There is no exact answer as to how many strokes someone can have and survive. However, the more strokes a person has, the higher the risk of damage to the brain and associated mortality.
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Each time a person has a stroke, it causes damage to the brain. The greater this damage, the higher the mortality risk.
In this article, we assess the damage a stroke causes and the number of strokes a person can have and survive.
There is no defined limit to the number of strokes a person can have without dying. However, each stroke injures the brain, which can cause lasting damage.
For example, each stroke can affect a person’s ability to do something, which can include skills like speaking clearly, moving one side of the body with good control, safely chewing and swallowing, seeing out of all visual fields, or walking safely.
The more damage the brain sustains, the more likely complications could be fatal, such as falling due to weakness or developing pneumonia (due to swallowing difficulty and food going down into your lungs).
Brain cells need a constant supply of blood and oxygen to stay alive. If any area of the brain is briefly deprived of adequate blood flow, the cells begin to die within minutes. Depending on the part of the brain it affects, this may result in disability.
A stroke is caused by an insufficient blood supply to a region of the brain, which causes rapid swelling and pressure on the brain tissue. These effects can be fatal with each individual stroke.
The more strokes someone has, the greater the risk for this to occur. However, with early treatment, the chances of survival improve.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that people who get to the hospital within
Any single stroke can be fatal if there is significant edema and pressure on the brain.
Having multiple strokes affects a person’s life expectancy because it leads to further decline in self-care abilities and increased risks of things like falling, pneumonia, decreased mobility, and malnutrition.
Having a stroke does not directly increase the chance of having another. A person is more likely to have multiple strokes due to the continued presence of underlying risk factors that caused any initial stroke.
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The researchers found the following survival rates after an initial stroke:
| Time after initial stroke | Chance of survival | Chance of having another stroke |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months | 79.4% | 7.8% |
| 1 year | 73% | 11% |
| 5 years | 52.8% | 19.8% |
| 10 years | 36.4% | 26.8% |
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The risks of having another stroke are different for people who have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a ministroke. A TIA is a brief episode of insufficient blood supply to a region of the brain that resolves on its own before any tissue damage to the brain occurs.
The stoppage may only last seconds, and symptoms typically pass within
For example, one large study, published in 2023, noted that people with a first-time TIA had a stroke incidence risk of 6.1% in 5 years of follow-up. This is a five-fold increase in risk for the general population.
There are two broad types of stroke, and they each carry a different level of risk.
A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when blood leaks from an artery in the brain. In contrast, ischemic strokes occur when blood clots or other particles block a blood vessel, depriving part of the brain of oxygen.
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Older adults
A 2022 study also found that people ages at least
The U.S. has significant health disparities between racial and ethnic groups, including healthcare for stroke. Even though many strokes are preventable, the following groups have
- Black
- Hispanic
- Native American
- Native Alaskan
- Hawaiian Natives
- Pacific Islander
Several factors contribute to this, but unequal healthcare is a key cause. This includes:
- difficulty accessing healthcare
- receiving lower-quality healthcare
- lower levels of health insurance coverage
Health disparities affect the care you receive at the time of a stroke, and even more importantly, these disparities impact the care that a person is able to receive many years prior to having a stroke.
For example, getting consistent treatment for high blood pressure or diabetes can help prevent a stroke, so it’s important for people to get medical attention long before they start to develop any stroke symptoms, especially if they are in one of these high risk groups.
Additionally, a person can learn what the stroke symptoms are and call 911 immediately if they start to develop any of the symptoms, because prompt medical attention can improve the outcome after a stroke.
Several factors can increase a person’s risk of dying from stroke or having another stroke.
The
A person is also
- a stroke is hemorrhagic
- a stroke causes edema in the brain
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There is no safe number of strokes a person can have, and no set limit on how many someone can have before a stroke is fatal. The more strokes an individual has, the higher the likelihood of lasting damage or death.