The big three stroke risk factors

Another way to look at stroke risk factors and prevention takes a look at the three biggest risk factors for a stroke:

As we've done in recent months by examining the risk factors and treatments associated with the most common types of cancer and diabetes, I propose to more closely examine the three biggest risk factors that can cause a stroke, discuss what treatment options exist, if any, to help mitigate that risk, and as always, discuss what investment potential these top treatments may have for your portfolio.

According to the CDC, there are three big factors that can lead to stroke:

Medical conditions.
Behavioral factors.
Hereditary factors.

And again - it's important to pay attention and take control where you can. The life you save might be your own.

Stroke prevention factors

So many people can reduce their stroke risk - preventing events that can cause disability or death. Check out this recent article on how your stroke risk can shrink with 7 lifestyle changes:

Certain lifestyle changes could greatly reduce your stroke risk, according to a new study.

Researchers calculated stroke risk among nearly 23,000 black and white Americans aged 45 and older. Their risk was assessed using the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 health factors: be active, control cholesterol, eat a healthy diet, manage blood pressure, maintain a healthy weight, control blood sugar and don't smoke. ...

"Compared to those with poor blood pressure status, those who were ideal had a 60 percent lower risk of future stroke," study senior author Dr. Mary Cushman, a professor of medicine at the University of Vermont in Burlington, said in a journal news release.

Note that many of the risk factors cited can be at least partially controlled. Not every stroke can be prevented. But many are preventable.

Stroke network leads to better outcomes

A story worth following - a stroke network leads to better outcomes:

Stroke care networks save lives and reduce the need for long-term care, a study of one of the largest and longest operating networks confirmed.

The networks are designed to integrate the delivery of stroke treatment across regions to optimize the chances that patients will receive timely, evidence-based therapies even if they don't live near a designated stroke center.

"After the stroke network was introduced there were clear improvements in the quality of stroke care," Kapral told MedPage Today. "More patients were treated with optimal stroke care interventions, such as thrombolysis, including clot-busting drugs, and stroke-unit care."

Here in the U.S., I've seen too many examples of uncoordinated care.

'For everything in heaven and earth is yours'

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.

-1 Chronicles 29:11

This verse from Chronicles happens to be today's verse on the blog (June 4, 2013).

It speaks to me of God's greatness and power, but also that God shares this world with us, with its glory, majesty and splendor.

On some days, those things are harder to see - we've all been in situations where we don't see the glory, majesty and splendor. Know that God is there to help you through those times, with his power and love.

(Photo from NASA; text added by author)

Hospitalized stroke patients receive worse care

I've written before about the value of showing up in an ambulance for better care. And you'd hope that once you're in the hospital, you'd be in excellent care. Now, some recently released statistics indicate that stroke patients already in the hospital receive worse care:

Stroke patients receive better care if they have their stroke outside the hospital than in the hospital. These worrisome findings come from a study based on data from the American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines program.

"Maybe the emergencies we are least prepared for are the emergencies that happen in our very own backyard," Ethan Cumbler, MD, said here at Hospital Medicine 2013. ...

Defect-free care, defined as the proportion of patients who received all of the achievement-measure interventions for which they were eligible, was significantly worse for in-hospital stroke than for community-onset stroke... .

"The gap in defect-free care was larger than I expected," Dr. Cumbler told Medscape Medical News.

This also might show the value of being an advocate for someone in the hospital.

Rising costs - yet another reason to prevent strokes

We already now that stroke is the largest cause of disability in the United States and fourth leading cause of death. Now, there's another reason to emphasize stroke prevention. MedPage Today reports that stroke costs to double by 2030, groups say:

Annual stroke-related medical costs are projected to jump from $71.6 billion in 2012 to $183.1 billion in 2030, according to a statement from the organizations in the August issue of Stroke.

Total annual costs, including the price of lost productivity, were estimated to rise 129% to $240.67 billion by 2030, Bruce Ovbiagele, MD, MSc, of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and colleagues reported in the statement. ...

"The biggest bang for buck would be primary prevention," he [Bruce Ovbiagele, MD, MSc, of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston] told MedPage Today in an interview. "We know it works but we know we have a lot of room for improvement. We could do more."

Click here for more about stroke prevention - money aside, it can save a life.

Spotting stroke signs quickly

May is Stroke Awareness Month, and I hope you will see this information multiple times - it's very important. But through my trusty Google alerts, I found a nice presentation of  signs of stroke:

"When someone has a stroke, they may show either slight or extremely noticeable physical changes," Dr. Randolph Marshall, chief of the stroke division at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, said in a hospital news release. "The most effective way to prevent the permanent damage associated with stroke is to recognize the signs of an attack and to seek medical attention immediately."

Dizziness and trouble walking, loss of vision in one or both eyes and a severe headache that comes on suddenly for no apparent reason are other signs that someone is having a stroke. Early treatment, however, can prevent or possibly reverse the damage caused by strokes. The experts advised remembering the acronym "FAST" to help people recognize a stroke sooner and reduce any long-term damage:

• F for Face: Does someone's face look uneven?
• A for Arm: Do you notice one arm hanging down?
• S for Speech: Check for slurred speech or other signs of trouble speaking.
• T for Time: Call 911 and seek immediate medical attention.

Please click on the link above and read all of it. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States, and the country's fourth largest cause of death. Taking quick action might make a huge difference.