Key facts about stroke
A stroke (or "brain attack") takes place when the blood fails to circulate to the brain. A few minutes without oxygen and important nutrients from the blood can damage or kill affected brain cells. In some cases, cell damage can be repaired and some lost skills regained but the death of brain cells is permanent.
Most strokes are caused by a blood clot or narrowing of a blood vessel (artery) leading to the brain while the other are caused by hemorrhage (bleeding) from an artery. Strokes are divided into three major types: * Thrombotic strokes are caused by fatty deposits (plaques) that have built up in the arteries carrying blood to the brain, which slows blood flow and can cause clots to form on the plaques that narrow or block the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. * Embolic stroke is caused by a blood clot formed in another part of the body that breaks loose, travels through the bloodstream, and blocks an artery carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Embolus is the blood clot that travels through the body. * Hemorrhagic stroke is caused when an artery supplying blood bleeds into the brain. The broken blood vessel prevent the oxygen and nutrients from reaching brain cells. One type of hemorrhagic stroke is caused when an artery that has weakened overtime bulges (called an aneurysm) and suddenly bursts.
A stroke is a single, damaging attack but the conditions or risk factors that lead to a stroke such as high blood pressure, smoking, heart disease and diabetes develop over many years. The National Institute of Aging (www.nih.gov) suggest some steps to reduce your stroke risk: * Control your blood pressure * Stop smoking * Exercise regularly * Eat a healthy diet * Control your diabetes
A healthy diet containing foods low in fats, saturated fatty acids and cholesterol may help you reduce the stroke risks. The American Heart Association (AHA) Diet spells out an easy-to- follow guide to start a low-saturated fat (including cutting down on coconut milk), low cholesterol eating program in www.deliciousdecisions.org: * Total fat intake should be no more than 30 percent of the total calories and your saturated fatty acid intake should be less than 10 percent of calories. * Buy lean cuts of meat and trim off any visible fat before cooking. Also, before cooking poultry, remove the skin. * Add fish to your diet. * Eat a meatless meal at least once a week. * Enjoy pasta, rice, bread and cereal. They're low in fat and rich in nutrients. * Used cooking methods that require little or no fat like boil, broil, bake, roast, poach, steam, saute, stir-fry or microwave. * Limit yourself to no more than three to four egg yolks a week. * Try substituting two egg whites for one whole egg in baked good recipes. * Substitute fat-free milk, low-fat cheeses and low-fat and nonfat yogurt for their high-fat counterparts. * Instead of using butter and sauces, add new flavor to vegetables with herbs and seasonings. * Try fruits and low-fat cookies and cakes instead of gooey, high-fat desserts. * Watch out for frostings and sauces! They're hidden sources of fat.