Traumatic brain injury (TBI) may multiply the risk of having a stroke within three months by ten, according to a new study.

Researchers at Taipei Medical University (Taiwan) conducted a population-based study using data obtained from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID 2000). A total of 23,199 patients receiving ambulatory or hospitalization care with a diagnosis of TBI were included, together with a control group of 69,597 non-TBI patients matched by sex, age, and year of index use of health care. Proportional hazard regressions were performed to estimate the risk of stroke during this period, and each individual was followed for five years to identify subsequent occurrence of stroke.

The results showed that during the 3-month follow-up period, 675 strokes (2.91%) occurred in TBI patients and in 207 patients (0.30%) in the non-TBI comparison cohort. A diagnosis of TBI was independently associated with a 10.21, 4.61, and 2.32 times greater risk of stroke during 3-month, 1-year, and 5-year follow-up, respectively, after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and selected comorbidities. The risk of intracerebral hemorrhage was more noticeable among patients with TBI compared with those without a TBI. The study was published in the July 28, 2011, issue of Stroke.

“Stroke is the most serious and disabling neurological disorder worldwide. Our study leads the way in identifying stroke as an additional neurological problem that may arise following traumatic brain injury,” said senior author Prof. Herng-Ching Lin, PhD, of the School of Health Care Administration. “Early neuroimaging examinations, and intensive medical monitoring, support, and intervention should be required following a traumatic brain injury, especially during the first few months and years.”

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