United States: More than half a million first strokes in people would occur in the United States of America this year.
That’s why the American Stroke Association wants to equip doctors and patients with the necessary knowledge to bring that number down.
More about the news
It is the first time that the American Stroke Association, a part of the American Heart Association, has revised the Guideline for the Primary Prevention of Stroke; the new recommendations for healthcare professionals and clinicians to know how they can and should screen stroke risk, and which steps the patients might take to reduce that risk.
The latest recommendations were also published this week in the Association’s journal Stroke.
According to Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, lead author of the recommendations and vice chair of research at Wake Forest University’s School of Medicine, “The people at the highest risk of having a stroke are those who have multiple risk factors that are not well-controlled,” CNN Health reported.
“Stroke is preventable, and without the awareness of care of a provider for these risks, a stroke could be deadly or severely disabling,” Bushnell added.
Prevention of Stroke with a series of new recommendations for healthcare professionals and clinicians to screen for the risk of stroke and offer steps patients can take to cut that risk.
Moreover, the novel strategies aim to “support brain health” and help reduce the first stroke risk, referred to as primary prevention.
What more have the experts stated?
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a stroke is a condition that is caused by a blocked blood supply to the brain, which may occur when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked by a clot or bursts.
The updated guideline for 2024 and new information about the role of social and economic factors are also revealed, as well as regarding the risks that women can suffer from strokes that can be prevented.
The guidelines promote a number of positive behaviors meant to keep people away from some of the risk factors of a stroke, including obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
New developments in the guidelines reveal that GLP-1 receptor agonists, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound for weight loss and even diabetes medications, can reduce the relative risk of stroke among patients with type 2 diabetes due to weight reduction and better glycemic control, CNN Health reported.
The guidelines also suggest a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet that may help protect the heart and weight.
And just like the MIND diet demonstrates, it is possible to gorge on greens, olive oils, fish, and other natural products to cut the risk of dementia, too.
Moreover, Bushnell added, “The risks of dementia are essentially the same as the risks for stroke,” and “All of our recommendations will not only lead to better stroke prevention but also improve brain health.”