Iwona Physio: prevention

Tuesday, 25 July 2017

Healthy lifestyle and stroke risk

The study ‘Primary prevention of stroke by healthy lifestyle’ revealed that stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US leading to permanent disability and economic difficulties due to impairment. And prevention is considered to be the most effective strategy: healthy lifestyle, such as not smoking, diet, exercise and optimal body weight, may be more effective in lowering risk of cardiovascular disease(CVD), diabetes and cancer than any one single factor. Also these five lifestyle factors are consider as low-risk lifestyle.

From the same study we learn that among the women and men, smoking, exercise, diet and BMI were directly associated with the risk of total and ischemic stroke. Alcohol had a “J-shaped” association with risk of stroke in women with a lower risk among light drinkers but an elevated risk among heavier drinkers (≥30 g alcohol/day). Among men the pattern was similar, although the relative risks were not significant. In general, lower scores on all 3 dietary scores were associated with greater risk of stroke. Mid-life BMI was more strongly associated with risk of stroke than most recent BMI.

Modifiable stroke risk factors

Ten potentially modifiable risk factors are collectively associated with about 90% of the PAR of stroke in each major region of the world, among ethnic groups, in men and women, and in all ages.

Previous history of hypertension or blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg (99%)

Regular physical activity (35·8%)

Apolipoprotein (26·8%)

Diet (23·2%)

Waist-to-hip ratio (18·6%)

Psychosocial factors (17·4%)

Current smoking (12·4%)

Alcohol consumption (5·8%)

Diabetes mellitus ( 3·9%)

Cardiac causes (9.1%)

Collectively, these risk factors accounted for 90·7% of the PAR for all stroke worldwide (91·5% for ischaemic stroke, 87·1% for intracerebral haemorrhage), and were consistent across regions (ranging from 82·7% in Africa to 97·4% in southeast Asia), sex (90·6% in men and in women), and age groups (92·2% in patients aged ≤55 years, 90·0% in patients aged >55 years).

Hypertension was more associated with intracerebral haemorrhage than with ischaemic stroke, whereas current smoking, diabetes, apolipoproteins, and cardiac causes were more associated with ischaemic stroke.