Lifestyle changes and new therapies for atrial fibrillation help reduce the risk of stroke, reports EurekAlert.
Strokes rank third among the causes of death and are the main cause of disability in people over 40. Annually, 60-70 thousand people register in Poland. strokes – 30 percent of them are fatal within the first year.
Among stroke survivors, about 70 percent. remain disabled, and 50 percent. requires the help and care of other people due to impaired physical and mental fitness. One in six people will experience a stroke at some point in their life. In 80 percent. In cases of ischemia of a part of the brain, it is caused by the obstruction of the blood vessel supplying it, in other cases the stroke is the result of a haemorrhage.
As emphasized by prof. Freek Verheugt from Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis in Amsterdam, stroke is not the inevitable consequence of aging. Therefore, by identifying and modifying risk factors, it can be prevented – by lifestyle changes, blood pressure control, and atrial fibrillation. For example, high blood pressure is responsible for 35 percent of risk of stroke, excessive carcass for 26,5 percent, and smoking – for 19 percent.
Atrial fibrillation occurs in roughly 2 percent. of the entire population, with the average age of the patient steadily increasing. He is currently between 75 and 85 years old. People with AF are five times more likely to have a stroke and three times more likely to have a heart attack. New anticoagulation treatment could reduce the risk of stroke by about 70%.
There are six steps to avoiding a stroke, according to the World Stroke Organization.
The first is to identify risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. In addition, you need to exercise regularly, prevent obesity with a healthy diet, reduce alcohol consumption, avoid tobacco smoke, and be able to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
If you suspect someone is having a stroke, just ask them to smile, say a simple sentence, and raise your arms. The stroke does not allow you to smile – the corner of the mouth drops on the affected side. Saying the simplest sentences and understanding speech is difficult, and raising your arms is impossible or difficult. When any of these symptoms occur, you should immediately call the emergency number (PAP).
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