Every stroke must be taken seriously

Time to take so-called "mild" strokes seriously. That's what one expert says. Almost one out of four people in a study of mild stroke patients later reported symptoms of depression. "Mild" stroke victims still face daily challenges:

"Typically, people who suffer mild strokes are released from the hospital if they can dress and eat. They are rarely screened for other problems or referred for rehab," Rochette told MedPage Today.

"If these patients are screened at all, it won't be until they have a follow-up visit with their primary care physician, which could be several months away," she said, adding that they need more immediate attention to address pressing concerns.

The incidence of mild strokes is expected to increase as the population ages. In addition, victims of mild stroke are five times more likely to have a stroke over the next two years compared with the general population.

"Although this group accounts for the majority of strokes, we know little about their quality of life, daily challenges, and concerns apart from a few qualitative or cohort studies including also moderate strokes," researchers said.

One particular issue is that problems are often not so obvious, so people are discharged from a hospital and not referred for outpatient rehab work. Often, only someone who knows the person before the stroke can see changes and problems after. So speak up!