WASHINGTON — People who are susceptible to having a stroke might want to stay well hydrated — it might help their recovery if they do have one.
Forty-two percent of people who are dehydrated when having a stroke end up with conditions that worsen or stay the same, according to new research. Those poor outcomes apply to just 17 percent of well-hydrated stroke victims.
The data presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2015 also show dehydrated patients have nearly four times higher risk of conditions worsening compared to people well hydrated when experiencing a stroke.
The findings are based on evaluations of 10 months of clot-related stroke patients admitted to the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
The lead researcher says it’s not clear why dehydration often causes conditions to either stay the same or worsen. Additional studies might determine whether it’s because thicker blood doesn’t flow as well through narrowed or blocked blood vessels.
Previous studies suggest 60 percent of stroke victims are dehydrated when it happens. That has this latest study’s lead researcher saying perhaps doctors should be giving more fluids to patients before and after they have strokes.
