Pre-stroke risk factors influence long-term future stroke, dementia risk

If you had heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, before your first stoke, your risk of suffering subsequent strokes and dementia long after your initial stroke may be higher. Taking good care of your heart disease risk factors — even if you have never experienced a stroke — is not only important to prevent the first stroke, but it can go a long way to prevent a second stroke and dementia, say researchers.