Politics aside, cigarette taxes are linked to smoking decline

There's a lot of politics in taxes. So I'll leave lawmakers or voters to decide on cigarette taxes. However, if somehow, someday the tobacco industry grinds to a complete stop, I'll be OK with that.

Regardless of politics, though, check out how smoking declines as cigarette taxes rise:

The number of cigarette smokers in the United States has dropped by 8.5 million since 2005 — and that fall could be accelerated by a tobacco tax just passed in California.

Stroke risk factors that need a solution

If you've read much of this blog, you've seen items about smoking, diet and other stroke risk factors. Click here to read a compilation.

But are you always in complete control of those risk factors? Or does just living in a poor neighborhood up stroke risk?:

Women and men of all races in the poorest neighborhoods were more likely to suffer a stroke than those in the richer neighborhoods. This held true even after the researchers adjusted for other factors such as age, race, sex and region of the country.

Inhaling secondhand smoke? It's linked to higher risk of stroke

Here's yet another reason to stop smoking (or better yet, never start). Researchers found that secondhand smoke is linked to higher risk of stroke:

Researchers found that never-smokers who had a stroke were nearly 50 percent more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke at home than people who had never had a stroke.

During the study, stroke survivors exposed to secondhand smoke were also more likely to die from any cause compared to those without secondhand smoke exposure.

The lifestyle battle: Key for stroke survivors

Never thought about post-stroke life like this idea - unlike, say, cancer, you're never "cured" exactly. Rather, every day without another stroke is a win.

Read this interesting take how pre-stroke lifestyle tied to long term risk of more strokes, dementia:

Unlike a condition such as cancer, where if you undergo treatment successfully and survive ten years we might say “you battled it, you’re cured,” increased health risks remain after a stroke, Ikram said. This shouldn’t be discouraging, but should encourage people before or after stroke to do what they can to prevent another, he said.

“Once you suffer a stroke, treatment shifts toward medication and simple preventive measures are pushed to the background,” Ikram said. “Don’t neglect the simple things like quitting smoking, exercising more and controlling blood pressure.”

I won't argue with the idea of quitting smoking, which is one of the deadliest thing a human can do,  or with controlling blood pressure, the leading cause of strokes.

Be careful what you read - you've probably seen some bad information

Ah, Facebook.

You can read blog postings there. I enjoy seeing photos and news from my daughters and grandsons, plus news about other family and friends, especially those I seldom see.

But as you know, Facebook is fraught with bad information these days. I recently ran across a supposed list of causes of death so far this year - a list that is NOT reliable information. And since stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States, that information is important. Right information, that is.

I won't reproduce this falsehood here, but you can read on snopes.com about the supposed list of causes of death:

The list was problematic in several aspects, however. First of all, the displayed figures for 2016 are simply projections based on past trends, as up-to-date information of this nature simply isn't available. The most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concerning causes of death tallies mortality data from 2014.

The list mingles diseases - heart disease, for example - with substances: tobacco and alcohol. Obesity itself seldom actually kills anyone, but it's on the list. It's what accompanies obesity or tobacco or alcohol abuse - heart disease and stroke, for example - that can be fatal. A cigarette itself generally doesn't cause a death. But multiple cigarettes can bring about a cause of death.

Here's the actual list of the 2014 leading causes of death in the United States, from this report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

That year is the latest available.

And it's OK to question what you read on Facebook!

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:

Aging with migraine? Smoking seems to add a major stroke risk

Smoking, as mentioned here before, is bad for you. Really bad for you.

So check out this news about smoking, migraines and strokes - older smokers with migraines may face added stroke risk:

Photo: free photos via Flickr

The researchers did not find an association between migraine and the risk of either heart attack or stroke in nonsmokers. But among smokers, migraine was associated with a threefold increased risk of stroke.

However, even though the study found an association between migraine and stroke risk in smokers, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Secondhand smoke: Does it have a deadly link to stroke risk?

Photo by Global Panorama via Flickr.

We know smoking is linked to increased stroke risk - among many other dangers.

It's possible that even being around smokers might bump up your risk. Check out this recent study how secondhand smoke is tied to raised stroke risk:

"Our findings suggest the possibility for adverse health outcomes such as stroke among nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke and add to the body of evidence supporting stricter smoking regulations," said lead author Angela Malek, of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Stroke prevention: Not glamorous, but more effective than all the high-tech tools we have

This week's postings are devoted to stroke prevention. It's not glamorous or exciting. Very little cutting-edge research using whiz-bang technology.

Instead, it's about high blood pressure, diet, smoking, diabetes and the like.

But controlling those factors could prevent more strokes, keep fewer people disabled and prevent more strokes than any high-tech solution - at least during my lifetime.

So, pass along a recent CDC write-up about American Stroke Month and National High Blood Pressure Education Month:

Stroke is largely preventable. You may be able to prevent stroke or reduce your risk through healthy lifestyle changes. High blood pressure is one of the major risk factors for stroke. Others include high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diet.

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:

Watch out for that easy road

The safest road to hell is a gradual one. This is safe road has a gentle slope, without turns, without milestones, without signposts, without warnings.

-C.S. Lewis

First and foremost: I am not a theologian.

Neither, by the way, was C.S. Lewis.

However, that aside, and no matter what you or yours think about hell, his quote carries a lot of meaning in life in general. How much in life leads to bad results by a supposed easy path?

We roll along, perhaps not paying close attention to certain diet, exercise, smoking or other choices we make. Things seem to be going over life's paths that appear to be safe, without warnings.

You know what can happen. A stroke can come at young, old or in between, without warning.

A different road - more thinking through diet selections, deciding how to exercise, making conscious choices about smoking - seems harder. Not necessarily perfect, but at least considered. And with better possible outcomes. Not guaranteed, but more likely.

Again, I'm not here to debate the existence or characteristics of hell. But just be careful what road your life is taking. It might make a difference here on earth.

Preventing a stroke might prevent a death

We all need to encourage better treatment for better outcomes for stroke patients.

BUT, just as important are ways to prevent strokes. For every stroke we prevent, we prevent a possible death or disability. A recent study combined some key methods to reduce stroke risk and, not surprisingly, that healthy lifestyle choices may cut women's stroke risk:

After being followed an average of 10 years, women who ate a healthy diet, drank alcohol moderately, never smoked, remained physically active and had a healthy body weight were 54 percent less likely to have a stroke than women with none of these factors, said study author Susanna Larsson, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

While other studies have looked at single risk factors, "only a few studies have examined the combined effects of a healthy lifestyle on stroke risk," Larsson said.

"We observed that the risk of stroke decreased steadily with an increasing number of healthy lifestyle habits," she said.

While the study found an association between healthy habits and stroke risk, a causal link was not proven.

Take this seriously - the life you save may be your own.

Less education and smoking: Deadly combination?

There's  been lots of studies and stories about disparities among more vulnerable populations. People with less education are no exception, especially those who smoke. One recent study found that less educated smokers are at greatest risk for stroke:

"The combined effect of low educational level and smoking on the risk of stroke is the most surprising finding of our paper," said study author Helene Nordahl, an epidemiologist in the department of public health at the University of Copenhagen.

She added that reducing smoking among those with the least education could potentially reduce strokes more than targeting smoking in those with the most schooling.

Although the study included Danish participants, Nordahl believes her findings are applicable to other countries.

"Since the most disadvantaged groups are often exposed to a wide number of stroke risk factors, it seems plausible that these people are at increased risk of stroke, not only in Denmark but also in the U.S.," Nordahl said.

The second paragraph of this excerpt hits home - for public health education, it's important connect with the right people to reduce stroke risk.

And EVERYONE is important...

Time for younger set to start taking care

Once again, we're seeing more concerns about young people and stroke risk. for older people, the rate of stroke is declining. For people younger, there seems to be trouble. Read this article how stroke incidence is down and survival up -- for some:

These stroke incidence data appear to reflect both positive and negative trends in stroke prevention and treatment over the last few decades, Koton said.

Photo from U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention

On the plus side, increased use of statins and hypertension medications and a dramatic decline in smoking may largely explain the lower stroke rate among people over the age of 65, while the rise in obesity and diabetes in younger adults could explain the lack of progress in reducing stroke incidence in younger adults, Koton told MedPage Today.

"More younger adults are obese, and when obesity increases so does hypertension and diabetes," she said. "Hypertension is the main risk factor for stroke. I think this is a warning sign for us to take these risk factors as seriously in younger people as we do in older people."

Yes - time for ALL ages to take stroke risk factors SERIOUSLY.

Good news but still work in progress

Better results - but miles to go.

Recent released numbers show some good news about the rate of strokes overall and avoiding deaths as a result of a stroke. Still, strokes are the greatest cause of adult disability in the United States, and we still have a problem in this country with smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Still, a new report shows that in the U.S., strokes and stroke deaths have decreased over past decades:

The chance of dying after having a stroke also fell during the study. Over a 10-year period, the number of deaths per 100 strokes dropped by eight. That decrease was particularly prevalent among the youngest study participants and was similar for both sexes and races.

Coresh said the decline in strokes and improvement in survival may be attributable to better control of risk factors - particularly high blood pressure, also known as hypertension - as well as increased smoking cessation and diabetes control.

“I think we’ve been working on hypertension awareness, treatment and control for 40 years now,” he said. “Largely it’s a story of success but as (with) many things in health it’s never done. We need to keep doing better and better.”

Photo from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

More evidence about smoking

Doing healthy things make you less of a stroke risk - that just makes sense.

So a recently story about more such research didn't contain any big surprises.

But I did want to highlight one element in the story about how healthy habits linked to lower stroke risk:

“Being a former smoker was not associated with stroke risk, showing that cessation of smoking is effective in stroke prevention,” the researchers write in the journal Stroke.

So - stop smoking now, and you could wind up lowering your stroke risk! Better yet, if you've never started, just don't do it.

Smoking: Linked to so many needless deaths

Smoking is getting even more bad press. It kills 480,000 people a year and it's a leading cause of strokes. I can't understand how someone in the tobacco industry lives with himself. If the industry ground to a halt tomorrow, it would not be too soon.

 Now, USA Today reports, a new surgeon general report says that smoking causes diabetes, colon cancer:

A new report from the surgeon general finds that smoking causes even more physical and financial damage than previously estimated, killing 480,000 Americans a year from diseases that include diabetes, colorectal cancer and liver cancer.

The report, released today, represents the first time the surgeon general has concluded that smoking is "causally linked" to these diseases. The report finds that smoking causes rheumatoid arthritis, erectile dysfunction and macular degeneration, a major cause of age-related blindness. Smoking causes inflammation, impairs immune function and increases the risk of death from tuberculosis, an infectious disease. Smoking also harms pregnant women and their fetuses by causing birth defects called cleft lips and palates and by causing ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when a fertilized egg implants in the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus.

The new report — issued 50 years after the first surgeon general report on smoking — finds that exposure to secondhand smoke, previously linked to cancer and heart attacks, also causes strokes.

Read the entire story to get more details and the non-answers from some tobacco companies.

Strokes. Cancer. Arthritis. Blindness. And more. Those are the results of too many cigarettes smoked. And one is too many.

CDC: Thousands of strokes are preventable

Many strokes - especially striking the "younger" set - are preventable. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released new figures about those deaths.

You might have read about stroke risk factors here before - especially smoking and high blood pressure. Controlling those factors can add years of healthy living to many lives. Read the article about how 200,000 heart disease, stroke deaths could be prevented:

"As a doctor, I find it heartbreaking to know that the vast majority of people who are having a heart attack or stroke, under the age of 65 in particular, and dying from it didn't have to have that happen," CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden said during a noon press conference. ...

Each year in the United States nearly 800,000 people die from heart disease or stroke, many of which could have been prevented by proper medical management and lifestyle changes to control risk factors, Frieden said.

Click here to read a summary from the CDC.

Stroke risk and smoking

Smoking: a known stroke risk. And recent research shows that women are particularly at risk for the deadliest type of stroke. Read more on how stroke risk is similar among men and women smokers worldwide:

Smoking cigarettes may cause similar stroke risks for men and women, but women smokers may be at greater risk for a more deadly and uncommon type of stroke, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.

When compared to non-smokers of the same gender, smoking increases the risk of having any type of stroke by 60 to 80 percent in women and men.

Too many heart, stroke patients keeping bad habits

A bit of a sad note - too many heart, stroke patients keeping bad habits:

Many patients suffering from coronary heart disease or stroke are unlikely to adopt healthier lifestyles, says to a new study led by a McMaster University researcher.

In fact, the study found more than 14 per cent of patients failed to adopt any healthy habits at all.

“We know that people after a heart attack or stroke, if they exercise regularly or they eat a healthy diet and they quit smoking, the risk of having a second event is much reduced,” said McMaster cardiologist Dr. Koon Teo. “Therefore it is just as important to adopt lifestyle changes as it is to take medication.”