Does living in Arkansas (or other Stroke Belt states) guarantee a stroke? Of course not. But during Stroke Awareness Month, a reminder that taking stroke prevention measures can't start too soon.
Click here to read how teen years put the "Stroke" in "Stroke Belt":
Overall, the strongest predictor of stroke risk was the proportion of one's entire life spent in the so-called stroke belt, which encompasses much of the Southeast. After adjustment for other stroke risk factors, though, the proportion of adolescent years in the stroke belt remained the only significant predictor, increasing stroke risk by 17%.
"Our data suggest that living in the stroke belt during adolescence may contribute to the higher stroke mortality in the stroke belt, and the harmful effects associated with living in the stroke belt may be greater for black than white subjects," Virginia J. Howard, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and co-authors concluded in the April 30 issue of Neurology.
"Improvement in childhood health circumstances should be considered as part of long-term health improvement strategies.""
2 comments:
Living in the southeast for almost half my life, we are the heart attack, stroke, and cancer belt. Makes you kinda wonder why we live here besides warmer winters.
After the last winter in the Midwest, I'd settle for a few warmer ones!
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