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Up to 80% of first time strokes may be preventable, huge study shows
The American Stroke Association has updated its 2014 stroke guidelines with new clinical recommendations, lifestyle changes, and troubling statistics that reveal 80% of first-time strokes are preventable.
Some health conditions are so prevalent that many of us have some experience with them in one form or another. Strokes are one such illness, with experts constantly warning about drinking too much coffee and the medications that have been linked to increased risk.
The guidelines have not been updated since 2014
While we know that acts like cycling can reduce the risk of a stroke, that doesn’t change the fact that 600,000 Americans have their first stroke each year. Shockingly, around 80% of those are avoidable, the American Stroke Association said.
As we know, a stroke occurs when a blood vessel in our brain becomes blocked by a blood clot or rupture. The brain is starved of oxygen as a result, often resulting in serious disability. Strokes are one of the leading causes of death in America with approximately 160,000 deaths annually.
The most effective way to reduce the occurrence of a stroke and stroke-related death is to prevent the first strokereferred to as primary prevention, said Chair of the guideline writing group, Cheryl D. Bushnell, M.D., M.H.S., FAHA. Some populations have an elevated risk of stroke, whether it be due to genetics, lifestyle, biological factors and/or social determinants of health, and in some cases, people do not receive appropriate screening to identify their risk.
She added: This guideline is important because new discoveries have been made since the last update 10 years ago. Understanding which people are at increased risk of a first stroke and providing support to preserve heart and brain health can help prevent a first stroke.”
Stroke risks are many and not all of them are within your control
Though grasping any health condition can be complicated, the Associations Lifes Essential 8 is a great starting point as they suggest keeping an eye on healthy nutrition, regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco, healthy sleep and weight, controlling cholesterol, and managing blood pressure and blood sugar.
Alongside new clinical recommendations, the American Stroke Association delved into the many risk factors associated with an increased likelihood of a stroke.
While high blood pressure, overweight and obesity, elevated cholesterol, and elevated blood sugar can be screened in routine health checks with your doctor, there were other factors that you might not be aware of. Sadly, not all of them are controllable.
Such external factors associated with a higher risk of stroke included education, economic stability, access to care, discrimination, and structural racism. The writers also considered neighborhood factors, which affect a person’s access to healthy food, exercise spaces, healthcare, and sociability.
Cheryl Bushnell added: Implementing the recommendations in this guideline would make it possible to significantly reduce the risk of people having a first stroke. Most strategies that we recommend for preventing stroke will also help reduce the risk of dementia, another serious health condition related to vascular issues in the brain.”
