because it’s a treatable condition.
[0:01:30] Dean: Poor oral health may also play a role.
[0:01:33] Only about a third of adults 45 and older floss daily, and research links poor oral health to higher stroke risk.
[0:01:40] Ayesha: The thinking is that bacteria and plaque that build between your teeth drive chronic inflammation, and that inflammation is associated with cardiovascular and stroke risk.
[0:01:52] Unfortunately, brushing alone doesn’t reach it.
[0:01:55] Flossing does.
[0:01:56] Dean: So don’t forget to floss.
[0:01:58] Ayesha: The next is migraines with aura.
[0:02:01] If you get migraines that come with an aura, like flashes of light or changes in your vision, that may signal a higher stroke risk.
[0:02:10] An aura can also show up as something like tingling in your hands or your face and a brief muscle weakness on one side of the body.
[0:02:18] Dean: In a recent study, adults 45 and older who had migraines with aura had about a 73% higher risk of stroke than people without migraines.
[0:02:26] Migraines without aura showed no increased risk, so it is specifically the aura that matters here.
[0:02:33] Ayesha: So if you get migraines with aura, please track your symptoms and discuss them with your doctor.
[0:02:39] It’s information worth acting on. No reason to panic.
[0:02:43] While there are risk factors everyone should pay attention to, your sex plays a big role, both in lifestyle and in existing health conditions.
[0:02:52] Some stroke risks are more common in men, others in women.
[0:02:55] Dean: Men should pay particular attention to smoking, obesity and high blood pressure.
[0:03:01] Men are more likely than women to smoke, most men in the United States carry excess weight, and roughly half of U.S. men have high blood pressure.
[0:03:11] Ayesha: Because of those stats, some people think of stroke as a man’s disease.
[0:03:16] It is not.
[0:03:17] Stroke kills more than twice as many women as breast cancer each year.
[0:03:22] For women, your stroke risk is higher if you enter menopause before 45, had your ovaries removed before menopause, or you take oral contraceptives that contain estrogen.
[0:03:35] And lastly, women with atrial fibrillation or A-Fib face a higher stroke risk from it than men with the same condition.
[0:03:43] Dean: But here’s some good news.
[0:03:45] About 80% of strokes are preventable with healthy lifestyle choices like regular exercise, eating whole foods and getting restful sleep.
[0:03:54] Ayesha: And make sure you monitor changes in your health.
[0:03:57] Now is the time to pay attention before there is a brain-harming event.
[0:04:01] Dean: For more information on strokes, go to aarp.org/brainhealth
