Got (low-fat) milk?

Got milk?

New research shows a potential link between reducing stroke with and low-fat diary products. Now, that's not a huge surprise, but consider it as a gentle reminder about diet and stroke risk. A few sentences of the MedPage article:

The more low-fat dairy consumed, the lower the ischemic stroke risk (P=0.03 for trend), Susanna C. Larsson, PhD, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues reported in the July issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

In the dairy-loving Swedish population they examined, the highest consumers of low-fat dairy -- with a median four servings a day, along with more than five full-fat portions -- were 12% less likely to have a stroke after adjustment for a full range of other factors than were those with no consumption.

Full-fat milk, cream, and cheese didn't help, but didn't hurt either in the analysis of the prospective, population-based cohorts.

'Run and not grow weary'

[B]ut those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.

-Isaiah 40:31

You've seen these words before in this blog. But I can't resist for a repeater for this one.

Not long ago, due to months of recovering from a non-stroke-related back injury, I ran slowly and, sometimes, with a little pain.

Just last month, I finished the first half-marathon (13.1 miles) that I've run in more than a year.

So to celebrate the real reason why I accomplished this, why not repeat these words? God did renew my strength. I did complete - albeit slowly - and was able to enjoy the rest of the day with family. Not weary. Not faint.

Thanks be to God. Place your hope in God.

We're all one in several billion

Interesting article was caught in my Google alert about the increasing number of different therapy techniques notes, wisely, that each stroke patient is unique and needs a special approach for best outcome. The article, in McKnight's Long Term Care News, focused on long-term care patients, but the same is true for us all:

Determining the best therapy approach isn't easy because each stroke incident, degree of impairment, rate of recovery and overall outcome is as unique as the residents themselves. Treatment approaches, too, are anything but one-size-fits-all. The good news is an ever-growing array of stroke-recovery therapies and supplemental — and, in some cases, experimental — practices are allowing therapists to add some new and promising treatment approaches to their arsenal.

“We know that the brain has a remarkable ability to regain lost function, and we also know that the route each person can take toward recovery can be very different. What works for one person might not provide the same result in another, and the goals and priorities will also differ from one person to the next, which is why therapy must be tailored to each individual,” says Jan Davis, MS, OTR/L, president and founder of International Clinical Educators Inc. She's also the spokeswoman for the American Occupational Therapy Association on issues related to stroke rehabilitation.

More cigarette problems

We all know that smoking is unhealthy and is a known contributor to stroke risk.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently launched an effort to reduce smoking, including the poignant image of a woman who is a former smoker and stroke survivor with profound physical problems.

Now, there's even more news about recent research showing that smoking menthol cigarettes are especially tied to stroke:

People who smoke menthol cigarettes were more likely to have a history of stroke than smokers who prefer regular cigarettes, an analysis of federal health survey data indicated.

"These results highlight the need for further review of the last legally allowed tobacco additive in North America, given that mentholated cigarettes may be placing individuals at even greater risk of potentially devastating cerebrovascular disease than regular cigarettes," Vozoris wrote.

'Cast all your anxiety on him'

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

-1 Peter 5:6-7

We've all experienced it - anxiety. Work. Marriage. Health. Children. Parents. The list goes on and on.

Stroke patients, too, can become consumed with anxiety. It's often uncertain exactly what the future will bring. Each human brain is unique, and therefore an individual's response to treatment, therapy and surgery is not guaranteed.

That being said, we have a place where we can place our anxiety, our fears and our worries. Take your issues to the one who has seen it all and can help remove your anxiety and fill you with hope.

Accept his love and hope. He will see you through.