Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Research shows that a low-risk lifestyle can substantially reduce the risk of stroke, especially cerebral infarction.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Americans, with 795,000 strokes expected to occur in 2010, causing about 137,000 deaths. Stroke is expected to cost our healthcare system $73.7 billion in 2010. While 55,000 more women than men have a stroke each year, African Americans have almost twice the risk of first-ever stroke compared with whites (1).
Now a new study (2) has started to identify certain lifestyle factors that may affect stroke risk in women. In the study, 31,696 women free from cardiovascular disease and cancer before participating in the Swedish Mammography Cohort (3) completed questionnaires about their diet (4) and lifestyle. The researchers defined “a low-risk lifestyle” based on 5 lifestyle factors from previous research (5, 6) as:
- A healthy diet, defined as top 50% of a Recommended Food Score (7, 8)
- Moderate alcohol consumption (5-15 g/d)
- Never smoking
- Physically active (walking/bicycling ≥40 minutes/day and exercise ≥1 hour/week) (9)
- Body mass index below 25 kg/m2. (10)
After an average of 10.4 years of follow-up, the researchers found that compared with those who followed none of the low-risk lifestyle factors, the risk of a type of stroke called a “cerebral infarction” decreased by 28% if they followed 1 lifestyle factor, 33% if they followed 2 factors, 43% for 3 factors, 46% for 4 factors, and 62% if they followed for following all 5 factors (p < 0.05). For all types of stroke, risk was reduced by 23% if they followed 1 lifestyle factor, 24% if they followed 2 factors, 35% for 3 factors, 40% for 4 factors, and 54% if they followed for following all 5 factors (p < 0.05).
While smoking was the lifestyle factor most strongly associated with total stroke and cerebral infarction, no reduced risk was seen between any lifestyle factors and a type of stroke called hemorrhagic stroke.
For the researchers, “These findings indicate that a low-risk lifestyle can substantially reduce the risk of stroke, especially cerebral infarction.”
Source: Larsson, Susanna C., Agneta Åkesson, and Alicja Wolk. “Healthy diet and lifestyle and risk of stroke in a prospective cohort of women.” Neurology 83, no. 19 (2014): 1699-1704.
Copyright © 2014, American Academy of Neurology
References:
- American Heart Association Update. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2007 Update. Circulation. 2007;115:e69- e171
- Larsson SC. Healthy diet and lifestyle and risk of stroke in a prospective cohort of women. Neurology 2014 Oct 8. pii: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000954. [Epub ahead of print]
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- Åkesson A, Weismayer C, Newby PK, Wolk A. Combined effect of low-risk dietary and lifestyle behaviors in primary prevention of myocardial infarction in women. Arch Intern Med 2007;167:2122–2127
- Lichtenstein AH, Appel LJ, Brands M, et al. Diet and lifestyle recommendations revision 2006: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Circulation 2006;114:82–96
