Strokes Dramatically Increasing in Young People
Ischemic strokes in young people under age 35 are dramatically increasing according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Hospitalizations in males aged 15 to 34 increased by over 50% between 1994 and 2007, and among women by 17%. The reasons for this increase are not clear. Perhaps better detection is a part, but…
Read MoreExcessive Sleep May Raise Risk of Stroke
Analysis of data from the Harvard Nurses' Health Study has revealed that women who sleep 10 hours or more a night are 63% more likely to suffer a stroke over a 20 year period than those getting 7-8 hours of sleep.Women who got 6 or fewer hours of sleep per night also had an elevated…
Read MoreVitamin E Supplements Raise Risk of Hemorrhagic Stroke
An international group of researchers examined data from nine trials involving 120,000 subjects who had been randomized to receive either vitamin E or placebo supplements and had been followed for more than a year. While Vitamin E supplements had no significant effect on overall stroke risk, the supplements increased hemorrhagic stroke by 22% and reduced…
Read MoreWith Stroke, Earlier is Better
Based on the results of two large studies published in 2008, professional stroke organizations now recommend patients be treated with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) within 4.5 hours of when stroke symptoms start (previously within 3 hours). Researchers have examined this wider treatment window for nearly 24,000 patients and found that although the risks from tPA…
Read MoreStroke: Three Golden Hours
"Stroke" has gone by many names – apoplexy, apoplectic seizure, cerebrovascular accident.The Greek name means – a “striking down with violence.” And it is the second leading cause of death world-wide. People usually thing that strokes happen to older people; but when suffered by Vice President Joe Biden’s 41-year-old son, Beau Biden (attorney-general for the…
Read MoreVitamin B Supplements Fail to Prevent Dementia
More than 8000 patients with a history of recent stroke were randomized to either a placebo or a daily dose of B vitamins (folic acid, B6 and B12). After an average of 3.4 years of follow-up, both treatment groups had the same risks for major vascular events. The results of this 20 country study do…
Read MoreTop Stroke Risk Factors are Controllable!
The third most common killer in the U.S. is stroke. The Interstroke study of stroke cases in 22 countries ranked the most common risk factors as follows:HypertensionSmokingAbdominal obesityHealthy diet and physical activity.A history of high blood pressure increased the risk by 2.5 times, and smoking by more than double. Regular exercise cut stroke by more…
Read MoreExpanding Waistlines = Expanding Stroke Risk
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) reveals that stroke risk among women 45-54 years old has tripled in the past two decades. Compelling findings suggest that growing waistlines are driving much of this increase. Abdominal obesity (or a waist that is more than 34.6 inches [88 cm] around) has increased by…
Read MoreHold the Salt to Lower Health Care Costs!
Dietary salt intake in the U.S. in on the rise, in spite of more and more evidence linking salt intake to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Reducing salt intake by a modest 3 grams (1/2 teaspoon) per day per person is projected to annually reduce new cases of coronary heart disease by up to 120,000, stroke…
Read MoreCut the Salt for Better Health
Almost all adult populations around the world consume at least 6 grams of salt per day. A wealth of evidence points to significant health risks associated with excess salt consumption. International recommendations for salt intake is less than 1 teaspoon (5-6 grams) daily. A recent meta-anhalysis of the results of 19 independent cohort samples with…
Read More