The Link Between Cirrhosis And Strokes

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- We know that alcohol abuse can have a major impact on a person's health, and the organ that can get impacted the most is the liver.

The liver is like a filter which helps deal with toxins in the body. But over years the liver damage can lead to cirrhosis.

Now, a new report finds that patients with cirrhosis have a significantly increased risk of stroke.

In a retrospective study of over a million patients, the incidence of stroke was almost double in people with cirrhosis.

Researchers from Cornell make the point that physicians need to educate patients with cirrhosis about the warning signs of stroke to try and minimize long term symptoms.