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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : April 10, 2020 11:21 AM IST
जानें, कैसे काम करता है आपका दिमाग
It's never too late, runs the saying. Now, a new study says that women in their 50s have a chance to reduce the risk of getting a stroke. Yes, if you are a woman in your middle ages, then it may not be very late for you to make slight lifestyle changes and keep the risk of stroke at bay. The changes include quitting smoking, daily exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and making healthy food choices, finds the new study published in American Stroke Association.
The study reveals that women are more likely to get a stroke attach than men which either leads to death. It also, leads to poor health and limited physical function. The average age at which a woman experiences her first stroke is 75 years. This led the researchers to theorize that making slight mid-life changes might help the women in reducing the risk of stroke.
In an interview with IANS, lead author of the study, Goodarz Danaei from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston, US, said, "We found that changing to a healthy lifestyle, even in your 50s, still has the potential to prevent strokes. Women who made lifestyle modifications in middle-age reduced their long-term risk of total stroke by nearly a quarter and ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, by more than one-third." To reach this conclusion, experts analysed the Nurses' Health Study, which
comprises of health information on nearly 60,000 women who enrolled at an average age of 52 and continued in the study for an average of 26 years. The researchers studied the impact that quitting smoking, exercising for at least 30 minutes, regular and gradual weight loss had on stroke, if women were overweight. It also studied the impact of making dietary changes in your lifestyle which includes eating more fish, nuts, whole grains, fruits and vegetables and less red meat. They also studies the effect of two other factors--avoiding processed meat and drinking less alcohol on the risk of stroke. During the 26-year follow-up, the researchers found that 4.7 per cent of women who had no lifestyle interventions got a stroke of any type; 2.4 per cent had an ischemic stroke, and 0.7 per cent had a hemorrhagic stroke. Engaging in the three non-dietary interventions -- smoking cessation, daily exercise and weight loss -- was estimated to reduce the risk of total stroke by 25 per cent and ischemic stroke by 36 per cent. Sustained dietary modifications were estimated to reduce the risk of total stroke by 23 per cent. Researchers also found that increasing fish and nut intake in your diet and reducing the intake of unprocessed red meat appeared to have positive impacts on reducing stroke risk. This was an observational study which included mostly white and middle-aged women. Danaei was quoted saying, "We also estimate that exercising 30 minutes or more daily may reduce the risk of stroke by 20 per cent."
As already mentioned, lifestyle changes, even after age 50 can help you reduce the risk of stroke. Here are some other measures that can help you do the same.
Having high levels of blood pressure may double your chances of stroke risk. Therefore, treat it by reducing salt in your diet and by avoiding high-cholesterol foods, such as burgers, cheese etc.
Having high blood sugar can damage your blood vessels over time and can make clots more likely to form inside them. Keep a check on your diet, exercise more, and have proper medicines to keep your blood sugar levels intact.
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat form that leads to clots formation in your heart. These clots can then travel to the brain and create a stroke. Consult your doctor if you feel symptoms like heart palpitations or shortness of breath.
(With inputs from IANS)
