May is Stroke Awareness Month. Here are some recent developments that may help reduce your risk of stroke and improve your odds of a good outcome if you have one.
These findings were published in peer-reviewed medical journals and presented at 2010 medical conferences such as the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference; the annual meeting of the American Heart Association sponsored by the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention and the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism; and the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.
Add a Little Chocolate to Your Diet. A study by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health looked at 4,369 French women and found that those who ate the highest amount of chocolate (an average of about 9 grams per day) had a 58 percent decreased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (the kind caused by burst blood vessels) than women who ate the lowest amount (an average of about 0.1 grams per day). Another study by German researchers followed 19,357 men and women and found that those who ate an average of 7.5 grams per day had significantly lower blood pressure and a 39 percent decreased risk of heart attack or stroke compared to those who at the least amount of chocolate (an average of 1.7 grams per day). You can get a healthy 6 grams of chocolate from just one small square of a 100-gram (3.5 ounce) bar.
Help Yourself to Some Joe. A study by British researchers followed 23,000 men and women for 12 years and found that any coffee intake -- caffeinated, decaffeinated, instant, or ground -- was associated with a 27 percent lower risk of stroke than no coffee intake.
Watch Your Weight. Although overweight and obesity have long been linked to stroke, excess pounds may be especially harmful to women. In a study of 9,700 generally healthy postmenopausal women, researchers found that those with the highest levels of naturally occurring estrogen were more than twice as likely to suffer a stroke as those with the lowest levels. They also found that women with a waist circumference above 34 inches had higher levels of estrogen than those with a smaller circumference, probably because midsection fat is an important source of naturally occurring estrogen. In women with a high waist circumference, those with high estrogen levels were six times more likely to develop a stroke than those with low levels.
Get Moving. In a new analysis of 39,314 women enrolled in the Women's Health Study, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that women who burned at least 1,500 calories per week in leisure-time physical activity had a 17 percent reduced risk of total stroke compared to women who burned less than 200 calories per week. Walking was especially beneficial. Each increase in walking time and pace was associated with a decreased risk of any type of stroke.
Watch Your Dietary Fat Intake. In a new analysis of data on 87,230 postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative, researchers from the University of North Carolina found that the risk of ischemic stroke (the kind caused by blood clots) was 40 percent higher in those who consumed the most dietary fat (an average of 86 grams per day) compared to those who consumed the least dietary fat (an average of 26 grams per day). They also found that women who consumed the most trans fat (an average of 7 grams per day) had a 30 percent increased risk compared to those who consumed the least trans fat (an average of 1 gram per day). The researchers said their findings support American Heart Association recommendations to limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of daily energy requirements.
Control Your Cholesterol and Blood Pressure. If you achieve optimum levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, trigylcerides, and blood pressure, you can reduce your risk of recurrent stroke by 65 percent compared to people who control none of these four risk factors.
Ask Your Doctor About Botox. In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved botox (onabotulinumtoxin A) to treat spasms (spasticity) in the flexor muscles of the elbow, wrist and fingers in adults who have had a stroke.
Play Video Games. Nintendo has introduced a new Wii interactive virtual reality gaming system for stroke rehabilitation. In a small study of 22 patients, researchers found that the gaming system was associated with significantly improved motor function and grip strength compared to standard recreational therapy.
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Brush Up on Your Stroke Knowledge in May
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