Study Alarmingly Shows That Exposure to COVID-19 Increases Risk of Stroke and Brain Ischemia Even Four Years Later!
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 13, 2025 2 hours, 4 minutes ago
Medical News: Hidden Threat Lingers in the Brain Long After COVID-19 Recovery
New research from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Montefiore Health System in the Bronx, New York, has revealed that individuals who recovered from COVID-19 face a higher risk of developing ischemic strokes and transient cerebral ischemia (TCI) for up to four years after infection. The study, which analyzed over 889,000 patient records between February 2020 and January 2024, shows that the brain may continue to suffer the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection—whether the individual was hospitalized or not.
New study shows even mild COVID-19 can lead to long-term stroke risks
In this large observational study, researchers examined the medical records of 52,117 people who tested positive for COVID-19 and compared them to 837,395 individuals who tested negative and had no prior strokes. By adjusting for factors like age, pre-existing conditions, income level, vaccination status, and insurance, the team calculated the risk of developing ischemic stroke and TCI over time.
According to this
Medical News report, the findings were striking. Hospitalized COVID patients were found to be 32% more likely to suffer an ischemic stroke, while even those who were never hospitalized had a 21% increased risk. The risk of transient cerebral ischemia—a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain that can cause symptoms like weakness or confusion—was more than doubled in non-hospitalized COVID patients.
Who Is Most at Risk?
The researchers also looked at various subgroups and found that stroke risk after COVID-19 was especially high among women, those under 60, Hispanics, Medicare recipients, and people with hypertension, asthma, or kidney disease. Interestingly, the risk of TCI did not increase in those who were hospitalized with COVID, which the scientists say might be due to early hospital treatments that reduce inflammation and blood clots. In contrast, those who had milder COVID but were not hospitalized were more likely to experience TCI later, possibly because of delayed care or subtle, ongoing damage to blood vessels in the brain.
Another important detail from the study: unvaccinated people who had COVID faced significantly higher risks of both stroke and TCI.
What Could Be Causing the Damage
The researchers suggest that multiple factors could be behind these delayed brain events. These include long-lasting inflammation, damage to blood vessels, and a tendency for the body to form dangerous clots after the infection. COVID-19 is known to trigger a strong immune response that can affect the heart, lungs, and blood vessels, possibly leading to small blockages in the brain even months or years after recovery. The study confirm that the stroke and TCI risk continues to rise in COVID-positive groups compared to controls.
Why This Matters
This study shows that COVID-19 may quietly harm the brain long after the initial in
fection is over. These silent threats may go unnoticed until a person suddenly experiences symptoms like numbness, slurred speech, or confusion. The findings are a wake-up call for doctors to closely monitor the neurological health of COVID survivors—even years after recovery. It also underlines the importance of vaccination in preventing not just severe illness but long-term complications.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Diagnostics.
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/24/3183
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
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