Showing posts with label cholesterol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cholesterol. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 09, 2017

Where did your stroke happen? Geography might impact treatment

Photo from David Kessler via Flickr
Last week, the posting was about people born in the "stroke belt" region.

So for a related item, a look at cholesterol-treating drugs seem less likely to be prescribed in the stroke belt, with no statin prescribed for half of stroke survivors:
But inside the so-called Stroke Belt region, seniors were 47% less likely to be discharged on a statin, and men were 31% less likely to get a prescription for the lipid-lowering drugs than women. Neither association was seen outside the Stroke Belt.
"All survivors of ischemic stroke should be evaluated to determine whether they could benefit from a statin, regardless of the patient's age, race, sex, or geographic residence," lead author Karen Albright, PhD, DO, MPH, of the Birmingham VA Medical Center, said in a press release.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Stroke stats can be confusing - but many strokes can be prevented

News about strokes in the United States is mixed bag these days. Fewer hospitalizations. Fewer total rates. Higher rates among young people. Increases in some stroke risk factors.

And not all of those issues are answered - just speculation about, for example, why young people are seeing an increase in strokes.

One obvious item is stroke prevention, especially for those changeable lifestyle behaviors that could really reduce risk. Check out this piece about different populations and stroke prevention:

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Common sense department: Eat your vegetables, take your meds

(Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com
licensed by CC BY 3.0)
As your mother said: Eat your vegetables.

Now, here's another, from health professionals: Take your medicine.

Check out this recent research about how not taking preventive meds is linked to fatal strokes:
Patients noncompliant with their antihypertensive and statin therapies had 7.43-fold ... increased risk of stroke death compared with people adherent to both, Kimmo Herttua, PhD, of the University of Southern Denmark in Esbjerg, and colleagues reported online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Taking one of the two medications but not the other lowered their risk of fatal stroke but didn't eliminate it compared with taking both, said the investigators.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Preventable strokes and treatment - finding answers, saving lives

Photo from Pete via Flickr
I'm sold on stroke prevention. It saves lives and it gives society more resources to battle health problems.

An interesting research take about 'preventable' strokes and treatment:
Three out of four strokes could be avoided, and one in four are "highly avoidable," according to a study assessing stroke preventability. It also found that strokes considered the most treatable were the most preventable.
Those were the findings when a 10-point stroke preventability scale -- incorporating key measures such as treatment for hypertension, high cholesterol, and atrial fibrillation -- was applied to 274 consecutive ischemic stroke patients treated at a single institution. ...

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Cholesterol and risk - drugs might help you prevent a stroke

More tools for lowering stroke risk - but let's make sure.

Check out the recent story how cholesterol drugs may lower stroke risk for healthy older adults:
Icons made by Freepik from
www.flaticon.com is licensed by CC BY 3.0
The study found that when people took medications called statins or fibrates, their risk of stroke over almost a decade went down by about one-third.
But, lead researcher Dr. Christophe Tzourio, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Bordeaux and Inserm in France, doesn't think older people should start taking these drugs solely for stroke prevention.
"Our results should not be interpreted as an indication for prescribing statins or fibrates to elderly individuals. We wouldn't recommend changing medications based on the results of only one study," he said.
"The next step is to see whether we can replicate our findings or not," he added.
I'd second the doctor's notion of waiting. If you're a "healthy older adult," you might question the need of adding a drug that might have some unsettling side effects. Yet, if cholesterol numbers indicate a problem, be sure to work with your doctor to decrease your risk.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Today - actually any day - is a good time to quit smoking

Today is the Great American Smokeout - a day to quit smoking.

Actually, any date is a good day to quit smoking. It's a leading cause of strokes. Here's some basic information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about smoking and stroke:
How are smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke related to heart disease and stroke?
Smoking is a leading cause of heart disease. Smoking can:
  • Raise triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood)
  • Lower "good" cholesterol (HDL)
  • Damage cells that line the blood vessels
  • Cause thickening and narrowing of blood vessels
  • Cause clots to form, blocking blood flow to the heart
So, listen to this former smoker in the video below:


Thursday, October 02, 2014

Cholesterol-lowering drugs and stroke recovery

One of those interesting-but-we're-not-sure-how-this-works studies comes from recent research about cholesterol drugs and stroke recovery.

Read how these drugs may help after certain strokes:
People taking the commonly used drugs known as statins were also 2.5 times more likely to be discharged home or to a rehabilitation facility, the study reports.
When it comes to the best treatment for hemorrhagic stroke, there hasn't been a standard treatment recommendation, according to the study's lead author, Dr. Alexander Flint, the medical director of neuroscience quality at Kaiser Permanente in Redwood City, Calif. Now, he said, physicians should know that taking patients off statin treatment in the hospital "may carry a risk of substantially worse outcome."
The findings from this study aren't considered definitive because it wasn't designed to prove that the statin treatment directly caused the lower risk of death.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Efforts to save lives and minds

Stroke prevention - in the main - calls for basic actions to reduce risk factors. And those efforts can pay off in the long run, including reducing dementia that often sets in years after a stroke occurs.

While these actions to reduce stroke and dementia risk can't reduce the risks by 100 percent, they are logical and smart, as reported by MedlinePlus:
Over the course of five years, patients treated by doctors focused on reducing risk factors saw their need for long-term care drop by about 10 percent compared to the communities that didn't have this intervention. The study also showed that the cost of inpatient treatment for these patients was reduced.

The researchers believe a focus on curbing stroke and dementia risk factors decreased the number of deaths in the intervention group from the expected 2,112 people to just 1,939.

In order to prevent stroke and dementia, doctors encouraged patients to:
  • Get more exercise
  • Eat a healthier diet
  • Stop smoking
  • Reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels
Read the entire article from the above link.

(Image from the National Library of Medicine) 

Thursday, September 15, 2011

New stroke prevention efforts

Stroke and heart attack prevention efforts made news this week, as government agencies and the American Heart Association launched an effort to stop one million heart attacks and strokes.

As NPR's Shots - Health Blog noted:
The campaign has two parts. One aims to change the behavior of doctors and patients. The other aims to change what all of us eat. Both are summed up by the acronym ABCS – which stands for aspirin, blood pressure control, cholesterol control and smoking.

In the realm of doctors and patients, Frieden and a phalanx of other federal officials want to expand by 10 million the number of Americans who have their high blood pressure under control and by 20 million those with controlled blood cholesterol levels.

To get there will require raising blood pressure control from less than half the people with hypertension now to 65 percent. Cholesterol control will have to triple.

The other medical-care strategy is to get people at high risk of heart attacks and strokes to take a baby aspirin every day. Fewer than half now do. The government wants to get that up to 65 percent.

Another goal is to get four million smokers to quit by 2016. That target is more modest – lowering smoking prevalence from 19 percent of adults today to 17 percent five years from now.
Forbes set out some important statistics:
Nearly half (49.7%) of US adults in 2007-2008 had at least one of the three main risk factors for CV disease – uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled high levels of LDL cholesterol, and current smoking. This represents a significant decline from the 57.8% prevalence reported in 1999-2000. The decrease, according to the CDC, “might, in part, reflect improved treatment and control of hypertension and high levels of LDL-C and implementation of effective smoking interventions.”
But we can do better. As said, fewer smokers, better control of high blood pressure and bad cholesterol. Those are key stroke risk factors. Heart attacks and strokes hit 2 million Americans every year. More than 800,000 don't survive. Related medical costs and productivity lost: $450 billion ever year. We can do better.

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

More research: Track your numbers to reduce your risk

We've all heard talk about cholesterol, but a recent US News and World Report study said a study showed that high triglyceride levels are linked to increased stroke risk:

In fact, this stroke risk seems to be more pronounced for triglyceride fats than it is for cholesterol, even though cholesterol is currently the prime focus of current guidelines. These findings, the researchers said, suggest that triglyceride levels should be incorporated into stroke-prevention guidelines.

"There might be an association between elevated triglyceride levels and increased stroke risk," said Dr. Tara Narula, a cardiologist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "All the guidelines really just focus on total cholesterol and LDL [low-density lipoprotein] cholesterol, and not on non-fasting triglycerides."

Having occasional blood tests are inconvenient, yes - but more than ever, important for your health.

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Message from Kansas...but applicable anywhere

Even as a Missouri resident, I'd take advice from this Kansan. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, M.D., is the Kansas state health officer. He wrote an opinion piece about how stroke prevention starts with you:

Here is the bottom line: After a stroke hits, every minute counts. Time lost is brain lost.

To reduce the chances of being hit by a stroke at all, everyone can take proven steps to lower their risk – starting today. These steps include:

Keeping your blood pressure under control. High blood pressure doubles a person’s chances of stroke compared to having normal blood pressure. Roughly a third of Kansas adults have high blood pressure, and many don’t even know it.

Watching your cholesterol level. About a third of Kansas adults have cholesterol levels that are too high. High cholesterol is associated with blocked arteries in the brain, just as it is linked to blockages in blood flow to the heart.

Being physically active. Moderate activity, like walking for half an hour most days of the week, can have a dramatic effect on lowering stroke risk.

Limiting alcohol consumption. More than one or two drinks a day increases the risk of a stroke, along with heart and liver disease.

Avoiding cigarette smoke. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, allowing clots to form more easily.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Important advice: Listen to your doctor

Many stroke patients stop taking meds, study shows:

In one report, researchers found that 25 percent of stroke patients stopped taking one or more of their stroke prevention medications within three months after their stroke.

"Providers should spend more time teaching stroke patients and caregivers when new risk factors are diagnosed and new medications are prescribed, such as blood pressure or cholesterol medications prior to discharge, while keeping the regimen as streamlined as possible," said lead researcher Dr. Cheryl D. Bushnell, an associate professor of neurology and associate director of the Women's Health Center of Excellence at Wake Forest University Health Sciences.
 While not in every instance, so many strokes can be prevented - often if the patients would follow a doctor's instructions. I'm as stubborn as the next patient, so it's taken me years to concede that 99 percent of the time, the doctor knows best.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

A note of caution - for the not-so-old

Young and healthy? Check cholesterol anyway
Using data from 2,587 young adults — men aged 20 to 35 years; women aged 20 to 45 years — from the 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, Dr. Elena Kuklina and colleagues tested to see whether the frequency of cholesterol screenings was higher for patients who had one or more risk factors for coronary heart disease, which include smoking, high blood pressure, obesity or family history of heart disease before age 50.

Rates of heart disease and related conditions as well as risk factors were high among the adults in the study — consisting of 59% of the sample. So were the rates of elevated "bad," or LDL, cholesterol. Elevated levels of LDL cholesterol were present in 7% of young adults with no risk factors, 12% with one risk factor, 26% with two or more risk factors and 65% of those with heart disease or related conditions.

"This is worrisome," said Kuklina, a fellow at the CDC's division of heart disease and stroke prevention. "Not only do a lot of young adults have [coronary heart disease] or its equivalents, but a large majority have high cholesterol too."
(Image from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)

Friday, May 21, 2010

Myth: You can't prevent strokes

Some of the key stroke risk factors:

  • High blood pressure
  • Smoking
  • Diabetes
  • High cholesterol
  • Poor diet
  • Physical inactivity
  • Obesity
All of these risk factors are under your control - at least to a degree, often a large degree.

Smoking? Stop. Now. If you have a history of high blood pressure - the highest stroke risk factor - perhaps the factors of poor diet, physical activity and obesity would be involved. Diabetes, too, can play into these other factors.

And yes, you can prevent a stroke. Like all in the human condition, there are no guarantees. However, you can definitely improve your odds. 

See a doctor. Address the risk factors that fit your profile. You are too important to ignore these risks. Yes, there are other risk factors that are out of your control. But control what you can - it can save your life.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Myth: Strokes only happen to the elderly

Are you under 50? Under 40? Under 30?

So you shouldn't worry about strokes, right?

Wrong.

It happened to me at age 39. Follow this link and you'll find stories and studies showing that even people in their 30s and younger can be affected.

There are a variety of causes - mine, as best the experts can tell, came about because of a now-fixed heart defect called a patent foramen ovale. Others fall in to the risk groups because of preventable - smoking, for example - factors and genetic predisposition of, say, high cholesterol.

At any age, you need to be aware of stroke risk factors, signs and symptoms.

One recent story about strokes and younger populations:
Studies increasingly show that devastating and chronic health conditions and the risk factors associated with them are reaching an ever-younger population, says Doug Van Houten, R.N., clinical coordinator of Washington Hospital’s Stroke Program.

"Younger and younger people are being affected by chronic health issues," he says. "The way to treat all these devastating conditions is that we need to start encouraging people at a young age, as young as elementary school, to adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular physical activity and better food choices."

Monday, January 11, 2010

It messes up your schedule, but worth it

I admit it - skipping breakfast is an inconvenience. It messes with my schedule for work and I'm grouchy without it.

Why miss breakfast? For an occasional blood draw to test your cholesterol level after fasting.

And why care? Because, according to the National Stroke Association: "Cholesterol or plaque build-up in the arteries can block normal blood flow to the brain and cause a stroke. High cholesterol may also increase the risk of heart disease, a risk factor for stroke."

The association's Web site offers some information on the relation of stroke risk reduction and high cholesterol:

Things you can change:
  • Diet -- Foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol can increase cholesterol levels.
  • Weight -- Being overweight can increase your cholesterol levels.
  • Exercise -- People who are not active tend to have higher cholesterol levels.
Things you cannot change:
  • Family History -- If someone in your family has high cholesterol, you are more likely to have high cholesterol.
  • Age -- Most people experience an increase in cholesterol levels until about the age of 65.
  • Gender -- Women under age 50 tend to have lower cholesterol and those in menopause have higher levels.
So get that number checked. Skip breakfast just one or two days a year. If the numbers aren't right, follow your doctor's advice. Take medicine prescribed. Exercise. Watch your weight and diet.

It could save your life.

(Photo from the U.S. Office on Women's Health)

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Good news on the prevention front

The levels of "bad" cholesterol is a known cause of strokes, and controlling those levels is a known way to help stroke prevention.

So good news from a recent study:
The number of adults who had high levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol dropped to 21 percent in 2005 to 2006 from 32 percent in 1999 to 2000, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. About 13 percent of those in the study were taking cholesterol-lowering medicines such as Pfizer Inc.’s Lipitor, the top-selling drug in 2008, and Merck & Co.’s Zocor, compared with 8 percent in the earlier period.

The drop in the rates of high levels of LDL cholesterol may be a result of more people taking cholesterol-lowering medicine, eating a better diet and getting more exercise, said the study’s lead author, Elena Kuklina, in a telephone interview today. Even with that improvement, too many people have elevated levels, said Kuklina and other researchers at the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Monday, August 24, 2009

One part of preventing second strokes

If it happens once, it can happen again.

Most importantly, there are ways to prevent second strokes. One is to reduce the "bad" cholesterol level. There are other elements of prevention. Among them: Watch your blood pressure and weight. Don't smoke. Control alcohol intake. Exercise (check with the doctor first).

High cholesterol-treating statins can help prevent second strokes in some cases:

The 10-year study of nearly 800 people who had strokes found a 35 percent lower incidence of second strokes and a 57 percent lower death rate among those who took statins compared to those who didn't, according to a report in the May 26 issue of Neurology.

Statins include blockbuster medications such as Crestor, Lipitor, Pravachol and Zocor.
Don't assume you suddenly need a statin, but this story is one more argument to keep working with your doctor to monitor your cholesterol and other stroke risks.

(Photo from the National Library of Medicine)

Friday, August 07, 2009

No guarantees in this world

In a project to keep dogging stroke myths: Here's a title of a recent article carries some needless baggage: Six ways to get on with stroke prevention and stay stroke-free.

It goes on to say:
[A]lthough stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, only a small percentage of Americans is able to name even a few of the diseases and unhealthy habits that can increase a person's risk of having a stroke. Here you will find six important tips that can help you improve your chances of never suffering a stroke.
While it is true that many people can, in fact, improve changes of never going through a stroke, the title or article might give you the impression that if you follow the rules, you might be "stroke-free."

The world doesn't work quite that easily. Ask me - was 39 years old, good physical condition, marathon finisher, low cholesterol, excellent blood pressure, normal weight, non-smoker, low alcohol intake, eating right, etc. Yet it happened anyway.

The problem an undetected heart defect - which you can't control with diet or other behavior.

So yes, follow this article's advice and follow the six important tips. But still, stay aware of stroke signs - it can still happen to you or a loved one, and you need to know what to do.

That is: Get some help immediately!

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Not all, but many, are so preventable

Sad statistics from my old stomping grounds in Arkansas, from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

In 2005, 58.6 of every 100,000 deaths among Arkansas adults were due to stroke, for a total of 1,847 stroke deaths. That's compared with a national average of 46.6 of every 100,000 adult deaths, or 143,579 total stroke deaths, according to the latest CDC statistics.

Alabama had the highest rate, with stroke deaths making up 60.9 of every 100,000 adult deaths that year, followed by Tennessee with 60.7 of every 100,000.

Arkansas' high rates of obesity, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol and untreated high blood pressure all contribute to the state's high stroke death rate, said Dr. Margaret Tremwel, neurologist at Sparks Regional Medical Center and director of the hospital's Early Intervention and Treatment Program.

Sad because, among other things, states like Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas could do so much better. And the people from those states should demand it and make it happen.