Tag: stroke

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Lifestyle factors that make you prone to stroke

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Dr Levin Damisah, a Public Health Physician, has listed the lifestyle factors that make one prone to stroke.

According to him, they include high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, high blood cholesterol levels, heavy drinking, high salt, high fat diet and lack of exercise.

says eating healthful meals, snacks and drinks, in addition to other healthy lifestyle choices can help prevent stroke.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, Damisah described stroke as a damage to the brain, as a result of interruption of blood supply.

“Stroke is a medical emergency resulting from blockage or interruption of blood supply to areas of the brain.

“Symptoms of stroke include trouble walking, speaking and understanding, as well as paralysis or numbness of the face, arm or leg.

“Early treatment with medication like tPA (clot buster) can minimise brain damage, while other treatments focus on limiting complications and preventing additional strokes,” he said.

Damisah further told NAN that certain lifestyle choices should be inculcated, to prevent stroke or to keep survivors alive much longer.

“Stroke can be avoided if proper precautions such as regular use of Blood Pressure medications for people diagnosed with hypertension, adopting healthy lifestyle, regular exercises and adequate sleep.

“Good and sustained blood pressure control, is key to preventing stroke,” he added.

He said that keeping a healthy weight, getting regular physical activity, abstinence from smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, checking cholesterol and controlling blood pressure, were habits that should be embraced to avoid the disease.

He noted that stroke was a fairly common disease in Nigeria that used to be known to affect only people who were advanced in age, or the aging, but that it was no longer the case.

“Stroke is commonly associated with aged people, but in recent times younger people have begun to get hypertensive and obese too.

“These combined risk factors predispose younger people to develop stroke also.

“Sickle Cell disease is also a known cause of stroke in the youngsters, but not common,” he said.

NAN reports that stroke could lead to long-term health challenges.

However, depending on the speed of the diagnosis and treatment, a patient could experience temporary or permanent disabilities, after a stroke.

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How to prevent recurrent stroke — Study

Nearly one-third of patients with stroke of unknown cause have heart rhythm disorder that can be treated to prevent another stroke, says a Nordic Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke study

The study presented at the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) 2022 Scientific Congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) was posted on ESC website on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EHRA congress is underway from April 3 to April 5 at the Bella Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark and online.

The Nordic Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke (NOR-FIB) study examined the ability of continuous heart rhythm monitoring for one year with an implanted device to identify atrial fibrillation in patients with an ischaemic stroke or mini-stroke (transient ischaemic attack; TIA) of unknown aetiology.

The study author, Dr Barbara Ratajczak-Tretel of Østfold Hospital Trust, Sarpsborg, Norway, said that more than 90 per cent of stroke patients found to have atrial fibrillation had no symptoms of the heart rhythm disorder.

“For many patients, atrial fibrillation would have gone undiagnosed and untreated without continuous monitoring, putting them at risk of another stroke,” she said.

Ratajczak-Tretel said that most strokes are ischaemic, meaning a blockage stops blood flow to the brain.

According to her, the cause of one in four ischaemic strokes is undetermined.

“The best therapy to prevent another stroke depends on the underlying cause.

“Those with atrial fibrillation should receive oral anticoagulants but a definitive diagnosis is needed before these drugs can be prescribed. Atrial fibrillation can be transient and asymptomatic making it difficult to detect,” she said.

She said that the observational study included 259 patients with no documented history of atrial fibrillation from 18 centres in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

According to her, all patients received a cardiac monitor, which was implanted a median of nine days after the stroke or TIA.

She said the device was one-third the size of a AAA battery and was inserted subcutaneously over the heart under local anaesthesia.

Ratajczak-Tretel noted that data from the device were transmitted automatically through a secure network to a core lab of two neurologists and two cardiologists and evaluated once a week.

“When atrial fibrillation lasting at least two minutes was detected, the core lab contacted the patient’s physician who then prescribed oral anticoagulants. Patients were followed up for 12 months,” she said.

She said that during the 12-month monitoring period, 74 patients were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, of whom 93 per cent were asymptomatic.

Ratajczak-Tretel said that oral anticoagulation was recommended for all patients with atrial fibrillation and at 12 months, 72 of 74 patients were on this therapy.

She said that during follow-up, two strokes occurred in the atrial fibrillation group (both before the first atrial fibrillation episode was detected and anticoagulation initiated).

According to her, nine occured in patients without atrial fibrillation, noting that the difference is not statistically significant.

“In this study, we found that an implantable cardiac monitor was effective for diagnosing underlying atrial fibrillation, which was identified in 29 per cent of patients with a stroke or TIA of indeterminate cause.

“As the probable cause of the stroke or TIA was detected, these patients were able to start oral anticoagulation.
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“Atrial fibrillation was asymptomatic in most cases and may not have been detected or treated without continuous monitoring,” she said.

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Physician links diabetes to kidney failure, stroke

Prof. Olufemi Fasanmade, a Consultant Endocrinologist, on Tuesday, said diabetes mellitus remained a leading cause of cardiovascular – heart and blood vessels – diseases.

Fasanmade made this known in the 2022 SUNU Health Maintenance Organisation first quarter health webinar with the theme: “Diabetes Mellitus, A Public Health Concern: Prevention and Current Treatment.”

Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder in which the body fails to produce enough or respond normally to insulin, leading to abnormally high level of blood sugar (glucose).

According to Fasanmade, 50 to 60 per cent of people with diabetes die of cardiovascular disease, while 44 per cent of kidney failure cases are observed in patients with diabetes.

He said that 60 per cent of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations occurred in diabetes patients who were more than 20 (> 20) years old.

He also said that 16 per cent of people aged above 65 years with diabetes die of stroke and 29 per cent of people with diabetes aged more than 40 years have diabetes retinopathy.

Retinopathy is the disease of the retina which results in impairment or loss of vision.

He said that diabetes mellitus had no single cause but there were several risk factors that could cause the disease, which could either be hereditary or acquired factors.

The consultant added that risk factors to the development of diabetes included excess calories, western diets of refine foods, sedentary lifestyle, obesity and strong family history of the disease.

Other risk factors are smoking; excessive alcohol consumption; hypertension; poor sleep; stress; and anxiety.

He noted that “diabetes mellitus causes blindness, stroke, limb amputation, kidney failure, early loss of teeth, among others.

“Other symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination and thirst, poor vision, poor erection, weight loss in spite of good appetite, painful feet and legs, fatigue, frequent boils and unhealing wounds,” he said.

Fasanmade also said that diabetes mellitus could be prevented through healthy and active lifestyle, including good traditional diet (of cereals, nuts, complex carbohydrates and vegetables).

He said that prevention also included loss of weight if overweight, quitting smoking, alcohol consumption, soft drinks and concentrated fruit juices.

He noted that treatment options could be in three categories – exercise and diet; exercise, diet and tablets; or exercise, diet, tablets and injections.

According to him, diabetes education and medications are required to control diabetes mellitus and prevention is mainly by lifestyle changes.

Dr Patrick Korie, the Managing Director, SUNU Health Nigeria Limited, said that the organisation’s mission was to provide prompt and quality healthcare services at the most cost effective price.

Korie said that health education, a very important aspect of preventive medicine, was a cost effective way of ensuring the health of the populace.

He added that “prevention is always better than cure and at SUNU Health, humanity is the centre of our initiatives.

“Ensuring the health of human beings is our business, anchored on the provision of quality access to healthcare, including health education.”

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13 million people at risk of stroke worldwide – NMA

Use professional channels to address medical negligence, malpractice — NMA
NMA

The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) says about 13 million people globally are at risk of stroke.

Prof. Baba Issa, the Chairman of Kwara Branch of the association, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Ilorin.

A copy of the statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) says the alert was in commemoration of the World Stroke Day.

It said: “13.7 million people worldwide will have their first stroke this year, and five and a half million will die as a result”.

It explained that the day is commemorated every Oct. 29, which was globally established by the World Stroke Organisation (WSO), to increase awareness and drive action on the disease around the world, as it has already reached epidemic.

According to the NMA, one in four adults over the age of 25 will have a stroke in their lifetime.

It noted that current trends suggest that the number of annual deaths will climb to 6.7 million annually without appropriate action.

“Stroke is leading cause of death and disability globally with 116 million years of healthy life lost each year to the disease.

“It disproportionately affects individuals living in resource-poor countries. From 2000 to 2008, the overall stroke incidence rates in low- to middle-income countries exceeded that of incidence rates seen in high-income countries by 20 percent,” the statement read in part.

The association observed that two out of every three people who suffer from a stroke live in low- and middle-income countries.

It described stroke as a condition where the blood supply to the brain is disrupted, resulting in oxygen starvation, brain damage and loss of function of parts of the body controlled by the affected parts of the brain.

“One of the main disease processes leading to stroke is atherosclerosis. It is most frequently caused by a clot in an artery supplying blood to the brain, a situation known as ischemia.

“It can also be caused by hemorrhage (bleeding) when a burst vessel causes blood to leak into the brain,” it said.

The NMA stated that stroke can cause permanent damage, including partial paralysis and impairment in speech, comprehension and memory.

It noted that the extent and location of the damage determines the severity of the stroke, which can range from minimal to catastrophic.

The association listed the types of stroke to include Ischemic or Haemorrhagic Stroke.

“There are many other risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes, tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, atrial fibrillation, raised blood lipid levels, obesity, male gender, genetic disposition and psychological factors.”

The professional body pointed out that among symptoms of the disease is that a patient suddenly have trouble with balance or coordination, experience sudden blurred or double vision, droopy face and arm weakness.

It therefore advised anyone experiencing any of the symptoms to seek medical help, adding that management of stroke is multidisciplinary.

“Individuals and groups should pay attention to their health particularly the blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids and they should be active always and report conditions of their health to their doctors.

“Some countries have specialised hospitals for stroke, and even in Nigeria some hospitals have specialised units for stroke.

“In Kwara, the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital has such specialised unit and it has improved the care of stroke.

“The Kwara State General Hospital, Ilorin, equally has Neurologists that can handle stroke and is about having a specialised unit as soon as the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is completed,” it noted.

The NMA also warned that stroke cannot be treated in spiritual homes or traditional clinics as it is not caused by witches.

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Vital things you should know about stroke

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troke is a condition that occurs when part of the brain loses blood supply, causing part of the body that the injured brain controls to stop working.

As the globe celebrates World Stroke Day on Oct. 29, annually marked to raise awareness on the health challenge, there is the need to note the risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes, among others, and know the symptoms so as to act fast, as experts emphasise the essence of prompt intervention to tackle the condition.

Also called Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA), there are three types of stroke, namely — Ischemic Stroke, where part of the body loses blood flow, Hemorrhagic stroke, where bleeding occurs in the brain, or Mini-Stroke, where symptoms resolve within minutes or take up to 24 hours to clear.

The symptoms of stroke include sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.

Some other symptoms are: sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech, sudden trouble seeing
in one or both eyes, or sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.

From the onset of stroke symptoms, also known as “Brain Attack’’, there is only a three to four-and half hour window to use clot-busting drugs (thrombolytics) to try to restore blood supply to affected part of the brain.

People at risk for stroke include those who have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and those who smoke.

Others are people with heart rhythm disturbances, especially atrial fibrillation.

Stroke is diagnosed through the patient’s symptoms, history, blood and imaging tests.

Depending on the situation, including the patient’s neurologic examination and severity of stroke, mechanical thrombectomy to remove a blood clot in a brain artery may occur up to 24 hours after onset of symptoms, a procedure that is not available at all hospitals and not appropriate for all stroke patients.

Consequently, one can quit smoking to prevent stroke, control blood pressure, maintain healthy weight, eat healthy diet and exercise regularly.

This is because recovery for a person that has suffered a stroke depends on the location of the injury to the brain, therefore, always remember the acronym — FAST — if you think someone is having a stroke: F for Face drooping, A for Arm weakness, S for speech difficulty and T for Time to call 911.

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NEWS & LIFE

Egg Day: An egg per day reduces heart disease, stroke — Nutritionist

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Eggs

Eniola Olorundare

A Nutritionist, Dr Bose Makanjuola, says eating an egg a day can reduce one’s chances of developing heart disease and stroke.

Makanjuola, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the celebration of World Egg Day.

She added that consumption of an egg per day could also help to ensure a healthy life.

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According to her, eggs are healthy for humans and should form part of people’s diet provided they are eaten in moderation.

She added that eggs could improve the body mechanisms provided they were prepared in a healthy way.

“It can be prepared either boiled, poached, baked or scrambled with healthy oils and paired with healthy foods.

“Eggs are nutritious; so people shouldn’t be scared of taking them.

“Claims that eggs contribute to high levels of cholesterol in the body has been debunked by thorough scientific research so people should feel free to enjoy their eggs.

“Eggs contain good quality protein; they have all the essential amino acids necessary for humans in the right proportions.

“They are good for the eyes because they contain some antioxidants (lutein and zeaxanthin) which can guard against macular degeneration and cataract.

“They keep cholesterol (the bad type) in check, they sharpen the memory because they contain choline, a nutrient that promotes brain health,” she said.

According to her, eggs can boost the body’s immunity because they contain vitamins and minerals necessary to keep the body healthy.

The nutritionist explained that egg could also ensure good skin health because of selenium contained in it.

Also, Dr Johnson Olupona, Animal Scientist at the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Ibadan, said marking the 25th anniversary of World Egg Day celebration “is an attestation of the power of eggs.”

According to him, the theme for this year’s celebration, ‘Eggs for all: Nature’s Perfect Package,’ was to emphasise the need to eat an egg today and everyday.

According to the animal scientist, egg is an incredible nutrient powerhouse which can improve the human brain and child growth.

“It has positive nutritional and environmental impacts which include sustainability and affordability of animal protein source, advancing physical growth and body’s natural immune system.

“It also has low environmental footprint,” he said.

Olupona advised people to eat at least one egg per day because of its nutritional benefits, particularly for children and for farmers to increase their egg production output.

“Egg contains 13 different vitamins and minerals that have the capacity to directly improve human health.

“There is no taboo or disease attached to its consumption except if it is not properly prepared,” he said.

A poultry farmer, Mr John Olateru, said that the poultry industry, particularly egg production, was a major source of cheap protein for humans and source of employment for the people.

According to him, through egg production and poultry value chains, his income and livelihood improved tremendously up till last year when the industry faced challenges of feed production.

“Seventy-five per cent of our cost of operations, the major components of feed is maize and soya, the prices of these commodities have seriously gone up which had really affected the farmers and industry.

“No more profits in the business, farms are being closed because we cannot sustain it anymore,” he said.

Olateru urged the government to formulate strong policies that could remove middlemen, whose activities of hoarding, were responsible for price hike the product and other food items.

He called for the speedy inauguration of the Abuja Commodity Exchange board that would be vested with the responsibility of regulating prices of commodities.

“The government should empower the board urgently so that they can start work, we want the board to be transparent and release commodities to people anywhere in the country at its given price,” he said.