Adults born with heart defects have a greater chance of stroke, according to new research published in the journal Circulation.

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People with congenital heart defects may have a stroke later in life.

A congenital heart defect can be one of a wide range of conditions. Some of these can affect the person, even fatally, soon after birth; others do not show symptoms until later in adulthood.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the US, claiming nearly 129,000 lives every year, according to the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA).

Stroke can be hemorrhagic, resulting from a bleed in the brain, or ischemic, when a blood clot blocks a cerebral artery.

Researchers, led by Dr. Ariane Marelli, professor of medicine at McGill University in Canada, wanted to investigate the frequency, risk and strongest predictors of stroke.

They analyzed stroke data on 29,638 patients with congenital heart defects, aged 18-64, and compared rates with those observed in the general population of Quebec, Canada.

Adults with a congenital heart defect had a 9-12 times higher risk of ischemic stroke before the age of 55, and the risk was 2-4 times higher in patients between the ages of 55-64. They also had a 5-6 times higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke before the age of 55, and a 2-3 times higher risk between the ages of 55-64.

Of those with congenital heart defects, 8.9% of men and 6.8% of women experienced at least one stroke before age 65. Heart failure, diabetes and recent heart attacks were the strongest predictors of ischemic stroke in adults with heart defects.

First author Dr. Jonas Lanz, research fellow at McGill University, says:

“We knew there was a connection between heart failure and stroke in patients with heart defects, but we were surprised to discover it was the strongest predictor. Our study also suggests that other well-known risk factors for stroke, such as irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure may be under-detected in patients born with a heart defect.”

Dr. Marelli stresses the importance of regular visits to a cardiologist for adults with heart defects, as timely detection and treatment of modifiable risk factors can help reduce the risk of stroke.

Dr. Marelli recommends that patients, families and friends learn the “FAST” signs, created by AHA/ASA to help people recognize stroke and understand how to get professional medical help quickly, in order to respond in the case of a stroke.

The FAST signs are:

  • F: Face drooping: does one side of the face droop or is it numb? To test, ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?
  • A: Arm weakness: is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
  • S: Speech difficulty: is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?
  • T: Time to call 911. If the person shows any of the above symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you will know when the first symptoms appeared.

Other signs and symptoms to look for are sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; and sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Medical News Today recently reported on research suggesting that the right side of the brain compensates for speech loss after a stroke.