Madsen Appreciates New Research on Nontraditional Risk Factors in Unexplained Strokes
Tracy Madsen, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of emergency medicine and vice chair of research at the Larner College of Medicine, commented in an NR Times article on new research showing that adults younger than 50 years of age had more than double the risk of having a stroke from migraine or other nontraditional stroke risk factors rather than traditional risks such as high blood pressure.
“This study is helpful because the authors present data by sex and age group,” Madsen said. “We know that stroke risk changes based on sex and age. For instance, recent data shows that younger women may have a higher risk of stroke than younger men. However, during middle age, men usually have a higher risk.”
Madsen, who was not involved in the study, is also director of the EpiCenter at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine and American Heart Association chair of the Clinical Cardiology (CLCD)/Stroke Women’s Health Science Committee.
“Recognizing specific risks that affect women and those not commonly seen, such as migraine with aura and pregnancy complications, as significant contributors to stroke risk in younger women could change our approach to screening for these risks and educating our patients throughout their lives,” she noted.