In a scary study of 7,423 members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, data showed that birth in a state with high stroke mortality was associated with a 28 percent higher risk of dementia.
The data was analyzed afteradjustment for age, sex, and race, according to Rachel Whitmer, PhD, of Kaiser Permanente, in Oakland, Calif, and colleagues.
The 9 states with high stroke mortality were Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, South Carolina, and West Virginia, many of which are part of the so-called “stroke belt.”
The data showed that those born in the “stroke belt,” had a higher rate of dementia even after they moved to California.
For Pregnancy readers, don’t take this as a predictor or your baby’s health and well-being. The take-away here is that we all need to be careful with our health and health of our babies. Those living in the states with higher risk just have one more reason to consider lifestyle choice before and after pregnancy.
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