Drear brothers and sisters, Over the last decade, I have lost so many siblings(particularly MALE) to STROKE. This forced me to search for answers to our agony in the family. If you have experienced similar problems, these are some clues and what we can do to minimize the risks of developing stroke early in life
*What is Stroke?* *Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to atrophy of the brain tissue. It is the No. 4* *cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States.* A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain either bursts, ruptures or is blocked by a clot. As a result, the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs and parts of the brain tissue die. *Stroke Risk Factors* Approximately 80 percent of strokes can be prevented. Though some stroke risk factors are uncontrollable, such as age and race, other risk factors are within your control and making small lifestyle changes can reduce your stroke risk. For example, hypertension, which is the leading risk factor, can be controlled by eating a healthy diet, regularly physical activity, not smoking, and by taking prescribed medications. The American Heart Association identifies seven factors to control for ideal health. *Life has 7 simple basic rules*: *be active, control cholesterol, eat a healthy diet, manage blood pressure, maintain a healthy weight, control blood sugar and don't smoke*. *COMMON RISKS FACTOR CAUSING STROKE* - *Age* -- The chance of having a stroke approximately doubles for each decade of life after age 55. While stroke is common among the elderly, a lot of people under 65 also have strokes. - *Heredity (family history) *-- Your stroke risk is greater if a parent, grandparent, sister or brother has had a stroke. Some strokes may be symptoms of genetic disorders like CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Sub-cortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy), which is caused by a gene mutation that leads to damage of blood vessel walls in the brain, blocking blood flow. Most individuals with CADASIL have a family history of the disorder -- each child of a CADASIL parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease. Visit the NINDS website<http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cadasil/CADASIL.htm> or read the AHA/ASA scientific statement on this topic<http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/early/2011/07/21/STR.0b013e3182299496> for more details about CADASIL. - *Race* -- African-Americans <http://www.powertoendstroke.org/> (Blacks) have a much higher risk of death from a stroke than Caucasians do. This is partly because blacks have higher risks of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. - *Sex (gender)* -- Stroke is more common in men than in women. In most age groups, more men than women will have a stroke in a given year. However, more than half of total stroke deaths occur in women. At all ages, more women than men die of stroke. Use of birth control pills and pregnancy pose special stroke risks for women. - *Prior stroke, TIA or heart attack* -- The risk of stroke for someone who has already had one is many times that of a person who has not. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs<http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/AboutStroke/TypesofStroke/TIA/TIA-Transient-Ischemic-Attack_UCM_310942_Article.jsp>) are "warning strokes" that produce stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. TIAs are strong predictors of stroke. A person who's had one or more TIAs is almost 10 times more likely to have a stroke than someone of the same age and sex who hasn't. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke. TIA should be considered a medical emergency and followed up immediately with a healthcare professional. If you've had a heart attack<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/Heart-Attack_UCM_001092_SubHomePage.jsp>, you're at higher risk of having a stroke, too. STROKE RISK FACTORS THAT CAN BE CONTROLLED - *High blood pressure* -- High blood pressure<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_002020_SubHomePage.jsp> is the leading cause of stroke and the most important controllable risk factor for stroke. Many people believe the effective treatment of high blood pressure is a key reason for the accelerated decline in the death rates for stroke. - *Cigarette smoking* -- In recent years, studies have shown cigarette smoking<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/QuitSmoking/Quit-Smoking_UCM_001085_SubHomePage.jsp> to be an important risk factor for stroke. The nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke damage the cardiovascular system in many ways. The use of oral contraceptives combined with cigarette smoking greatly increases stroke risk. - *Diabetes mellitus* -- Diabetes<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Diabetes/Diabetes_UCM_001091_SubHomePage.jsp> is an independent risk factor for stroke. Many people with diabetes also have high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and are overweight. This increases their risk even more. While diabetes is treatable, the presence of the disease still increases your risk of stroke. - *Carotid or other artery disease --* The carotid arteries in your neck supply blood to your brain. A carotid artery narrowed by fatty deposits from atherosclerosis (plaque buildups in artery walls) may become blocked by a blood clot. Carotid artery disease is also called carotid artery stenosis. - *Peripheral artery disease* is the narrowing of blood vessels carrying blood to leg and arm muscles. It's caused by fatty buildups of plaque in artery walls. People withperipheral artery disease<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/PeripheralArteryDisease/Peripheral-Artery-Disease_UCM_002082_SubHomePage.jsp> have a higher risk of carotid artery disease, which raises their risk of stroke. - *Atrial fibrillation* -- This heart rhythm disorder<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Arrhythmia/AboutArrhythmia/Atrial-Fibrillation_UCM_302027_Article.jsp> raises the risk for stroke. The heart's upper chambers quiver instead of beating effectively, which can let the blood pool and clot. If a clot breaks off, enters the bloodstream and lodges in an artery leading to the brain, a stroke results. - *Other heart disease* -- People with coronary heart disease or heart failure<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartFailure/Heart-Failure_UCM_002019_SubHomePage.jsp> have a higher risk of stroke than those with hearts that work normally. Dilated cardiomyopathy<http://www.strokeassociation.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@hcm/documents/downloadable/ucm_312224.pdf> (an enlarged heart), heart valve disease and some types of congenital heart defects<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/CongenitalHeartDefects/Congenital-Heart-Defects_UCM_001090_SubHomePage.jsp> also raise the risk of stroke. - *Sickle cell disease* (also called *sickle cell anemia*) -- This is a genetic disorder that mainly affects African-American and Hispanic children. "Sickled" red blood cells are less able to carry oxygen to the body's tissues and organs. These cells also tend to stick to blood vessel walls, which can block arteries to the brain and cause a stroke. - *High blood cholesterol --* People with high blood cholesterol<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/Cholesterol_UCM_001089_SubHomePage.jsp> have an increased risk for stroke. Also, it appears that low HDL ("good") cholesterol is a risk factor for stroke in men, but more data are needed to verify its effect in women. - *Poor diet --* Diets<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/Nutrition-Center_UCM_001188_SubHomePage.jsp> high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol levels. Diets high in sodium (salt) can contribute to increased blood pressure. Diets with excess calories can contribute to obesity. Also, a diet containing five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day may reduce the risk of stroke. - *Physical inactivity and obesity* -- Being inactive<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/Physical-Activity_UCM_001080_SubHomePage.jsp> , obese<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/WeightManagement/Weight-Management_UCM_001081_SubHomePage.jsp> or both can increase your risk of high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. So go on a brisk walk, take the stairs, and do whatever you can to make your life more active. Try to get a total of at least 30 minutes of activity on most or all days. References: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
_______________________________________________ WestNileNet mailing list WestNileNet@kym.net http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. _______________________________________________
