Health for life

Showing posts with label stroke. Show all posts

Dramatically Lower Stroke Risk with Diet and Lifestyle Modifications

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Stroke is a debilitating and often deadly condition that strikes more than 800,000 people each year and ranks as the third leading cause of death. A stroke is caused by a blockage of blood flow to the brain from either a clot or blood vessel constriction.

The condition is largely the result of poor lifestyle choices that cause arterial stiffening, alter metabolism and blood lipids and raise blood pressure. Fortunately you can dramatically lower your risk of stroke by making lifestyle changes and include targeted nutritional supplements shown to insulate against this devastating condition.

Study Shows First Stroke Risk can be Slashed by 80%

Along with heart disease and cancer, stroke can be categorized as another preventable lifestyle disease. Information published in the Journal of the American Heart Association publication Stroke explains that first time stroke incidence can be lowered by 80% by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Modifiable lifestyle changes include not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, regular physical activity and eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

The study finds that the two most important factors for lowering stroke risk include reducing blood pressure and improving blood lipid and cholesterol ratios. Increased blood pressure is known to lead to arterial stiffening or hardening of the arteries that is a significant risk factor for a first stroke.

Elevated levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol and low protective HDL cholesterol add fuel to the inflammatory fires that cause damage to the inner lining of blood vessel walls. The report concluded that the rise in stroke incidence was mainly due to population aging and increases in obesity.

Folic Acid and Green Tea Independently Lower Stroke Risk

Health conscious individuals already follow a healthy protocol that significantly lowers risk of stroke and many lifestyle mediated diseases. Eliminating processed foods and ensuring moderate daily exercise are known to lower blood pressure and affect blood metabolites that set the stage for an ischemic attack. You can further reduce your risk by adding folic acid (vitamin B9) and green tea catechins to your supplemental arsenal.

The results of a study published in the journal Hemodialysis showed that supplementation with folic acid dramatically reduced the thickening of the carotid artery wall, a standard marker for stroke risk analysis. Individuals taking 10 mg of folic acid three times a week for a period of two years were shown to have a 25% lower risk of a first stroke. Folic acid reduces blood levels of homocysteine that are associated with arterial wall hardening.

Research published in the journal Stroke concludes that drinking the equivalent of three cups of green tea each day could prevent the onset of ischemic stroke. Green tea contains powerful antioxidants called catechins (ECGC) that help lower blood pressure by naturally increasing levels of nitric oxide in the blood.

Stroke rates increase dramatically in the aging population as blood pressure tends to slowly elevate into the danger zone. This silent killer can be prevented through a series of lifestyle changes that have been shown to lower stroke risk by 80%. Include folic acid and green tea catechins as part of your daily supplement routine and live a life free of risk from this devastating condition.

Chocolate and Cocoa Compounds Lower Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke

Monday, April 28, 2014

Researchers from the University of Cambridge in England have finally published solid evidence to demonstrate the consumption of chocolate is associated with improved heart and vascular health. Writing in the prestigious BMJ(British Medical Journal), Dr. Oscar Franco and his team determined several factors including diet, exercise, body weight control and lifestyle changes could help reduce the risk of heart disease, a condition expected to claim the lives of nearly 24 million people worldwide by the year 2030.

The study authors found that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of cocoa from chocolate consumption could reduce heart disease risk by one-third and could also reduce the risk of sudden death from a heart attack and stroke incidence.

Cocoa from Dark Chocolate Improves Cardiac Risk Markers

The study included an analysisof seven detailed research bodies that included more than 114,000 participants. All studies independently pointed to the conclusion that different levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of cardio-metabolic disorders. Researchers found that the flavonoids passed to chocolate from the cocoa bean have a positive impact on health and were found to regulate insulin sensitivity and maintain blood pressure in the normal range.

Researchers ranked chocolate consumption among participants in the seven studies from highest to lowest to determine the effect of the cocoa flavanols on human health risk factors. Five of the seven studies showed that eating the highest amount of chocolate significantly reduced the number of cardiac events. In particular they found those who ate the most chocolate had a 37% lower risk of having a cardiovascular incident compared to those who ate the least.

Chocolate Consumption Lowers Risk of Stroke by Nearly Thirty Percent

When assessing other risk factors, the study authors found that the highest chocolate consumers had a 29% lower incidence of stroke compared to the lowest chocolate eaters. Interestingly the researchers found that high levels of chocolate consumption specifically lowered the risk of a cardiac or stroke event but did not impact heart failure, another very serious form of heart disease and death. The studies examined did not differentiate between milk and dark chocolate, and included chocolate desserts, biscuits, chocolate bars and drinks. Prior research has indicated maximum benefit from eating dark, bitter chocolate with a high cocoa content.

The authors did provide a word of caution regarding excess consumption of chocolate particularly because commercially available chocolate is very caloric and eating too much of it could in itself lead to weight gain, risk of diabetes and heart disease. They concluded, “Based on observational evidence, levels of chocolate consumption seem to be associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of cardio-metabolic disorders.” Individuals looking to take advantage of the health benefits of chocolate may want to use a cacao bean extract supplement (25 to 50 mg per day) to reap the cardiovascular and stroke risk reduction benefits.

8 Strategies to Prevent Stroke

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

8 Strategies to Prevent Stroke - Stroke or partial loss of all neurological function (nerve), which occurs suddenly has become one of serious diseases in Indonesia, because of a growing number of cases.

In developed countries like the United States, stroke number third as a cause of death. While in Indonesia, stroke is the leading cause of death and top cause of disability.

"It takes a strategy for dealing with stroke. Data in Indonesia showed that 8.3 per 10,000 people suffer a stroke," said dr. Dani Ekawati Yulianti, SpS, neurologist MRCCC Siloam Hospital Semanggi, while seminar Healty Healthty Brain for Life, in Jakarta, Saturday (14/01/2012).

In fact, as much as 23 percent of patients who were hospitalized due to stroke resulted in death.

Eka said

There are many risk factors that lead to stroke such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and excessive alcohol consumption. However, these risk factors can actually be altered by treatment of lifestyle.

Here are some Strategies to Prevent Stroke as revealed by dr. Eka:

1. Healthy and Balanced Diet

Healthy and balanced diet can mean eating lots of fruits and vegetables, low fat milk, low cholesterol and low sodium (daily salt intake should not exceed 2300 mg or about 1 teaspoon)

2. Regular physical activity

With moderate exercise (30-60 minutes accumulated) 4 to 7 days a week. For example, brisk walking, jogging, biking, swimming. For high-risk patients is recommended to follow a medically supervised program.

3. Weight Control

Maintain a Body Mass Index (BMI) in the range of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2 and a waist circumference of less than 80 cm for women and less than 90 cm for men (standard and South East Asia).

4. Stop Smoking

Smoking is one of the biggest trigger factor for stroke. Soon as possible to quit smoking and live in an environment free from tobacco smoke. There are several ways to stop smoking with nicotine replacement therapy (gum, patch) and behavioral therapy.

5. Limit Alcohol Consumption

Consuming alcohol is actually not be a problem as long as not excessive. Consumption of alcohol should be enough two standard glasses or less per day. For men with no more than 14 drinks per week. While for women less than 9 drinks per week.

6. Control of Hypertension

Lowering high blood pressure to target less than 140/90 mmHg (without other comorbidities).

7. Blood Sugar Control

For diabetics, the target of more aggressive blood pressure reduction of less than 130/80. Blood sugar control target of HbA1c <6.5 percent.

8. Hypercholesterolemia

For people with high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), the provision of statins and lifestyle modifications to target LDL cholesterol levels less than 100 mg/dl.

Quoted from kompas.com