UNITED STATES – October 22, 2024 – The American Stroke Association (ASA), a division of the American Heart Association, has recently updated its guidelines for the prevention of stroke for the first time in 10 years. There are new recommendations for screening and prevention, for medication to reduce risk factors, for diet (the Mediterranean diet) and for screening people at-risk due to sex, race, economic instability, poor health care access, unstable housing and racism.
According to the CDC, stroke was the #4 cause of death in 2023 and a leading cause of disability in the United States. More than 600 hundred thousand Americans have their first stroke every year. The leading risk factors are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity and diabetes. The ASA feels that as many as 80% of strokes can be prevented with a program of adequate exercise, proper diet and identification and treatment of risk factors.
A stroke is a brain injury that may result in permanent damage, disability or death. The brain can be deprived of blood when a blood clot or an atherosclerotic plaque blocks the flow or when a blood vessel within the brain ruptures or leaks. Oxygen-deprived brain cells may die within minutes. Our brain is divided into regions that are responsible for specific functions like motor activity, memory, thinking, emotions, speaking and breathing. If one of these regions is deprived of blood, then the body may be unable to function as it should.
A stroke is a medical emergency that requires prompt treatment to reduce the risk of permanent damage. The pneumonic BE FAST can help you recognize the signs of stroke: B for loss of balance, E for eye changes, F for face drooping, A for arm weakness, S for speech difficulty, and T for time to call 911 to get medical help.
You can reduce the risk of having a major stroke by following these recommendations from the American Stroke Association:
- Manage high blood pressure including women at-risk due to pregnancy, early menopause or on birth control medicine
- Control cholesterol level, blood sugar and body weight
- Be active
- Eat the proper foods
- Don’t smoke
- Take your medicine
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org