Stroke Advice

Stroke Prevention. The seven major risk factors

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in the richest countries in the world and the third leading cause of death after a heart attack and cancer.

This is bad news. The good news is that lifestyle changes can dramatically reduce your simple risks. Read on to discover the 7 top risk factors for stroke and what you can do to prevent them.

But first, what is a stroke and what are the warning signs?

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted and brain tissue is deprived of oxygen and nutrients. Most strokes are caused by ischemic stroke, blood clots blocking an artery in the brain.

About one in five are caused by bleeding in a blood vessel in the brain. It is a hemorrhagic stroke. It can occur when an artery ruptures causing bleeding in the brain.

A stroke can also occur when a clot from elsewhere in the body becomes dislodged and blocks an artery in the brain () embolic stroke.

Common symptoms are:

Numbness, weakness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg on one or both sides of the body.
The loss of vision in one eye or both.
speech disorders.
Vertigo, loss of balance.
Sudden, severe headache.
Confusion and memory problems.
Difficulty swallowing.
Seizures or blackouts.

NUMBER OF RISK FACTOR 1.

High blood pressure or hypertension.
Defined by the U.S. National Institutes of Health as a blood pressure reading of 140/90 or more.
Factors such as high-fat diet, stress and excess weight can reduce the arteries. Blood pressure resulting walls artery flow damages, making fatty plaque formation more likely. The plaque can break off and cause blood clots to form according to studies in the prevention of stroke and atherosclerosis research center Robarts Research Institute in London, Ontario, Canada.

Normalize blood pressure reduces the risk of stroke in half. No other measure of prevention is just as effective. The Mediterranean diet can reduce blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke by nearly 60%. This plan calls for five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. It also stresses the importance of whole grains, beans, fish and poultry. He suggests replacing the butter and cream to olive oil or oils rich in alpha-linolenic acid.

NUMBER OF RISK FACTOR 2.

Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke.
Cigarette smoke is a risk factor higher than previously thought. Research at the University of Auckland in New Zealand divided people into three groups: smokers, non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke and nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke.

The researchers found that smokers were six times higher stroke risk of non-smokers and nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke has almost doubled the risk of other non-smokers.

The obvious prevention is to stop smoking. Some successes have been achieved with nicotine patches, smoking drugs and hypnosis.

NUMBER OF RISK FACTOR 3.

Sticky blood or platelet aggregation.
In this process, microscopic blood components to stick together, leading to the formation of clots. To avoid this, talk to your doctor before taking aspirin daily. Aspirin inhibits platelet aggregation and may reduce the risk of stroke by nearly 30% in some people. Vitamin E can improve blood circulation and prevent blood clots. It is perhaps the most important vitamin to improve blood circulation normal, healthy arteries and heart.

NUMBER OF RISK FACTOR 4.

high cholesterol. High total and / or high LDL ["bad" cholesterol] contribute to the reduction of the arteries.
Prevention: a blood test. If your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol is high, ask your doctor to discuss options with you. A number of options are available natural. These include a diet rich in fiber. Psillium pods and ground flaxseed are pa.