A stroke occurs when interrupts blood flow to the brain after a blood vessel is blocked by a blood clot or ruptures. The result is that the brain does not receive oxygen that it needs to function correctly. Stroke causes brain damage that can lead to significant disability, including difficulty thinking, speaking, walking, and interacting with the environment. About 120,000 people suffer a stroke a year in Spain and around 25,000 die from a stroke despite the fact that up to 80% of cases are preventable.
The healthy lifestyle habitssuch as good nutrition, quitting smoking, and staying physically active, along with routine health screenings and managing risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke with medications, can help prevent people from having a first accident cerebrovascular.
According to the American Stroke Association’s new clinical guideline, which replaces the 2014 version, stroke risk screening and educating people about how to reduce their chances of having a stroke ideally starts with their primary care doctor and includes evidence-based recommendations.
Dr. Cheryl D. Bushnellwriting group chair and vice president for research at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, explains: “The most effective way to reduce the incidence of stroke and stroke-related death is to prevent the first stroke.” cerebrovascular, which is known as primary prevention», and adds: «Some populations are at high risk for stroke, whether due to genetics, lifestyle, biological factors or social determinants of health, and in some cases, people do not receive screening tests. detection suitable for identify your risk».
Recommendations
The new guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for strategies to support brain health and prevent brain damage. stroke throughout a person’s life, improving healthy lifestyle habits and obtaining preventative care.
“This guideline is important because new discoveries have been made since the last update 10 years ago. Understanding which people are most at risk for a first stroke and providing support to maintain heart and brain health can help prevent a first stroke,” Bushnell said.
Key recommendations for stroke prevention include regular health screenings, identification of risk factors, lifestyle interventions, and medication, when indicated.
Identification and management of risk factors
Unidentified and uncontrolled cardiovascular disease risk factors can cause damage to the arteries, brain, and heart years before cardiovascular disease and stroke occur. Primary Care professionals should promote patients’ brain health through prevention education of strokes, performing screening tests and addressing risk factors from birth to old age. Modifiable risk factors for stroke:
- high blood pressure
- Overweight and obesity
- High cholesterol
- High blood sugar, can be identified with physical exams and blood tests
These conditions must be addressed with lifestyle changes and healthy behaviors and may include medications for selected patients.
The antihypertensive medications to reduce blood pressure and statin medications Cholesterol-lowering medications may help reduce the risk of a first stroke in adults at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and those receiving care for CVD. A new recommendation is to consider the agonist medications of the glucagon-like protein-1 (GLP-1) receptor, which are approved by the FDA to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in people who are overweight or obese and/or type 2 diabetes.
Healthy lifestyle behaviors
The most common and treatable lifestyle habits that can help reduce the risk of stroke are detailed in the eight indicators of cardiovascular health essentials of the Association. These include:
- Healthy nutrition
- Regular physical activity
- Avoid tobacco
- Sleep
- Have a healthy weight
- Control cholesterol
- Control blood pressure
- Control blood sugar
The guideline recommends that adults without prior cardiovascular disease, as well as those at increased risk, follow a pattern of Mediterranean diet. Mediterranean diet programs have been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, especially when supplemented with nuts and olive oil.
The physical activity It is also essential for reducing the risk of stroke and for overall heart health. Physical activity can help improve important health indicators, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, inflammatory markers, insulin resistance, endothelial function, and weight.
Perform at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity
The guideline urges health care professionals to routinely screen patients for sedentary behaviors, a confirmed risk factor for stroke, and advise them to engage in regular physical activity. The Association reinforces the recommendation of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion of the US Department of Health and Human Services that adults perform at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week, or a combination of both, preferably distributed throughout the week.
New to the guideline is the emphasis on social determinants of health and the impact they have on stroke risk. The social determinants of health are non-medical factors, such as educationthe economic stabilityhe access to carethe discriminationhe structural racism and the neighborhood factors (such as lack of walkability, reduced availability of healthy foods, and fewer health resources), which contribute to inequalities in care and influence overall health. Healthcare professionals must ensure that patient education is available for diverse educational and linguistic levels, and advocate for their patients by choosing treatments and medications that are effective and affordable.
Healthcare professionals are also encouraged to connect patients with resources that help address health-related social needs, such as food and housing insecurity, refer them to programs that support healthy lifestyle changes, and direct them to support programs that can help defray health care costs, including medication expenses.
Specific for women
The guideline also includes some new specific recommendations for women according to gender and sex. Health care professionals should screen for conditions that may increase a woman’s risk of stroke, including the use of oral contraceptives, high blood pressure during pregnancy and other pregnancy complications, such as premature birth, endometriosispremature ovarian failure and early onset menopause. It is recommended to treat elevated blood pressure during pregnancy and within six weeks after delivery to reduce the risk of maternal intracerebral hemorrhage.
The transgender women and gender diverse people who take estrogen to affirm their gender may also have a higher risk of suffering a stroke. It is necessary to evaluate and modify existing risk factors to reduce the risk of stroke in these people.
«Implementing the recommendations of this guide would significantly reduce the risk of people suffering a first stroke. “Most of the strategies we recommend to prevent stroke will also help reduce the risk of dementia, another serious disease related to vascular problems in the brain,” Bushnell said.