Stroke Strikes Again

According to recent figures, stroke affects 15 million people worldwide each year and

, only in Latin America, there are estimates which alert that this number could triple by 2024. And it strikes fast. In a few hours, a stroke can lead to death if it goes without treatment. The EE. UU. has revealed an ambitious plan to prevent one million strokes and heart attacks in a five-year period, and most state-run health services in the developed world are looking prevention in the eye.

A stroke happens when blood flow in the brain is disturbed. This could be the result of an interruption of the blood flow, eg. by a thrombus or arteriosclerosis, and then the stroke is called ischemic. Cells do not receive oxygen and nutrients, and they start dying. This type accounts for 80% of all strokes.

A stroke can also happen when a blood vessel bursts, causing a brain hemorraghe, that disturbs the blood flow and the delicate chemical balance of brain cells. Blood vessels can break in "weak points" when blood pressure surges, or because they lose elasticity (arteriosclerosis again).

Not all strokes are fatal, eg. some are called transient ischemic attacks. They last a few minutes and symptoms normally disappear within the hour (unfortunately, they tend to be recurring). But there is no way to tell the difference between transient or not, so two important things to bear in mind are: 1) strokes are always an immediate emergency, as intervention must take place within the first three hours after the symptoms start to be successful, and 2) prevention is the best weapon at hand. For this, knowledge & information are always our allies.

Symptoms are usually very sudden and located in one side of the body. They include intense headache, vision problems, sudden face weakness, insensitivity, arm drifting, abnormal speech and problems with walking/coordination. Stroke usually strikes in old age, and tobacco use, hypertension, leading a sedentary life, diabetes, atrial fibrillation and other conditions are important risk factors. Strokes tend to "run in the family", too.

Those risk factors are a hint to prevention, and we could add a very interesting result published in Stroke (a medical research magazine): potassium reduces the probability of suffering an ischemic stroke. We can include in our diet fruits, vegetables and dairy products rich in potassium -always ask your doctor first, as there are some health conditions where this would not be appropriate-, and avoid the mentioned risk factors to try to strike back.

by: Maria Gonzales

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