Adults in their 60s who perform worse on tests of thinking ability, memory, and processing speed may face a substantially higher risk of stroke later in life, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The study, conducted in Sweden and reported by NEWMEDIAWIRE, followed nearly 5,000 adults aged 60 to 80+ for an average of 12 years, tracking first-time strokes and their relationship to cognitive function.
Researchers found that among participants aged 60-69, lower overall thinking ability was linked to an 86% higher risk of stroke, lower memory scores to a 68% higher risk, and slower information-processing speed to a 66% higher risk. No such pattern emerged for those aged 70 and older after adjusting for other health and lifestyle factors. The study included only individuals with no history of dementia, stroke, or transient ischemic attack at enrollment.
Lead author Alice Askemyr, M.D., a geriatrics researcher at Lund University and Skane University Hospital in Malmo, Sweden, explained that the age difference may stem from the fact that older adults often have multiple medical conditions that can obscure the link. "What serves as a risk factor in early life might not serve as one if it is acquired later in life and vice versa," she said. She also suggested that poor cognitive performance in the younger group could signal undetected brain injury. "So-called 'silent' brain injuries can affect both cognitive functioning and the future risk of stroke," Askemyr noted, adding that such injuries are less common in the 60s, making their effects easier to detect.
The findings carry significant implications for stroke prevention. Elisabeth Breese Marsh, M.D., FAHA, chair of the 2026 American Heart Association Scientific Statement, Brain Health Across the Life Span: A Framework for Future Studies, who was not involved in the study, emphasized that risk factor modification should begin even earlier. "While it is certainly important for people in their 60s, my advice would be that even people in their 40s and 50s need to be focusing on risk factor modification and habits for good overall brain health," said Marsh, a professor of neurology and director of the Bayview Stroke Center at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She added that the study supports aggressive management of vascular risk factors in midlife and provides a potential new screening tool to identify those at higher risk.
According to the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, overall health, lifestyle and environment can affect brain health and cognition over time. The study's limitations include its observational design, meaning it cannot prove cause and effect, and the possibility that findings may not apply to other countries with different healthcare systems and lifestyles. The manuscript is available online after Sept. 30, 2026.
Additional resources include an American Heart Association news release on how Brain health shaped by lifetime mental, physical, environmental and lifestyle factors, and another on how Older adults’ driving habits offer window into brain health, cognitive decline. For more on Stroke Risk Factors, visit the American Stroke Association. The original release is available at www.newmediawire.com.
