Beware of stroke

Stroke (also known as cerebrovascular accident) often occurs suddenly, without warning and spares no one.

As the name of the disease suggests, a stroke can cause a normal person to suddenly collapse, fall into a coma, even lead to death or face disability. This means that the disease does not spare anyone - whether they are high-ranking leaders, businessmen, the rich or farmers, poor workers...

Brain stroke - life in seconds

Why is a stroke so dangerous? According to Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Anh Nhi, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Neurology Association, a stroke often appears suddenly and leaves very serious consequences. Information presented at the 2014 Asia Pacific Stroke Conference also shows that every 45 seconds, at least one person in the world has a stroke and every 3 minutes, one person dies from this disease.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer, and the leading cause of disability. When a stroke occurs, a person's life can be measured in seconds.

In Vietnam, the number of stroke patients hospitalized is constantly increasing, each year there are about 200,000 new stroke patients, about 50% of whom die. More than 90% of stroke survivors suffer from motor sequelae, hemiplegia, memory loss, etc.

If in 2005, People's Hospital 115 (HCMC) received 1,210 stroke patients, in 2013 this number increased to 7,923 patients. At the Neurology Department of Cho Ray Hospital, out of 650 people admitted to the hospital, 400 had a stroke.

Because of the ever-increasing reality of the disease as well as the severe consequences that patients must bear after a stroke, many medical experts have determined that stroke is a silent killer.

Free radicals cause atherosclerotic plaques to appear, causing blockages and ruptures that cause strokes.

Stroke patient identification

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Anh Nhi, a stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, causing blood to spill into the spaces around brain cells.

Elderly people, people with a history of high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, stress, insomnia, alcohol and tobacco abuse... are at high risk of stroke. According to a recent study, high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke by 4-6 times. Diabetes increases the risk of stroke by 3 times.

Cerebral stroke is more common in people with high blood pressure and atherosclerosis because atherosclerosis narrows the arteries, obstructing blood flow, making blood vessels easily blocked, and can even rupture, leading to cerebral hemorrhage and stroke, threatening the patient's life.

A study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (USA) also showed that people who are stressed and anxious have a high risk of stroke. If the anxiety level increases by one level compared to the standard, the risk of stroke increases by 14%, if it increases by four levels, the risk of stroke increases by 33%.

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Anh Nhi analyzed that the stress and pressure in modern life, insomnia, alcohol abuse, tobacco, fast food... produce a lot of toxic free radicals. In 1954, Dr. Denham Harman (Berkeley University, California, USA) was the first scientist to announce the dangers of free radicals.

They attack and cause more than 100 diseases in the body, of which the brain is the most severely attacked part. The results of this research from the perspective of molecular cell biology have helped scientists more clearly identify the origin of this condition.

Recent studies have shown that free radicals attack and damage the endothelium of blood vessels, making the vessel walls less smooth, creating favorable conditions for the appearance of atherosclerotic plaques, narrowing the lumen of blood vessels, making blood flow difficult, and causing cerebral ischemia. At the same time, when atherosclerotic plaques break off the vessel wall, they will bind to blood cells and other factors to form blood clots that can get stuck in many locations in the cerebral blood vessels, causing blockages, or even ruptures, leading to strokes.

Stroke prevention solutions

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Anh Nhi noted that if the disease-causing factors are limited, the risk of stroke will be reduced by 80%. Therefore, each person needs to have regular health check-ups and actively treat risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, overweight, obesity, etc.

In addition, to prevent stroke, it is necessary to have a reasonable diet (limit fat, sweet, sugar, starch, foods high in salt and fish sauce; eat lots of vegetables, tubers, fruits), exercise regularly (walk, jog, cycle... 30-60 minutes a day, 4-5 times a week); do light work within your capacity, limit alcohol, do not smoke. Pay attention to ensure the quality and duration of sleep, avoid excessive agitation or stress.

In addition, it is necessary to protect the vascular wall from the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which is considered a sustainable and safe solution to prevent stroke and control cerebral ischemia. Recent research results by American scientists have shown that natural biological active ingredients Anthocyanin, Pterostilbene from Blueberry (originated in North America) have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, neutralize free radicals, reduce atherosclerosis and effectively prevent thrombosis, which is one of the effective methods to prevent stroke.

However, experts also recommend early prevention to maximize the effectiveness of these free radical fighting active ingredients.

According to VnExpress