Use the labels in the right column to find what you want. Or you can go thru them one by one, there are only 34,102 posts. Searching is done in the search box in upper left corner. I blog on anything to do with stroke. DO NOT DO ANYTHING SUGGESTED HERE AS I AM NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED, YOUR DOCTOR IS, LISTEN TO THEM. BUT I BET THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET YOU 100% RECOVERED. I DON'T EITHER BUT HAVE PLENTY OF QUESTIONS FOR YOUR DOCTOR TO ANSWER.
Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain!trillions and trillions of neuronsthatDIEeach day because there areNOeffective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.
What this blog is for:
My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.
Showing posts with label 11 Stroke risk reduction ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 11 Stroke risk reduction ideas. Show all posts
Or your doctor could have competently
years ago created a protocol on all this that reduces stroke risk by
307%. Put all these together and you'll never have a stroke,(sarcasm tag here).
Inflammation can contribute to stroke risk (Image: Getty )
Recent
research has uncovered that adopting a straightforward weekly habit
could dramatically reduce your stroke risk by nearly 50%. This
revelation comes after a new study at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2025 highlighted the 'lifesaving' advantages of regular teeth flossing.
The
study revealed that flossing at least once a week, minimum, can
significantly decrease the risk of stroke caused by a blood clot
obstructing brain blood flow and irregular heart rhythms by up to 44%.
The conference, held in Los Angeles, is a globally renowned gathering
for researchers and clinicians committed to the science of stroke and
brain health.
Despite
the numerous benefits of flossing—not just for maintaining fresh breath
or preventing cavities but also for overall wellness—reports indicate
that around 33% of British adults never floss. Dental experts emphasise
the importance of flossing as a key part of oral hygiene, alongside
brushing twice daily and using mouthwash, even though many people
neglect this step.
Poor dental health can significantly heighten your risk of stroke, heart disease, systemic inflammation, and even Alzheimer's disease. While flossing can be done as infrequently as once a week, it should ideally be a daily routine.
Flossing
an adult set of teeth typically takes between one to two minutes,
although the exact duration depends on how thorough you are, reports Surrey Live.
Or your doctor could have competently years ago created a protocol on all this that reduces stroke risk by 307%. Pills vs. more natural methods, which way is your doctor going?
Aspirin in one of the four drugs in the cocktail - Jonathan Brady/PA
A daily cocktail of aspirin, statins and blood pressure pills slashes a person’s risk of a stroke in half, a study has found.
Canadian researchers analysed data from three large studies, totalling more than 18,000 people who had an average age of 63.
People
were given either a regimen of placebo pills; statins alongside two
blood pressure drugs; or statins, two blood pressure drugs and also
aspirin.
Researchers looked at how likely a person was to suffer a cardiovascular health issue, which included heart attacks, strokes, or death from heart disease, over a five year period.
Overall,
people who took all four drugs were 47 per cent less likely to suffer
one of the aforementioned health issues. But in the non-aspirin cohort,
the figure was just 32 per cent.
Only dementia (70,047) and Covid-19 (73,766) claimed more lives than heart diseases in England last year (55,807).
Aspirin
and statins are prescribed to people who are at high risk of
cardiovascular health issues, or who have a history of the conditions.
Data
show that when aspirin was included in the preventative treatment,
either as standalone tablets or rolled into one capsule — a so-called
polypill — the risk of a person having a stroke is reduced by 51 per
cent compared to someone not on medication.
The study, published in The Lancet, also found the treatment lowers the likelihood of a heart attack by 53 per cent, and of death from cardiovascular disease by 49 per cent.
In
contrast, the risk reduction is just 41 per cent for stroke, 48 per
cent for heart attack, and 35 per cent for cardiovascular death for
people taking a polypill that does not include aspirin.
“This
combination, either given separately or combined as a polypill,
substantially reduces fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease
events,” said lead author Dr Philip Joseph, associate professor of
medicine at McMaster University.
“The largest effects are seen
with treatments that include blood pressure lowering agents, a statin
and aspirin together, which can reduce fatal and non-fatal
cardiovascular events by about half.
“The benefits are consistent
at different blood pressure levels, cholesterol levels and with or
without diabetes, but larger benefits may occur in older people.”
A commonly prescribed statin - Finnbarr Webster / Alamy
Polypills
are not a new concept, first being discussed around 20 years ago as a
way of tackling the growing scourge of cardiovascular disease. However,
there is some debate over the balance of risks and benefits.
Currently, no polypills are authorised in the UK, but they continue to win support from experts.
Professor Fausto Pinto, president of the World Heart Federation (WHF), said: “The demonstration of a low-cost approach using fixed dose combinations
to reduce cardiovascular disease by about 50 per cent is extraordinary
and represents a huge opportunity to tackle the condition globally, with
a major potential impact on people's lives.
“The WHF has
supported the use of a polypill for the last decade and these results
provide robust evidence to strengthen our global advocacy strategy.”
“Although
a polypill strategy might sit uncomfortably with precision medicine,
there is now a substantial evidence base that such an approach is
effective at reducing cardiovascular disease,” added Jonathan Mant and
Richard McManus, professors of primary care at the University of
Cambridge and Oxford, respectively, who were not involved in the study
but wrote an accompanying comment article, also published in The Lancet.
“Guideline writers and policy makers should consider how to incorporate this evidence base into guidelines and policies.”
A
separate study from The George Institute in Australia, published Sunday
in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that ditching normal salt
for a low-sodium alternative reduced a high-risk person’s risk of
stroke by 14 per cent.(Since this is a study in China and their use of salt is completely different than the rest of the first world this is likely not transferable to other countries.)
Salt and pepper mills on a wooden table - Alamy
“Almost
everyone in the world eats more salt than they should. Switching to a
salt substitute is something that everyone could do if salt substitutes
were on the supermarket shelves,’’ said study author Professor Bruce
Neal.
‘’Better still, while salt substitutes are a bit more
expensive than regular salt, they’re still very low-cost – just a few
dollars a year to make the switch.”
Among adults without CVD or cancer at baseline, those who ate
healthful plant-based diets had an approximately 10% reduced risk for
stroke, researchers reported.
Kathryn M. Rexrode
“Many individuals have been increasing the amount of plant-based components in their diet,” Kathryn M. Rexrode, MD, MPH,
chief of the division of women’s health at Brigham and Women's Hospital
and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said in a
press release. “These results show that higher intake of healthy
plant-based foods may help reduce long-term stroke risk, and that it is
still important to pay attention to diet quality of plant-based diets.”
Among adults without CVD or cancer at baseline, those who ate
healthful plant-based diets had an approximately 10% reduced risk for
stroke. Data were derived from Baden MY, et al. Neurology. 2021;doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000011713.
The researchers analyzed 73,890 women in the Nurses’ Health Study,
92,352 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II and 43,266 men in the Health
Professionals Follow-Up Study without CVD and cancer.
Each participant was categorized based on their overall plant-based diet quality index, their healthful plant-based diet
quality index and their unhealthful plant-based diet quality index.
Healthy plant-based diets included foods such as leafy greens, whole
grains and beans, whereas unhealthy plant-based diets included foods
such as refined grains, potatoes and added sugars. Mean follow-up was
approximately 25 years.
During the study period, there were 6,241 cases of stroke, including 3,015 ischemic strokes, the researchers reported.
In a pooled analysis, participants in the highest quintile of
plant-based diet index scores had a lower stroke rate (HR = 0.94; 95%
CI, 0.86-1.03) compared with those in the lowest quintile.
Participants with the highest healthful plant-based diet index scores
had reduced risk for stroke (HR = 0.9; 95% CI, 0.83-0.98), whereas
those with the highest unhealthful plant-based diet index scores had a
slightly elevated risk for stroke (HR = 1.05; 95% CI, 0.96-1.15),
according to the researchers.
Participants with the highest healthful plant-based diet
index scores had reduced risk for ischemic stroke (HR = 0.92; 95% CI,
0.82-1.04), but there was no association between plant-based diet index
and hemorrhagic stroke, the researchers wrote.
There was no difference between vegetarians and nonvegetarians in stroke risk, the researchers found.
Compared with those in the lowest quintile of plant-based diet index,
those in the highest quintile had lower BMI, engaged in more physical
activity, smoked less, had greater intake of healthy plant foods and
less healthy plant foods and had lower intake of animal foods, according
to the researchers.
“Our findings have important public health implications, suggesting
that future nutrition policies to lower stroke risk should take the
quality of food into consideration,” Megu Y. Baden, MD, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in the release.
Exercise and diet programs delivered via video calls for stroke survivors
Exercise and a good diet after stroke will reduce the risk of having another stroke in the future.
Researchers are testing programs for people who have had a stroke.
The aim is to increase your physical activity and improve your diet.
Best of all, these programs are delivered over the internet so there’s
no need to leave your home to participate.
We’ve already done some research where we listened stroke survivors
to gather their knowledge, opinions and experiences. This has helped us
develop programs that are specifically designed to meet the needs of
stroke survivors.
How will the success of the research programs be measured?
So we can measure if the program works, we will ask you to do the
following before you start the program, and again every 3 months while
you are involved in the study (for 12 months all together):
Answer some questions about your stroke, your medications, your health, how much exercise you do and your diet
Take regular blood pressure measures for 1 week at home (we will send you a monitor and show you how to use it)
Wear an activity monitor on your thigh for 1 week to measure how active you are (we will send the monitor to you)
We might also ask you to do an interview with one of our research team about your experience in being involved in the study.
Who can participate?
You are suitable to participate if you:
are aged over 18 years
have had a stroke or TIA in the last 10 years
are able to walk at least short distances without someone helping you
have an internet connection and either a laptop computer or tablet device at home (we may be able to provide one if you don’t)
have medical clearance from your doctor to exercise (we will help arrange this)
are living in Australia
Register your interest
To find out more or to register your interest please contact the Stroke Research Register, Hunter on (02) 4042 0093 (strokeregister@hmri.org.au)
But
then, I'm not medically trained so you can't listen to me. Prior to my stroke I had none of these issues, the only solution would have been my Dad's doctor telling him to get his children checked for clogged arteries after he was diagnosed with 80% carotid blockage.
Here are seven ways to start reining in your risks today to avoid stroke, before a stroke has the chance to strike. 1. Lower blood pressure
High blood pressure is a huge factor, doubling or even quadrupling
your stroke risk if it is not controlled. High blood pressure is the
biggest contributor to the risk of stroke in both men and women.
Monitoring blood pressure and, if it is elevated, treating it, is
probably the biggest difference people can make to their vascular
health. Your ideal goal: Maintain a blood pressure of less
than 120/80 if possible. For some older people, this might not be
possible because of medication side effects or dizziness with standing. How to achieve it:
Reduce the salt in your diet, ideally to no more than 1,500 milligrams a day (about a half teaspoon).
Increase polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in your diet, while avoiding foods high in saturated fats.
Eat 4 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day, one serving of
fish two to three times a week, and several daily servings of whole
grains and low-fat dairy.
Get more exercise — at least 30 minutes of activity a day, and more, if possible.
Obesity, as well as the complications linked to it (including high
blood pressure and diabetes), raises your odds of having a stroke. If
you're overweight, losing as little as 10 pounds can have a real impact
on your stroke risk. Your goal: While an ideal body mass index (BMI) is 25 or less, that may not be realistic for you. Work with your doctor to create a personal weight loss strategy. How to achieve it:
Try to eat no more than 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day (depending on your activity level and your current BMI).
Increase the amount of exercise you do with activities like
walking, golfing, or playing tennis, and by making activity part of
every single day.
3. Exercise more
Exercise contributes to losing weight and lowering blood pressure,
but it also stands on its own as an independent stroke reducer. Your goal: Exercise at a moderate intensity at least five days a week. How to achieve it:
Take a walk around your neighborhood every morning after breakfast.
Start a fitness club with friends.
When you exercise, reach the level at which you're breathing hard, but you can still talk.
Take the stairs instead of an elevator when you can.
Drinking a little alcohol is okay, and it may decrease your risk of
stroke. Studies show that if you have about one drink per day, your risk
may be lower. Once you start drinking more than two drinks per day,
your risk goes up very sharply. Your goal: Don't drink alcohol or do it in moderation. How to achieve it:
Have no more than one glass of alcohol a day.
Make red wine your first choice, because it contains resveratrol, which is thought to protect the heart and brain.
Watch your portion sizes. A standard-sized drink is a 5-ounce glass of wine, 12-ounce beer, or 1.5-ounce glass of hard liquor.
5. Treat atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a form of irregular heartbeat that causes
clots to form in the heart. Those clots can then travel to the brain,
producing a stroke. Atrial fibrillation carries almost a fivefold risk
of stroke. Your goal: If you have atrial fibrillation, get it treated. How to achieve it:
If you have symptoms such as heart palpitations or shortness of breath, see your doctor for an exam.
You may need to take an anticoagulant drug (blood thinner) such as
warfarin (Coumadin) or one of the newer direct-acting anticoagulant
drugs to reduce your stroke risk from atrial fibrillation. Your doctors
can guide you through this treatment.
6. Treat diabetes
Having high blood sugar damages blood vessels over time, making clots more likely to form inside them. Your goal: Keep your blood sugar under control. How to achieve it:
Monitor your blood sugar as directed by your doctor.
Use diet, exercise, and medicines to keep your blood sugar within the recommended range.
7. Quit smoking
Smoking accelerates clot formation in a couple of different ways. It
thickens your blood, and it increases the amount of plaque buildup in
the arteries. Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, smoking
cessation is one of the most powerful lifestyle changes that will help
you reduce your stroke risk significantly. Your goal: Quit smoking. How to achieve it:
Ask your doctor for advice on the most appropriate way for you to quit.
Use quit-smoking aids, such as nicotine pills or patches, counseling, or medicine.
Don't give up. Most smokers need several tries to quit. See each
attempt as bringing you one step closer to successfully beating the
habit.
Identify a stroke F-A-S-T
Too many people ignore the signs of stroke because they question
whether their symptoms are real. "My recommendation is, don't wait if
you have any unusual symptoms," Dr. Rost advises. Listen to your body
and trust your instincts. If something is off, get professional help
right away."
The National Stroke Association has created an easy acronym to help
you remember, and act on, the signs of a stroke. Cut out this image and
post it on your refrigerator for easy reference.
Source: National Stroke Association
Rusek L, Persson CU, Svärdsudd K, et al. | March 16, 2020
Researchers determined hazard rates, prevalence and cumulative
proportion free from stroke during a lifelong follow‐up of a
representative sample of middle‐aged men from the general
population. The sample included 855 men, all born in 1913, aged 50 years
who were followed up with repeated medical examinations at ages 54, 60,
67, 75 and 80. The researchers obtained data from hospital records and
the Cause of Death Register, and all stroke events during 48 years of
follow‐up were recorded. According to findings, one of five men in this
population sample had a stroke of any type during follow‐up from 50 to
98 years of age, and the cumulative incidence was approximately 50%.(What does that mean compared to the 1 in 5?)
If there is any hope that this
could really prevent a stroke then your doctors should do everything in their
power to create diet protocols on this. But that won't occur, you are
once again completely on your own without any medical guidance. But
then, I'm not medically trained so you can't listen to me.
High dietary fiber intake may prevent strokes. The belief that
dietary fiber intake is protectively associated with some diseases was
postulated 40 years ago, and then enormously fueled and kept alive by a
great body of science since. Today, it is therefore generally believed
that eating lots of fiber helps prevent obesity, diabetes, and
cardiovascular diseases such as stroke. Strokes are the second most
common cause of death worldwide. Moreover, stroke is a leading cause of
disability, and so preventing strokes in the first place–what’s called
primary prevention–should therefore be a key public health priority. All
best studies to date found that fiber appears to significantly protect
against the risk of stroke. Different strokes for different folks,
depending, evidently, on how much fiber they ate. Notably, increasing
fiber just seven grams a day was associated with a significant 7%
reduction in stroke risk. And seven grams is easy, like a small serving
of whole grain pasta with tomato sauce, and an apple.
What’s the mechanism? Well, fiber helps lower cholesterol and blood
sugar levels. Or could just be we’re just eating more vegetables, or
fewer calories, or less meat and fat, or improving digestion, slimming
us down, lowering our blood pressure and the amount of inflammation
within our bodies. Does it really matter though? As Dr. Burkitt
commented on the biblical passage that reads, “A man scatters seed on
the land—the seed sprouts and opens—how, he does not know.” But, he
doesn’t wait to find out. Had the farmer postponed his sowing until he
understood seed germination, he would not have lasted very long. So yes,
let’s keep trying to figure out why fiber is protective, but in the
meanwhile we should be increasing our intake of fiber, which is to say
whole plant foods.
And it’s never too early. Strokes are one of many complications of
arterial stiffness. Though our first stroke might not happen until our
50s, our arteries may have been already stiffening for decades leading
up to it. Hundreds of kids were followed for 24 years, from age 13 in
junior high through age 36, and they found that the lower intake of
fiber during young age is associated with stiffening of the arteries
leading up to the brain, and so we need to promote consumption of
fiber-rich foods among the young. In fact, even by age 13 they could see
differences in arterial stiffness depending on diet. This emphasizes
the view that increases in fiber intake should be pursued already among
young children.
And again, it doesn’t take much. One extra apple a day, or an extra
quarter cup of broccoli, might translate to meaningful differences in
arterial stiffness in adulthood. But if you really don’t want a
stroke, we should try to get 25 grams a day of soluble fiber, which is
found in beans, oats, nuts, and berries, and 47 grams a day of insoluble
fiber, found primarily in whole grains. One would have to eat an
extraordinarily healthy diet to get that much, yet these cut-off values
could be considered as the minimum recommended daily intake of soluble
and insoluble fiber, to prevent stroke. They admit these are higher than
those commonly and arbitrarily proposed as “adequate” levels by
scientific societies, but do we want to be patronized as to what
authorities think is practical, or do we want them to just tell us what
the science says, like the researchers did here?
Someone funded by Kellogg’s wrote in to complain that in practice
such fiber intakes are unachievable. Rather the message should just be
the more, the better, ya know, just have a bowl of cereal or something.
Wink, wink.
The real Dr. Kellogg, who was actually one of our most famous
physicians, credited for being one of the first to sound the alarm about
smoking, may have been the first American physician to have recognized
the field of nutrition as a science, and would today be rolling in his
grave if he knew what his company had become. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which
Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an
approximation of the audio contributed by Katie Schloer.
But according to the National Stroke Association,
80% of strokes are preventable.(So, blaming the victim, so YOU don't have to solve stroke. Do you feel good about that?)That means there's a lot you can do to
reduce your risk. What's more, the steps people can take to avoid
strokes are some of the best ways to keep your body and brain healthy as
you age overall.
Here are 11 straightforward things that science has linked to a higher risk of a debilitating or deadly stroke.
1. High blood pressure is the main culprit.
Jeff Roberson/AP
When pressure builds up in a person's blood vessels, the
extra stress on their arteries can make it challenging for the brain to
get the oxygen-rich blood it needs. Over time, this can lead to a
stroke.
Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to lower your blood pressure, like exercising regularly, eating healthy food, and breathing clean air.
2. Heavy drinking increases blood pressure, making strokes more likely.
Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock
A major study published in The Lancet this week showed that the more we drink, the higher our blood pressure and risk of stroke.
The researchers analyzed health data from 500,000 Chinese men and over
10 years, and found that people who drank less had lower blood pressure
and a reduced risk of stroke. Overall, the researchers found that the
risk of having a stroke increases by 35% for every four alcoholic drinks
consumed per day.
The National Stroke Association recommends "no more than two drinks a day for men, and one drink a day for women."
3. Smokers double their risk of a stroke.
Ric Feld/AP
The chemicals in tobacco
can cause people's arteries to narrow and can also damage the lining of
their artery walls, prompting a spike in blood pressure. When a smoker inhales,
the action triggers an immediate blood-pressure spike, and smokers can
develop long-lasting problems in their blood vessels over time.
"Smoking
increases clot formation, thickens blood, and increases the amount of
plaque buildup in the arteries," according to the National Stroke Association.
4. Breathing polluted air can also prompt more strokes.
REUTERS/China Daily
A 2016 study
of stroke patients in 188 countries around the world found that air
pollution is a serious risk factor for these brain attacks, especially
in middle- and low- income countries.
Around the globe, bad air —
which can include household air pollution from cook-stoves and wood
fires — accounts for almost a third of stroke-related disabilities.
5. Being overweight can make a stroke more likely, too.
Sean Gallup/Getty
Carrying more fatty tissue around in the body makes it trickier for arteries to expand and
tougher for blood to flow swiftly through the body to the brain. Health
problems that normally go hand in hand with extra weight, like blood
clots, narrowed arteries, and high cholesterol can all contribute to a
person's stroke risk.
Taking a look at your mid-section is a good way to assess where you stand in this regard: A large waist circumference is a better measure of stroke risk than a person's height and weight.
6. Lounging around all day is also a risky behavior that can lead to more strokes.
Ophòlie Fas/Getty
The good news is that you don't have to move around much to make an impact.
Studies
show that even about 25 minutes of moderate activity each day helps
decrease a person's stroke risk. No need to run a marathon.
One study of more than 61,000 California teachers
(all women) showed that those who got at least 150 minutes of exercise
each week were 30% less likely to have an ischemic stroke than those who
were less active. That translates to just 21 minutes per day.
Evidence also suggests that the simple act of going for a walk every day can make a stroke milder if a person does have one. A 2018 study of Norwegian people
in their 70s found that those who walked and swam on a regular basis
had less severe strokes than Norwegians who don't move around much.
In addition to keeping our blood vessels pumping swiftly, exercise can create more oxygen-rich blood and prompt our muscles to grow more blood vessels.
Conversely, not moving around can put people at risk for developing
chronic conditions like high blood pressure, which in turn can make
strokes more likely.
7. Not eating enough fresh foods, like colorful vegetables, fish, and nuts, increases stroke risk as well.
Timolina/Shutterstock
Studies show time and again that people whose diets are rich in fruit, vegetables, and fish have fewer strokes.
For
women, researchers have noticed that those who adhere to a
Mediterranean diet — which includes plenty of olive oil, whole grains,
beans, chicken, and fresh vegetables — are far less likely to suffer
strokes than other women. A recent 17-year study
of women over 40 years old in the UK found that those who followed a
Mediterranean diet (according to their 7-day food diaries) had 22% fewer
strokes.
This was true even for people who were already at risk for heart disease.
8. Diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2, can prompt dangerous glucose buildups in the bloodstream that make strokes more likely.
People with diabetes have a hard
time making insulin in their pancreas. Insulin is the key hormone that
turns glucose from the foods we eat into energy our body can use.
When
the body doesn't produce enough insulin and glucose builds up in the
blood, it can lead to dangerous fatty deposits and clots in a person's
blood vessels. Over time, those clots may cut off the blood supply to a
person's neck and brain, prompting a stroke.
Strokes are two to four times more common in people with diabetes.
Sometimes, the things you can do
to prevent strokes only go so far. Scientists have lots of evidence that
our genes contribute to stroke risk in big ways.
In a recent study of 306,473
white British men and women, people who had genomes associated with
higher genetic stroke risk were 35% more likely to have a stroke than
people with some of the lowest genetic risks. That was true no matter
what their lifestyle looked like.
Still our actions are often more
powerful than our genes when it comes to preventing strokes: lifestyle
factors like smoking, unhealthy eating, and lack of exercise were
associated with a 66% increase in stroke risk in that study, no matter
what people's genes were like.
10. Getting old — another factor we don't have much control over — makes strokes more common as well.
11. Not getting enough sleep is bad for your brain in many ways. Increased stroke risk is one of them.
Getty Images
Not catching enough zzz's can put people at risk of developing all kinds health problems, including strokes. Seven to eight solid hours of shut-eye each night is the right dose for most people.
One study of Swedish men over 50 suggests that sleeping less than five hours a night is as bad for you as smoking when it comes to stroke risk
But new evidence suggests that regularly taking a short daytime nap can help your body stay stroke-free, too.
In research announced at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology in March, scientists found that people who opt for a mid-day snooze
maintain lower blood-pressure levels. Researchers think this naptime
routine may help lower blood pressure just as well as other remedies,
like cutting out alcohol or taking a low-dose medication. More research
is needed to know for sure whether it's really the naps that cause the
blood pressure benefit, though.
You will notice two things wrong with this research.
They didn't include stroke survivors, so this isn't known if applicable to us.
They don't know why oatmeal has this effect, so the research is not complete.
Hell, my suggestions lead to a 307% reduction in stroke risk. Don't listen to me, I'm not medically trained. Is your doctor?
Like maybe a 307% stroke risk reduction from these 11 possibilities?
People who eat oatmeal for breakfast may have lower risk of stroke. Researchers said people may enjoy more of its health benefits if they replace eggs and white toast from their morning meals.
The new study, published in the journal Stroke, analyzed data from nearly 55,000 adults in Denmark. All participants did not report a history of stroke before the study.
Researchers divided the participants into groups depending on the food they consumed for breakfast. The groups consumed either eggs, white bread, yogurt or oatmeal.
The team then observed the health of participants for nearly 14 years. During the study, 2,260 people experienced stroke.
Among all participants, those who ate more oatmeal and less eggs and white bread were 4 percent less likely to have a stroke. However, those who replace yogurt with oatmeal did not show changes in their risk.
“Our results indicate that shifting more people to choose oatmeal instead of white bread or eggs might be wise for population-level prevention of stroke, but the modest association means that for individuals, it is quite possible that other factors might be more important,” Christina Dahm, senior study author at Aarhus University in Denmark, told Reuters.
Researchers said oatmeal potentially reduced stroke risk because of its effects on cholesterol levels.
“Cholesterol is a risk factor for ischemic strokes, and our results were stronger for ischemic stroke, which could indicate that the cholesterol-lowering effect of eating oats may have long-term impact on risk of ischemic stroke,” Dahm said.
In the study, the participants who replaced one weekly serving of eggs or white bread with oatmeal showed 5 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke. However, there may be other factors that helped the oatmeal group avoid the health problem.
They potentially followed a healthier diet or lifestyle during the study, according to Michael Hill, a researcher at the University of Calgary in Canada, who wasn’t involved in the study.
“If true, this would mean that eating oatmeal just identifies a population of people who are healthy, rather than having a direct effect on the pathological processes leading to stroke,” he explained. Researchers did not determine how oatmeal directly caused changes in the body that led to lower stroke risk.
Hell, my suggestions lead to a 307% reduction in stroke risk. Don't listen to me, I'm not medically trained.
Like maybe a 307% stroke risk reduction from these 11 possibilities?
But these are my ideas, not to be thought of as medical advice. Does
your doctor know of them and the research behind them? Or is
incompetence in view?
What can you do to prevent stroke? Age makes us more susceptible to
having a stroke, as does having a mother, father, or other close
relative who has had a stroke.
You can't reverse the years or change your family history, but there
are many other stroke risk factors that you can control—provided that
you're aware of them. "Knowledge is power," says Dr. Natalia Rost,
associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and associate
director of the Acute Stroke Service at Massachusetts General Hospital.
"If you know that a particular risk factor is sabotaging your health
and predisposing you to a higher risk of stroke, you can take steps to
alleviate the effects of that risk."
How to prevent stroke
Here are seven ways to start reining in your risks today to avoid stroke, before a stroke has the chance to strike.
1. Lower blood pressure
High blood pressure is a huge factor, doubling or even quadrupling
your stroke risk if it is not controlled. "High blood pressure is the
biggest contributor to the risk of stroke in both men and women," Dr.
Rost says. "Monitoring blood pressure and, if it is elevated, treating
it, is probably the biggest difference people can make to their vascular
health." Your ideal goal: Maintain a blood pressure of less than 135/85. But for some, a less aggressive goal (such as 140/90) may be more appropriate. How to achieve it:
Reduce the salt in your diet to no more than 1,500 milligrams a day (about a half teaspoon).
Avoid high-cholesterol foods, such as burgers, cheese, and ice cream.
Eat 4 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day, one serving of
fish two to three times a week, and several daily servings of whole
grains and low-fat dairy.
Get more exercise — at least 30 minutes of activity a day, and more, if possible.
Obesity, as well as the complications linked to it (including high
blood pressure and diabetes), raises your odds of having a stroke. If
you're overweight, losing as little as 10 pounds can have a real impact
on your stroke risk. Your goal: While an ideal body mass index (BMI) is 25 or less, that may not be realistic for you. Work with your doctor to create a personal weight loss strategy. How to achieve it:
Try to eat no more than 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day (depending on your activity level and your current BMI).
Increase the amount of exercise you do with activities like
walking, golfing, or playing tennis, and by making activity part of
every single day.
3. Exercise more
Exercise contributes to losing weight and lowering blood pressure,
but it also stands on its own as an independent stroke reducer. Your goal: Exercise at a moderate intensity at least five days a week. How to achieve it:
Take a walk around your neighborhood every morning after breakfast.
Start a fitness club with friends.
When you exercise, reach the level at which you're breathing hard, but you can still talk.
Take the stairs instead of an elevator when you can.
Drinking a little alcohol may decrease your risk of stroke. "Studies
show that if you have about one drink per day, your risk may be lower,"
says to Dr. Rost. "Once you start drinking more than two drinks per day,
your risk goes up very sharply." Your goal: Don't drink alcohol or do it in moderation. How to achieve it:
Have no more than one glass of alcohol a day.
Make red wine your first choice, because it contains resveratrol, which is thought to protect the heart and brain.
Watch your portion sizes. A standard-sized drink is a 5-ounce glass of wine, 12-ounce beer, or 1.5-ounce glass of hard liquor.
5. Treat atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a form of irregular heartbeat that causes
clots to form in the heart. Those clots can then travel to the brain,
producing a stroke. "Atrial fibrillation carries almost a fivefold risk
of stroke, and should be taken seriously," Dr. Rost says. Your goal: If you have atrial fibrillation, get it treated. How to achieve it:
If you have symptoms such as heart palpitations or shortness of breath, see your doctor for an exam.
You may need to take an anticoagulant drug (blood thinner) such as
warfarin (Coumadin) or one of the newer direct-acting anticoagulant
drugs to reduce your stroke risk from atrial fibrillation. Your doctors
can guide you through this treatment.
6. Treat diabetes
Having high blood sugar damages blood vessels over time, making clots more likely to form inside them. Your goal: Keep your blood sugar under control. How to achieve it:
Monitor your blood sugar as directed by your doctor.
Use diet, exercise, and medicines to keep your blood sugar within the recommended range.
7. Quit smoking
Smoking accelerates clot formation in a couple of different ways. It
thickens your blood, and it increases the amount of plaque buildup in
the arteries. "Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, smoking
cessation is one of the most powerful lifestyle changes that will help
you reduce your stroke risk significantly," Dr. Rost says. Your goal: Quit smoking. How to achieve it:
Ask your doctor for advice on the most appropriate way for you to quit.
Use quit-smoking aids, such as nicotine pills or patches, counseling, or medicine.
Don't give up. Most smokers need several tries to quit. See each
attempt as bringing you one step closer to successfully beating the
habit.
Hell, my suggestions lead to a 307% reduction in stroke risk. Don't listen to me, I'm not medically trained.
Like maybe a 307% stroke risk reduction from these 11 possibilities?
But these are my ideas, not to be thought of as medical advice. Does your doctor know of them and the research behind them? Or is incompetence in view?
What can you do to prevent stroke? Age makes us more susceptible to
having a stroke, as does having a mother, father, or other close
relative who has had a stroke.
You can't reverse the years or change your family history, but there
are many other stroke risk factors that you can control—provided that
you're aware of them. "Knowledge is power," says Dr. Natalia Rost,
associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and associate
director of the Acute Stroke Service at Massachusetts General Hospital.
"If you know that a particular risk factor is sabotaging your health
and predisposing you to a higher risk of stroke, you can take steps to
alleviate the effects of that risk."
How to prevent stroke
Here are seven ways to start reining in your risks today to avoid stroke, before a stroke has the chance to strike.
1. Lower blood pressure
High blood pressure is a huge factor, doubling or even quadrupling
your stroke risk if it is not controlled. "High blood pressure is the
biggest contributor to the risk of stroke in both men and women," Dr.
Rost says. "Monitoring blood pressure and, if it is elevated, treating
it, is probably the biggest difference people can make to their vascular
health." Your ideal goal: Maintain a blood pressure of less than 135/85. But for some, a less aggressive goal (such as 140/90) may be more appropriate. How to achieve it:
Reduce the salt in your diet to no more than 1,500 milligrams a day (about a half teaspoon).
Avoid high-cholesterol foods, such as burgers, cheese, and ice cream.
Eat 4 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day, one serving of
fish two to three times a week, and several daily servings of whole
grains and low-fat dairy.
Get more exercise — at least 30 minutes of activity a day, and more, if possible.
Obesity, as well as the complications linked to it (including high
blood pressure and diabetes), raises your odds of having a stroke. If
you're overweight, losing as little as 10 pounds can have a real impact
on your stroke risk. Your goal: While an ideal body mass index (BMI) is 25 or less, that may not be realistic for you. Work with your doctor to create a personal weight loss strategy. How to achieve it:
Try to eat no more than 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day (depending on your activity level and your current BMI).
Increase the amount of exercise you do with activities like
walking, golfing, or playing tennis, and by making activity part of
every single day.
3. Exercise more
Exercise contributes to losing weight and lowering blood pressure,
but it also stands on its own as an independent stroke reducer. Your goal: Exercise at a moderate intensity at least five days a week. How to achieve it:
Take a walk around your neighborhood every morning after breakfast.
Start a fitness club with friends.
When you exercise, reach the level at which you're breathing hard, but you can still talk.
Take the stairs instead of an elevator when you can.
Drinking a little alcohol may decrease your risk of stroke. "Studies
show that if you have about one drink per day, your risk may be lower,"
says to Dr. Rost. "Once you start drinking more than two drinks per day,
your risk goes up very sharply." Your goal: Don't drink alcohol or do it in moderation. How to achieve it:
Have no more than one glass of alcohol a day.
Make red wine your first choice, because it contains resveratrol, which is thought to protect the heart and brain.
Watch your portion sizes. A standard-sized drink is a 5-ounce glass of wine, 12-ounce beer, or 1.5-ounce glass of hard liquor.
5. Treat atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a form of irregular heartbeat that causes
clots to form in the heart. Those clots can then travel to the brain,
producing a stroke. "Atrial fibrillation carries almost a fivefold risk
of stroke, and should be taken seriously," Dr. Rost says. Your goal: If you have atrial fibrillation, get it treated. How to achieve it:
If you have symptoms such as heart palpitations or shortness of breath, see your doctor for an exam.
You may need to take an anticoagulant drug (blood thinner) such as
warfarin (Coumadin) or one of the newer direct-acting anticoagulant
drugs to reduce your stroke risk from atrial fibrillation. Your doctors
can guide you through this treatment.
6. Treat diabetes
Having high blood sugar damages blood vessels over time, making clots more likely to form inside them. Your goal: Keep your blood sugar under control. How to achieve it:
Monitor your blood sugar as directed by your doctor.
Use diet, exercise, and medicines to keep your blood sugar within the recommended range.
7. Quit smoking
Smoking accelerates clot formation in a couple of different ways. It
thickens your blood, and it increases the amount of plaque buildup in
the arteries. "Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, smoking
cessation is one of the most powerful lifestyle changes that will help
you reduce your stroke risk significantly," Dr. Rost says. Your goal: Quit smoking. How to achieve it:
Ask your doctor for advice on the most appropriate way for you to quit.
Use quit-smoking aids, such as nicotine pills or patches, counseling, or medicine.
Don't give up. Most smokers need several tries to quit. See each
attempt as bringing you one step closer to successfully beating the
habit.
Identify a stroke F-A-S-T
Too many people ignore the signs of stroke because they question
whether their symptoms are real. "My recommendation is, don't wait if
you have any unusual symptoms," Dr. Rost advises. Listen to your body
and trust your instincts. If something is off, get professional help
right away."
The National Stroke Association has created an easy acronym to help
you remember, and act on, the signs of a stroke. Cut out this image and
post it on your refrigerator for easy reference.
Hell, my suggestions lead to a 307% reduction in stroke risk. Don't listen to me, I'm not medically trained.
Like maybe a 307% stroke risk reduction from these 11 possibilities?
Stroke prevention can start today. Protect yourself and avoid stroke, regardless of your age or family history.
Published: June, 2013
What can you do to prevent stroke? Age makes us more susceptible to
having a stroke, as does having a mother, father, or other close
relative who has had a stroke.
You can't reverse the years or change your family history, but there
are many other stroke risk factors that you can control—provided that
you're aware of them. "Knowledge is power," says Dr. Natalia Rost,
associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and associate
director of the Acute Stroke Service at Massachusetts General Hospital.
"If you know that a particular risk factor is sabotaging your health
and predisposing you to a higher risk of stroke, you can take steps to
alleviate the effects of that risk."
How to prevent stroke
Here are seven ways to start reining in your risks today to avoid stroke, before a stroke has the chance to strike.
1. Lower blood pressure
High blood pressure is a huge factor, doubling or even quadrupling
your stroke risk if it is not controlled. "High blood pressure is the
biggest contributor to the risk of stroke in both men and women," Dr.
Rost says. "Monitoring blood pressure and, if it is elevated, treating
it, is probably the biggest difference people can make to their vascular
health." Your ideal goal: Maintain a blood pressure of less than 135/85. But for some, a less aggressive goal (such as 140/90) may be more appropriate. How to achieve it:
Reduce the salt in your diet to no more than 1,500 milligrams a day (about a half teaspoon).
Avoid high-cholesterol foods, such as burgers, cheese, and ice cream.
Eat 4 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day, one serving of
fish two to three times a week, and several daily servings of whole
grains and low-fat dairy.
Get more exercise — at least 30 minutes of activity a day, and more, if possible.
Obesity, as well as the complications linked to it (including high
blood pressure and diabetes), raises your odds of having a stroke. If
you're overweight, losing as little as 10 pounds can have a real impact
on your stroke risk. Your goal: While an ideal body mass index (BMI) is 25 or less, that may not be realistic for you. Work with your doctor to create a personal weight loss strategy. How to achieve it:
Try to eat no more than 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day (depending on your activity level and your current BMI).
Increase the amount of exercise you do with activities like
walking, golfing, or playing tennis, and by making activity part of
every single day.
3. Exercise more
Exercise contributes to losing weight and lowering blood pressure,
but it also stands on its own as an independent stroke reducer. Your goal: Exercise at a moderate intensity at least five days a week. How to achieve it:
Take a walk around your neighborhood every morning after breakfast.
Start a fitness club with friends.
When you exercise, reach the level at which you're breathing hard, but you can still talk.
Take the stairs instead of an elevator when you can.
Drinking a little alcohol may decrease your risk of stroke. "Studies
show that if you have about one drink per day, your risk may be lower,"
says to Dr. Rost. "Once you start drinking more than two drinks per day,
your risk goes up very sharply." Your goal: Don't drink alcohol or do it in moderation. How to achieve it:
Have no more than one glass of alcohol a day.
Make red wine your first choice, because it contains resveratrol, which is thought to protect the heart and brain.
Watch your portion sizes. A standard-sized drink is a 5-ounce glass of wine, 12-ounce beer, or 1.5-ounce glass of hard liquor.
5. Treat atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a form of irregular heartbeat that causes
clots to form in the heart. Those clots can then travel to the brain,
producing a stroke. "Atrial fibrillation carries almost a fivefold risk
of stroke, and should be taken seriously," Dr. Rost says. Your goal: If you have atrial fibrillation, get it treated. How to achieve it:
If you have symptoms such as heart palpitations or shortness of breath, see your doctor for an exam.
You may need to take an anticoagulant drug (blood thinner) such as
warfarin (Coumadin) or one of the newer direct-acting anticoagulant
drugs to reduce your stroke risk from atrial fibrillation. Your doctors
can guide you through this treatment.
6. Treat diabetes
Having high blood sugar damages blood vessels over time, making clots more likely to form inside them. Your goal: Keep your blood sugar under control. How to achieve it:
Monitor your blood sugar as directed by your doctor.
Use diet, exercise, and medicines to keep your blood sugar within the recommended range.
7. Quit smoking
Smoking accelerates clot formation in a couple of different ways. It
thickens your blood, and it increases the amount of plaque buildup in
the arteries. "Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, smoking
cessation is one of the most powerful lifestyle changes that will help
you reduce your stroke risk significantly," Dr. Rost says. Your goal: Quit smoking. How to achieve it:
Ask your doctor for advice on the most appropriate way for you to quit.
Use quit-smoking aids, such as nicotine pills or patches, counseling, or medicine.
Don't give up. Most smokers need several tries to quit. See each
attempt as bringing you one step closer to successfully beating the
habit.
