Anemia, a condition marked by a low red blood cell count, may increase risk of death in those who have had a stroke, according to a new study.

In the late 1990s there was a striking disparity among the number of black children who died of stroke as compared to white children. Black children were 74 percent more likely to die of a stroke, because of the higher prevalence of sickle cell anemia in that population.

Following a stroke, suffering from anemia could prove to be a fatal combination. Stroke survivors who suffer from anemia are nearly three times more likely to die the first year after a stroke.

Silent stroke may be the most common form of brain injury in children with sickle cell anemia, a rare, painful blood disorder. Recently, researchers have been able to pinpoint the risk factors for such strokes in children.