Stroke sufferers show signs of cognitive decline up to ten years before they are taken ill, a study suggests.

Researchers say these early tell-tale signals could be used to identify patients at risk of strokes who may benefit from early intervention.

A study of almost 15,000 participants between 1990 and 2016 found that stroke patients experienced much steeper declines in cognitive abilities and routine daily functioning, starting about a decade before their first stroke, than people who did not have a stroke.

Women, carriers of the APOE gene associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and those with fewer academic qualifications, seem to be at greatest risk, according to a paper published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

It is common for people to experience