Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and adult disability, but quickly recognizing the signs of it and seeking immediate medical care from specialists can minimize the effects of the disease or even save a life, say an expert at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Stroke is no longer a disease only of the elderly. Nearly 20 percent of strokes occur in people younger than age 55, and over the past decade, the average age at stroke occurrence has dropped from 71 to 69.

Patrick D. Lyden, MD, chair of Neurology and director of the Stroke Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, has revealed “Five Sudden, Severe Symptoms,” that could signal the onset of a stroke.

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body.
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
Sudden trouble seeing on one side.
Sudden, severe difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

(more…)

A diet that includes tart cherries can provide cardiovascular benefits similar to the prescribed medications and can also reduce the risk of stroke, a new research has revealed.

A class of drugs called PPAR agonists that help regulate fat and glucose was considered promising by doctors who prescribed them for patients with metabolic syndrome – a collection of risk factors linked to heart disease and type 2.

However, studies have shown the long-term use of these drugs can also increase stroke risk, which has prevented many from securing FDA approval.

The new research from the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory suggests that tart cherries can reduce the risk of stroke even when taken with these pharmaceutical options.

The group’s previous research has shown that intake of US produced, Montmorency tartcherries activates PPAR isoforms (peroxisome proliferator activating receptors) in many of the body’s tissues.

(more…)

This creamy flavour-filled fruit is a powerhouse of nutrients. It helps fight cancer, keeps your heart healthy and can also delay aging.

Avocado, a powerhouse of nutrients!

Avocado and its nutrients:

Avocados are getting popular as your neighbourhood fruits vendor too has begun to stock them. This creamy, delicious fruit contain many essential nutrients such as folic acid, potassium, fibre, vitamin E, B-vitamins. In addition this fruit is known as a nutrient-booster as it aids better nutrient absorption.

(more…)

Adding daily green tea and coffee to your daily diet may help lower your risk of having a stroke, according to researchers.

This is the first large-scale study to examine the combined effects of both green tea and coffee on stroke risks, said Yoshihiro Kokubo, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.H.A., F.A.C.C., F.E.S.C., lead author of the study at Japan”s National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center.

“You may make a small but positive lifestyle change to help lower the risk of stroke by adding daily green tea to your diet,” Kokubo stated.

Researchers asked 83,269 Japanese adults about their green tea and coffee drinking habits, following them for an average 13 years. They found that the more green tea or coffee people drink, the lower their stroke risks.

(more…)

Stroke survivors can have a speedy recovery, with a fit and better quality of life with regular brisk walks, researchers suggest.

A three-month study found outdoor walking three times a week boosted endurance and resting heart rate, the BBC reported.

Those taking part were able to walk independently or with a cane but researchers said many stroke survivors lack energy and fear falling.

A stroke charity said other exercises could help those unable to walk.

It is not the first time researchers have looked at the impact of low-stress exercise on stroke recovery, but previous studies tested exercise equipment such as treadmills or stationery bikes.

A team from the University of the West Indies in Jamaica wanted to assess exercise that could be done by anyone anywhere.

(more…)

Consuming avocados could be associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake level, lower intake of added sugars, lower body weight, BMI and waist circumferences, higher “good cholesterol” levels and lower metabolic syndrome risk, a new study has revealed.

Specifically, the survey data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2008, of 17,567 US adults ages 19 years and older, revealed that the 347 adults (50 percent female) who consumed avocados in any amount during a 24-hour dietary recording period had several significantly better nutrient intake levels and more positive health indicators than those who did not consume avocados.

Among the avocado consumers, average daily consumption was about one half (70.1 +/- 5.4 g/day) of a medium sized avocado, somewhat higher in male avocado consumers (75.3 +/-6.3 g/day) than females (66.7 +/- 7.3 g/day).

(more…)

Drinking four cups of tea a day can reduce the risk of a stroke by more than a fifth, a new study claims.

Scientists who studied how consumption of black tea – the kind mostly drunk in the UK – related to strokes found downing at least four cups every day lowered the chances of a brain blood clot by 21 percent, the Daily Mail reported.

But drinking any less than that did not seem to have a beneficial effect.

The findings, by scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, come from a population study involving nearly 75,000 men and women.

Strokes kill around 200 people every day in the UK. Many more are left disabled and living in fear that a second or even third attack could kill them.

Around 85 percent of victims are affected by ischaemic strokes, where a clot travels to the brain and shuts off its blood supply.

(more…)

While physical activity is necessary for both men and women, there are gender-specific benefits that women need to be active, researchers say.

Scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have reported a list of benefits that should help push people, especially women, out the door and into the gym.

Men are more likely than women to meet the federal guidelines for adults of at least 2.5 hours of physical activity per week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Inactive adults have a higher risk for early death, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression and some cancers. For women, increasing research is showing exercise may help reduce breast cancer risk, says Marcas Bamman, Ph.D., director of the UAB Center for Exercise Medicine.

(more…)

Eating a moderate amount of chocolate each week may help lower risk of stroke in men, according to a new study.

Men in the study who ate the largest amount of chocolate, about one-third of a cup of chocolate chips (63 grams), had a lower risk of stroke compared to those who did not consume any chocolate.

“While other studies have looked at how chocolate may help cardiovascular health, this is the first of its kind study to find that chocolate, may be beneficial for reducing stroke in men,” said study author Susanna C. Larsson, PhD, with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

For the study, 37,103 Swedish men ages 49 to 75 were given a food questionnaire that assessed how often they consumed various foods and drinks and were asked how often they had chocolate. Researchers then identified stroke cases through a hospital discharge registry. Over 10 years, there were 1,995 cases of first stroke.

(more…)

Group yoga can improve balance in stroke survivors who no longer receive rehabilitative care, to new study has claimed.

In a small pilot study, researchers tested the potential benefits of yoga among chronic stroke survivors – those whose stroke occurred more than six months earlier.

“For people with chronic stroke, something like yoga in a group environment is cost effective and appears to improve motor function and balance,” Arlene Schmid, lead researcher of the study from Indiana University, said.

The study’s 47 participants, about three-quarters of them male veterans, were divided into three groups – twice-weekly group yoga for eight weeks, a “yoga-plus” group, which met twice weekly and had a relaxation recording to use at least three times a week, and a usual medical care group that did no rehabilitation.

(more…)