Traumatic brain injury, known as the signature wound of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, increases the risk of having a stroke within three months of the injury by a factor of ten - according to a new study by Taipei Medical University in Taiwan.
This is the very first study to show a correlation between TBI and stroke risk.
Researchers found that in the three months after suffering their injury, almost 3 percent of TBI patients had a stroke - compared to .3 percent of non-TBI patients who had suffered a stroke.
In addition, according to researchers:
Indeed, the study found the stroke risk for all TBI patients decreases over time.
According to Military.com, most traumatic brain injuries found in troops who've served in Iraq or Afghanistan are caused by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
published the online version of the study today.
