Autoimmune Diseases Increase Risk of Stroke

Autoimmune diseases tend to increase an individual’s risk of having an ischemic stroke or of dying prematurely. Although this might seem like a common sense statement on the surface, it is one that wasn’t easily backed up by research until just recently. Even more surprising, seemingly non-serious diseases like rheumatoid arthritis also increased the risk of early mortality. New research from Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute that was just published shows that autoimmune diseases have a direct and significant correlation when it comes to early mortality.

 

The study covered a span of six years, and it looked at almost one million people from around the globe. Those with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, followed by Crohn’s disease and other types of bowel diseases, had a noticeably higher likelihood of suffering from an ischemic stroke or of dying prematurely. The results were recently published in the journal Heart.

 

If you or someone that you love suffers from a chronic autoimmune disease, it isn’t a death sentence. Yes, treatments may be difficult and managing symptoms can sometimes feel like a losing battle, but having a good care team on your side will go a long way. For example, if you are concerned about your elderly mother getting around the house because of her arthritis, having an in-home care worker in the house with her during the day will increase her safety. Arthritis may not cause illnesses directly, but because of the increased difficulty in getting around that it creates, there is a much higher likelihood of injury because of an accident in the house. The supervision provided by a caregiver can help to eliminate this possibility.

 

Autoimmune illnesses have been shown to increase risk of stroke and early mortality.

 

Researchers are not one hundred percent sure why these autoimmune diseases carry the risk that they do. One hypothesis says that it is a combination of factors from immune systems, inflammation, and the therapy that these individuals receive. Lower activity levels may also contribute as those that have difficulty getting around or staying healthy tend to have weaker respiratory systems. Identifying the reasoning behind this link will need to be covered in a future study. However, it was recommended that with autoimmune diseases take preventative measure in order to protect their health as closely as possible.

 

Having a loved one with any sort of care needs can be tiring for a family. Providing care yourself, or making arrangements to have someone assist a loved one, can be quite an exhausting process. When you have a care service on your side that you know and trust, you can take a deep breath and know that they are being taken care of in a professional manner while you are out of the house. The senior care process is a difficult one to go through for your family, but there are a few things that can be done to make it easier. A professionally trained caregiver, backed by a reputable service, can go a long way toward improving the quality of life not just of your parent, but of your entire family.

The post Autoimmune Diseases Increase Risk of Stroke appeared first on Paradise In-Home Care.