Did You Know ...?
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease and cancer, and a leading cause of adult disability, according to the American Stroke Association. Almost every 40 seconds in the United States, someone experiences a stroke.
Women account for about six in 10 stroke deaths, and black men have almost twice the risk of a first-ever stroke compared to white men. More than two-thirds of survivors will have some type of disability, and up to 80 percent strokes are preventable.
Alcohol and stroke
People who have more than two alcoholic drinks per day (more than one drink a day for women) on an ongoing basis increase their risk of a subarachnoid hemorrhage stroke by 10 times, according to the American Stroke Association.
High risk test
A simple test of blood circulation in the ankle could help doctors identify patients at high risk of suffering another stroke, according to research. The test compares blood flow in the ankle to that in the arm. A significant difference in the two readings could suggest that a patient suffers from peripheral artery disease, caused by fatty plaque buildup in the arteries of the extremities. Stroke survivors and those who have experienced transient ischemic attacks – also known as TIAs or mini-strokes – are at high risk of stroke if they have peripheral artery disease.
Healthy diet
Eating fruits and green or yellow vegetables daily may protect against stroke. A 48-year study of 120,321 people found almost daily consumption of green and yellow vegetables reduced the risk for death from stroke by 35 percent in men and 25 percent in women. The study was published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Historical view
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, first recognized stroke over 2,400 years ago. Stroke was called apoplexy, which means "struck down by violence" in Greek, due to the fact that a person developed sudden paralysis and change in well-being. Physicians had little knowledge of the anatomy and function of the brain, the cause of stroke or how to treat it.
It was not until the mid-1600s that Jacob Wepfer found that patients who died with apoplexy had bleeding in the brain. He also discovered that a blockage in one of the brain's blood vessels could cause apoplexy. In 1928, apoplexy was divided into categories based on the cause of the blood vessel problem. This led to the terms stroke or cerebral vascular accident (CVA).
Outlook influence
Pessimists are more prone to post-stroke depression, says the American Heart Association. A 12-month study of 190 people recovering from a first stroke found the most pessimistic were nearly five times more likely to develop post-stroke depression than those who were more optimistic. Depression can interfere with recovery.
Eating right a form of prevention
Eating foods that contain potassium could reduce the risk for stroke. One study in the journal Stroke found that people who consumed fewer than 2,300 mg of potassium per day had a 50 percent higher stroke risk than those who consumed more than 4,100 mg. Good sources of potassium include baked potatoes with skin, plain yogurt, cantaloupe, honeydew melons, halibut and tuna steaks, grapefruit, orange or prune juice, bananas and molasses.
Smoking danger
Men who smoke increase their risk for bleeding stroke every time they light up, says the American Stroke Association. An 18-year study of more than 20,000 men found that those who smoke more than a pack of cigarettes a day double their stroke risk compared with people who have never smoked or those who've kicked their habits.
Stress factor
People who say they are under a lot of stress have almost double the risk for a fatal stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Researchers found that people who said they felt stress every week were half again as likely to have a fatal stroke as people who reported little stress in their lives. People who feel a lot of stress tend to smoke, be more sedentary, drink more alcohol and have high blood pressure, the AHA says.
Ways to reduce stress:
- Eat a healthful diet.
- Get regular exercise.
- Avoid or limit your exposure to stressful situations where possible.
Diabetes and high blood pressure
Having diabetes as well as high blood pressure dramatically increases the risk for having a silent stroke, according to the American Stroke Association. This, in turn, can increase the risk for having a regular stroke. People with high blood pressure and diabetes need to control these chronic conditions to reduce their future stroke risk.