PIKSEL/Getty Images New guidelines for stroke prevention from the American Stroke Association emphasize the benefits of GLP-1 drugs, a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight. PIKSEL/Getty Images American Stroke Association updates guidelines The ASA has released guidelines on stroke risk reduction for the first time since 2014. In its recommendations, the ASA urges health professionals to carefully screen patients for risk factors such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, obesity and high blood sugar levels. The new stroke guidelines highlight their own guidelines. Guidelines for women and transgender women on risk factors and how social determinants of health affect stroke risk. The guidelines also highlight the benefits of GLP-1 drugs for cardiovascular health and encourage eating a balanced diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating an adequate diet. . sleep.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 800,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke each year. More than 600,000 of these will have their first stroke.
The American Stroke Association (ASA) has updated its guidelines for reducing the risk of stroke for the first time in 10 years. According to an ASA news release, up to 80% of strokes can be prevented through diet, lifestyle changes and other modifications.
Many of the new stroke guidelines align with the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8, which promotes cardiovascular and brain health. Lifestyle factors in the ASA’s new stroke guidelines include a healthy diet, regular exercise, better sleep, and not smoking.
“Patients looking to reduce their risk of stroke (and risk of cardiovascular disease in general) should strive to follow the American Heart Association’s eight essential recommendations for healthy living,” Cardiac Interventions said Dr. Chen-Han Chen, a specialist and medical director of the Cardiology Center. program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in California. Chen was not involved in the new guidelines.
Overall, the guidelines provide a clear path forward for healthcare professionals and their patients. The guidelines also call for more public awareness and education on how people can lower their risk of stroke.
The latest stroke guidelines recommend that health care professionals screen for symptoms that may increase a woman’s risk of stroke.
Risk factors for stroke that affect women include the use of oral hormonal contraceptives, developing high blood pressure during pregnancy, and pregnancy complications such as:
The guidelines also note that transgender women and gender diverse individuals who take estrogen may also be at increased risk of stroke.
New stroke recommendations emphasize “social drivers of health.” These non-medical factors include inequalities in health care, education, economic security, and structural racism.
ASA adds that neighborhood factors such as walkability and lack of access to healthy food also play a role. The guidelines call on medical professionals to advocate for patients in these situations.
“Whether due to genetics, lifestyle, biological factors, or social determinants of health, some people are at increased risk for stroke and, in some cases, lack adequate screening to identify risk. Some people are not getting it,” said Cheryl Bushnell. M.D., professor and associate director of research in the Department of Neurology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, said in a news release. Bushnell chairs the group that created the new guidelines.
“These guidelines are important because new discoveries have been made since the last update 10 years ago,” she continued. “By understanding which people are at high risk for first stroke and providing support to maintain heart and brain health, we can prevent first stroke.”
Jose Morales, M.D., a vascular neurologist and neurointerventional surgeon at Providence St. John’s Health Center in California, also emphasized the importance of primary stroke prevention and said the guidelines were long overdue. Morales was not involved in developing the new guidelines.
“A focus on equitable access to care, social determinants of health, and gender-specific recommendations are important additions to guiding clinical practice based on evidence,” he said in the Health told Line.
These drugs are approved by federal regulators to treat obesity or type 2 diabetes, and clinical trials have shown they may improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of stroke.
Chen said including new topics such as weight loss drugs in the new guidelines is an important step.
“These updated guidelines also incorporate an important new class of drugs (GLP-1 agonists) that have been shown to be highly effective in treating the same risk factors for stroke,” Chen said. said.
One of the most important things you can do to prevent stroke is to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.
New guidelines urge people to strictly adhere to a Mediterranean diet. This diet focuses on the eating habits of people living along the Mediterranean Sea.
The plan encourages people to eat more fruits and vegetables, as well as legumes, nuts, seeds and heart-healthy fats. Avoid processed foods, added sugars, and refined grains. It also recommends limiting alcohol consumption.
“Risk factors for stroke vary by age, gender, genetics, comorbidities, and even medications. Therefore, prescribing appropriate lifestyle interventions requires examining not only the fundamental risk factors but also secondary factors. “I think it’s essential to offer screening,” said Christine Kirkpatrick, MS RDN, a dietitian in the Department of Health and Preventive Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. . Kirkpatrick was not involved in the new guidelines.
“For my patients, I often recommend the Mediterranean pattern, but then I work with them to evaluate adjustments to that pattern,” she told Healthline.
“For example, for someone with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, I might focus on a more modest carbohydrate version of the medical diet. For a patient with high blood pressure, I might focus on a lower-sodium There may be further counseling from a perspective, but the most important factor may be an overall focus on a more plant-friendly approach that limits ultra-processed foods, sugar, refined grains, and excess alcohol. ” Kirkpatrick continued.
“I also recommend nutrigenomics testing for my patients so they can get a truly personalized prevention approach based on their genetics,” she said.
The guidelines recommend that health professionals screen patients for sedentary behavior and advise them to engage in regular exercise.
As noted in an ASA news release, physical activity is “essential for stroke risk reduction and overall heart health.”
The CDC recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week. The practice should be done throughout the week.
Regular exercise can help improve indicators such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, inflammatory markers, insulin resistance, and overall body weight.
“A combination of both aerobic and anaerobic exercise is essential to focus on both muscle retention (and growth) and cardiovascular health. Flexibility is also an important factor,” says Kirkpatrick. said.
Untreated high blood pressure, also known as high blood pressure, can cause artery damage and ultimately increase your risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular problems.
A common way to diagnose high blood pressure is to measure blood pressure.
Causes of high blood pressure include family history, smoking, and high intake of caffeine, alcohol, and salt. Lack of exercise and obesity may also be contributing factors.
In addition to regular check-ups, the guidelines ask health care professionals to ensure that patients at risk for high blood pressure eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
“Over the past decade, we have become more aware of the need to manage lifestyle-related cardiometabolic risk factors such as hypertension, overweight/obesity, cholesterol, and glycemic control.” says Chen.
Healthy sleep is listed in both the new guidelines and Life’s Essential 8 as a key factor in reducing stroke risk and promoting heart health.
The CDC estimates that more than 30% of U.S. adults are sleep deprived.
The CDC recommends that adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night. It is also not recommended to get more than 9 hours of sleep each night.
“Adequate and consistent sleep, mindfulness, and taking steps to reduce exposure to pollution will also be other factors,” Kirkpatrick said.
CDC officials added that from 2019 to 2020, stroke-related costs in the United States were $56 billion. These costs include medical services, medications, and absenteeism.
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off or when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures. The blockage or rupture prevents blood and oxygen from reaching brain tissue.
Symptoms of stroke include:
Numbness or weakness in the arms, face, or legs. Difficulty speaking or understanding others Vision problems Dizziness Sudden headache
Medical experts say the sooner a stroke is diagnosed and treated, the better the chances of survival and recovery.
They recommend that those caring for someone suspected of having a stroke adhere to a check system with the acronym BE-FAST. This represents:
Balance: Do you have trouble standing? Eyes: Do you have vision problems? Face: Does one side of your face droop? Arms: Can you raise your arms? Speech: Speech is slurred and difficult to understand? Are you having difficulty? Time: If you have any of the symptoms listed above, please call 911.
The American Stroke Association has updated its guidelines on stroke risk reduction for the first time since 2014.
In its recommendations, the association urges medical professionals to more carefully screen patients for risk factors such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, obesity and high blood sugar levels.
The new stroke guidelines also highlight stroke factors specific to women and transgender women.
The ASA also highlights the benefits of GLP-1 drugs for heart health and urges to raise awareness about the health risks of poor diet, sedentary behavior, obesity and lack of adequate sleep. .
