Stroke prevention increase your risk, as well as lifestyle choices such as being

overweight, smoking cigarettes, or drinking excessively. Men,

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked, either African Americans, and people with a family history of stroke
by blood clots or narrowed blood vessels, or when there is have a higher risk as well. If you have already had a stroke or a
bleeding in the brain. Deprived of nutrients, brain nerve cells transient ischemic attack (referred to as a TIA or "mini-
begin to die within a few minutes. As a result, a stroke can stroke"), you are also at highest risk. Warning signs include
cause sensory and vision loss, problems with talking and sudden unexplained numbness or tingling sensation especially
walking, or difficulty in thinking clearly. In many cases, the on one side), blurred vision, slurred speech, clumsiness or
effects of stroke are irreversible. stumbling.

There are 2 broad categories of stroke: What is a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)?

Ischemic strokes are caused by a blood clot or blockages in A TIA, or mini stroke, is a kind of ischemic stroke. Symptoms
the arteries, and hemorrhagic strokes occur when blood last a few minutes to a few hours and then disappear. Always
vessels rupture. Ischemic strokes are most commonly caused report a TIA to your doctor. A TIA is often a sign that a more
by blockages in the carotid arteries and are responsible for up damaging stroke is on its way. Seek treatment right away, even
to 80% of strokes. As people age, arteries become narrowed if symptoms go away quickly.
with rough deposits of plaque called "stenosis". Diseased
arteries can clog up completely as the plaque accumulates or Are you at risk for a stroke?
can be shut down by clotting conditions called "embolism" and
"thrombosis". When the arteries become plugged, the blood is Having many risk factors does not automatically mean you will
no longer able to reach the brain and stroke results. have a stroke and those with no or few risk factors may not
necessarily avoid a stroke.
Thrombotic strokes are caused by fatty deposits (plaque) which
have built up in the arteries carrying blood to the brain. This Controllable Risk Factors
slows blood-flow and can cause clots to form on the plaque that
narrows or blocks the flow of nutrients and oxygen to the brain.
• Carotid Artery Disease
• High Blood Pressure
An embolic stroke is caused by a blood clot formed in another • Atrial Fibrillation
part of the body which breaks loose, travels through the • Cigarette Smoking
bloodstream, and then blocks an artery carrying nutrients and • Heart Disease
oxygen to the brain. • Diabetes
• Warning Signs or History of Stroke
A hemorrhagic stroke takes place when an artery supplying • Lack of Exercise
blood bleeds into the brain. The ruptured blood vessel prevents • Obesity
needed oxygen and nutrients from reaching brain cells. One • Excessive Alcohol Consumption
type of hemorrhagic stroke is caused when an artery which has • High Cholesterol
weakened over time, bulges (called an aneurysm) and suddenly
bursts. Uncontrollable Risk Factors

Types of Hemorrhagic stroke • Advanced Age

• Previous Stroke
• Intracranial hemorrhage is the accumulation of blood • Heredity
anywhere within the skull vault. • Race
• Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is bleeding directly into the
brain tissue, forming a gradually enlarging hematoma Of the 700,000 strokes that occur in the U.S. each year, a
(pooling of blood). staggering 600,000 of these could be prevented! It is estimated
that 50% of these strokes occurred in asymptomatic patients,
people who had no symptoms of their impending strokes.
Strokes are the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S
The National Stroke Association "Stroke Prevention
• a stroke is a BRAIN attack and is the 3rd leading Guidelines" advise patients to:
cause of death in the U.S. following cardiovascular
disease and cancer.
• Know your blood pressure, have it checked at least
• 75-80% of all STROKES are associated with blockages
once a year
in the carotid arteries – and are preventable!
• Find out if you have atrial fibrillation, which
• Almost 50% of the people who are going to have a
encourages the formation of blood clots that could
STROKE have no symptoms prior to the time of cause a stroke
stroke.
• If you smoke, stop
• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation
Up to 43% of the Medicare budget is expended
annually for the medical care of stroke patients.(1) • Find out if you have high cholesterol
• If you have diabetes, take measures to control the
Some people are more at risk for stroke than others. Chronic condition
health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes can • Include exercise in your daily routine
 • Eat a low-salt diet If the test results and symptoms point to carotid artery disease,
the patient may have an angiogram, an x-ray test in which dye
• Ask your physician if you have circulation problems
is injected into the arteries which lead to the brain. This shows
that could increase the risk of stroke and
the exact location of any narrowing, blockage, or other defect.
• If you experience any stroke symptoms, including
sudden weakness of the face or a limb, a blurring of
So what steps can you take to help prevent a stroke?
vision, dizziness, or an intense headache, seek
immediate medical attention.
• Control your blood pressure. Have your blood
High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke. pressure checked often, and, if needed, take measures
to lower it. Lowering high blood pressure reduces the
risk for both stroke and heart disease.
• Stop smoking. Cigarette smoking is linked to
increased risk for a stroke. Research indicates that the
Signs and Symptoms of a Stroke risk of stroke for people who have quit smoking for 2-
5 years is lower than people who still smoke.
• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, leg or arm, • Exercise regularly. Common sense dictates that
especially on one side of the body moderate exercise makes the heart stronger and
• Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding improves circulation. It also helps control weight.
speech Being overweight increases the chance of high blood
• Sudden dimness or loss of vision in one or both eyes pressure, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and adult-
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause onset (type 2) diabetes. Moderate physical activities
• Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or unsteadiness like walking, jumping on a mini-trampoline, cycling,
yoga, swimming, and yard work lower the risk of both
These symptoms signal a medical emergency! It is vital to seek stroke and heart disease.
emergency medical care at once. Call 911. Every minute counts! • Eat a healing diet. Eat a variety of fruits and
The majority of patients do not report to the emergency room vegetables. Juicing is an excellent and delicious way to
until 24 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms. The longer a include raw foods in your diet.
stroke victim waits before showing up at the emergency room,
the more damage a stroke can do and the less recovery can be
If you are diabetic, control your diabetes. If left untreated, diabetes
achieved.
can damage the blood vessels throughout the body and lead to
atherosclerosis.
Your goal is to show up at the emergency room less than 3
hours after the onset of stroke symptoms.
Aspirin for stroke prevention?

If you report to your doctor that you suffered a Transient

Some recommend aspirin on a daily basis to prevent a heart
Ischemic Attack (TIA), he or she will perform some tests.
attack or stroke. In one study (3), UK researchers reviewed 287
trials of treating high-risk individuals with anti-platelets such
A neurological and general physical examination will be taken as aspirin. The 135,000 patients involved either had
first. As part of the history, the doctor will want to know which, cardiovascular disease or conditions which predisposed them
if any, risk factors for stroke you have: high blood pressure, to heart attacks and strokes, such as peripheral artery disease,
diabetes, irregular heartbeat, oral contraceptive use, heredity, which is characterized by blockages in arteries supplying the
other heart diseases, smoking, diet (especially high sodium and legs and feet, and diabetes.
high cholesterol), obesity, lack of exercise, blood disorders, and
heavy alcohol consumption.
The investigators, all part of a team known as the Anti-
thrombotic Trialists' Collaboration (ATC), looked at whether or
Your doctor should then perform a detailed physical not the anti-platelets cut patients' risk of heart attack, stroke
examination evaluating the heart, the blood vessels, and the and death from a cardiovascular cause.
nervous system in addition to specialized tests which will help
determine whether other conditions might be causing the
They found that, overall, any anti-platelet therapy led to a 1/3
symptoms. One of those specialized tests is the non-invasive
drop in heart attack risk, while the risk of non-fatal stroke fell
duplex evaluation of the carotid arteries.
by 25% and cardiovascular death risk declined by 16%.

Both of these tests are completely painless. No needles, x-rays,

Aspirin was the most widely studied anti-platelet. Based on this
or dyes are used. They can be performed quickly, in about 10
review, the evidence "supports daily doses of aspirin in the
minutes, and hospitalization is unnecessary.
range of 75-150 mg for the long-term prevention of serious
vascular events in high risk patients.
The tests are performed using ultrasound equipment. This is
the same safe technology used by doctors to look at unborn
However the risks and benefits of aspirin therapy vary for each
fetuses in pregnant women.
person. While the benefits may be significant for people who
are at higher risk, healthy individuals should weigh the pros
In a recent study published in The New England Journal of and cons of aspirin therapy carefully, in my opinion.
Medicine, it was concluded that ultrasound scanning of the
carotid arteries is the single best predictor of stroke and heart
First, if you're going to start an aspirin regimen, I would
disease.(2)
recommend you take the baby aspirin - 81 mgs - not the adult
aspirin. Whatever benefits aspirin offers can be derived from
the 81 mgs dosage. Even then, unless you are in the high-risk Investigators tracked 79,839 female nurses from 1980 to 1994.
category, I would advise you not to take aspirin more often At the beginning of the study, the subjects ranged in age from
than every other day. The problem with aspirin is the risk of 34 to 59 years. Food frequency questionnaires were used to
bleeding, gastrointestinal hemorrhage and a possible increased determine the women's intake of fish and omega-3 oil.
risk of renal failure.
After controlling for various risk factors of cardiovascular
Taking aspirin isn’t advised during a stroke, because not all disease,
strokes are caused by blood clots. Most strokes are caused by researchers found that, compared with women who ate fish less
clots, but some are caused by ruptured blood vessels. Taking than
aspirin could actually make these bleeding strokes more severe. once a month, women who ate fish 1 to 3 times per month had
a 7%
If you’re taking aspirin and you must undergo even a simple reduced risk of stroke, women who ate fish once a week had a
surgical procedure or dental extraction, you must tell the 22% risk
surgeon or dentist your aspirin dosage. reduction, women who ate fish 2 to 4 times a week had a 27%
lower
risk; and women who ate fish 5 or more times a week had a
Vitamin E to reduce the risk of stroke? 52% lower
risk.
Vitamin E may have a protective effect against ischemic
strokes, researchers reported on April 20 2000 at the annual Findings applied primarily to thrombotic strokes. The study
meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto, found no
Canada. Their study showed that vitamin E supplements can association between consumption of fish or omega-3 fatty acids
reduce stroke risk by 53%. and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

Also, researchers from Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center With increasing scientific evidence on the benefits of omega-3
(CPMC) of New York Presbyterian Hospital found a person's fish oil, even the prestigious American Heart Association
risk of stroke is reduced by 50% if he or she takes a vitamin E (AHA) has finally recommended the use of omega-3 fatty acids
supplement each day. in the prevention of strokes and heart diseases. This was
announced in the AHA meeting in Chicago, Illinois in
So there appears to be some protective effect offered by vitamin December 2002.
E, although it must be said that not all the evidence is
conclusive in this regard. In my opinion the best price for high Based on its review of all available scientific evidence, the AHA
quality vitamin E on the internet can be found here . announced that omega-3 fatty acids benefit healthy people,
people at high risk of cardiovascular disease as well as patients
Gum disease leads to higher stroke risk with cardiovascular disease.

Common, chronic bacterial infections, including gum disease, Since omega-3 helps make the blood thinner to prevent it from
urinary tract and lung infections, may increase the risk of clotting, it should not be taken by people on "blood thinners",
atherosclerosis, a build-up of fatty plaques in the arteries that as well as people on aspirin therapy.
could lead to heart attack, study findings suggest.
I spend a lot of time researching the internet for the best price
People with gum disease may be at greater risk for stroke on supplements on the internet, and in my opinion the lowest
because of an increased tendency to have blockages in the price for high quality omega-3 fish oil can be found here .
carotid arteries of the neck. A buildup of fatty plaque in the
carotid arteries increases the risk of stroke by reducing blood There is an enormous amount of medical literature which testifies to
flow to the brain, as well as by promoting formation of a blood the fact that omega-3 fish oils prevent and may help to ameliorate or
clot that can cause a stroke. reverse atherosclerosis, angina, heart attack, stroke, arrhythmias,
congestive heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease. Fish oils
Periodontal, or gum, disease is caused by a chronic, low-grade help maintain the elasticity of artery walls, prevent blood clotting,
infection that is often not linked by physicians to other reduce blood pressure and stabilize heart rhythm. (5-12)
conditions such as conditions causing stroke. However, gum
disease involves a large amount of bone and there is a lot of
tissue in contact with that bone. From this contact, bacteria
and inflammatory, toxic compounds can gain access to the
blood stream, where they may have a detrimental effect on the
lining of blood vessels. It is believed that inflammation plays an
important role in stroke and heart disease.

Fish oil reduces the risk of stroke?

A study released in the January 17, 2001 issue of the "Journal

of the American Medical Association" (4)suggests that fatty fish
and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, such as that found in
fish oil and flaxseed oil, may be as effective as daily aspirin
therapy at reducing the risk of thrombotic stroke, but without
the side effects of aspirin therapy.