Eight ways to reduce the risk of stroke at any age

Eight ways to reduce the risk of stroke at any age


Stroke can be devastating and change your life, but there are changes in the lifestyle that you can do today to reduce the risk




As a nurse who works in an intense center of neurological treatment, I have witnessed the sudden and devastating effects of the stroke – or of the stroke (stroke) – both for the survivors and for their caregivers.

After my work in nursing, I became a researcher specialized in this disease. The knowledge of the general public on stroke risk factors is very limited, so prevention is a priority for public health.

Stroke is one of the main causes of death and disabilities in England, although it is widely preventable. It is usually considered a disease of the elderly, but although the risk increases with age, it can happen at any time of life. In fact, the incidence is increasing between adults under the age of 55.

The risk factors that tend to be more common among the elderly – such as hypertension (hypertension), high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoke, physical inactivity and inadequate diet – are increasingly found in young people. Other risks related to lifestyle include excessive consumption of alcohol and recreational drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine and heroin.

Some risk factors cannot be modified, such as age, gender, ethnicity, family history of stroke, genetics and some hereditary conditions. Women, for example, are particularly more sensitive – it doesn’t matter how old, they are more likely to men to die due to a stroke.

The risks of exclusive stroke for women include pregnancy and some contraceptive pills (especially for smokers), as well as endometriosis, premature ovarian failure (before 40), early menopause (before 45 years) and estrogen for transgender women.

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In addition, hereditary vascular anomalies such as cerebral aneurysms – a weakness in the arterial wall – can increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

However, some risk factors are social and non -biological. Studies have discovered that people with a lower income and a level of education are more vulnerable to strokes. This is due to a combination of factors: unhealthy life habits such as smoke, excessive alcohol consumption and little physical activity practice. Everyone is more common in people with lower lace.

What The research shows It is that people with a lower socio -economic state are less likely to receive good quality health care than others with higher income.

Regardless of biological or social risk factors, there are things you can do – right now – to reduce the risk of having a stroke.

Eight essential attitudes

1. Stop smoking. Smokers are more than double the probability of stroke than non -smokers. Smoking causes damage to the walls of blood vessels, increases blood pressure and heart rate, but reduces oxygen levels. Smoking also makes blood sticky, further increasing the risk of clots that can block blood vessels and cause stroke.

2. Keep under control blood pressure. Hypertension damages the walls of the blood vessels, making them weaker and more prone to breakage or blocks. It can also lead to the formation of clots that can move to the brain and block the bloodstream, leading to a stroke.

If you are more than 18 years old, you should regularly check blood pressure so that if you have signs of high blood pressure development, you can cut evil from the root and make changes to the adequate lifestyle to help reduce the risk of stroke.

3. Keep an eye on cholesterol. According to the United Kingdom’s ICUTus association, the possibility of having a stroke is almost three and a half times if the person has high cholesterol and high blood pressure. To reduce cholesterol, saturated fats should be avoided – found in fatty meats, butter, cheese and entire dairy products – below 7% of daily calories and maintains active and with a healthy weight.

4. Stay tuned on the blood sugar level. The high blood sugar speeds are Associates At an increased risk of stroke because they damage the vases and can facilitate the journey of blood clots to the brain. To reduce the possibility, try to train regularly, have a balanced fiber diet, drink a lot of water, maintain a healthy weight and try to control stress.

5. Keep a healthy weight. Overweight is one of the main risk factors for stroke. It increases the risk of stroke by 22% and one in five brain accidents are related to high body weight. Obesity increases this risk by 64%. And overweight increases the possibilities of hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes – everything that contributes to a stroke.

6. Follow a Mediterranean diet. A way to have a balanced fiber diet and maintain a healthy weight is to follow a Mediterranean diet. This has been shown that this reduces the risk of stroke, especially if integrated with walnuts and olive oil.

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7. Sleep well. Try sleeping from seven to nine hours a day. Sleeping little can lead to high blood pressure, one of the most important modifiable risk factors for stroke. Slee too much, however, is also associated with growing possibilitiesSo I advise you to be as active as possible so you can sleep as best as possible.

8. Store active. The National Health System (NHS, recommends that people avoid prolonged sedentary behavior and are looking for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activities or 75 minutes of vigorous weekly intensity activities. Exercise should be distributed evenly in four or five days a week or every day. Rooming activities, usually more than two days per week.

The good news is that although the effects of the stroke can be devastating and transformative, it can be avoided largely. The adoption of these eight simple changes in lifestyle can help reduce the risk of stroke and optimize the health of the heart and brain.



The conversation

Siobhan Mclenon does not consult, works, has actions or receives funding from any company or organization that can benefit from the publication of this article and has not revealed any relevant link beyond its academic position.

Source: Terra

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