Tag Archives: stroke

Low Vitamin D intake increases risk of stroke

Posted on May 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

DALLAS, May 24, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Japanese-American men who did not eat foods rich in vitamin D had a higher risk of stroke later in life, according to results of a 34-year study reported in Stroke, an American Heart Association journal.
“Our study confirms that eating foods rich in vitamin D might be beneficial for stroke prevention,” said Gotaro Kojima, M.D., lead author of the study and geriatric medicine fellow at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that helps prevent rickets in children and severe bone loss in adults, and researchers believe it has the potential to lower the risk of a host of diseases including cancer and diabetes.

Sunlight is generally the greatest source, but synthesizing vitamin D from the sun gets more difficult as we age, Kojima said, so older people are advised to eat more foods rich in vitamin D or take supplements. Good sources include fortified milk and breakfast cereals, fatty fish and egg yolks.

Study participants included 7,385 Japanese-American men living on Oahu, Hawaii. All were participants of the Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program, a study of stroke and coronary heart disease in Japanese-American men that began in 1965 which was conducted at the Kuakini Medical Center.

Participants were 45 to 68 years old in the mid- to late-1960s when they were first examined and interviewed about what they had eaten in the previous 24 hours. Food models and serving utensils were used to help participants determine their portions accurately.

Researchers separated the participants into four groups of approximately 1,845 each depending on how much vitamin D they had consumed. They then analyzed their records through 1999, roughly 34 years after the initial exams, to determine the incidence of stroke. New strokes occurred in 960 men during the follow up period.

Researchers calculated risk while adjusting for age, total calorie intake, body-mass index, hypertension, diabetes, cigarette smoking, physical activity, cholesterol levels and alcohol intake. Men who consumed the least dietary vitamin D had a 22 percent higher risk of stroke and a 27 percent increase risk of ischemic (blood-clot related) stroke compared to those consuming the highest levels of vitamin D. There was no difference for hemorrhagic stroke.

Stroke ranks fourth among the leading causes of death in the United States. New or recurrent strokes strike about 795,000 Americans annually. Ischemic strokes account for 87 percent of all strokes, and 10 percent are from an intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain). The remaining 3 percent result from bleeding in the subarachnoid space between the brain and the tissues covering it.

Kojima said it is unclear whether the study results could be applied to different ethnic groups or to women.

While previous studies focused on blood concentrations of vitamin D, this investigation used dietary intake.

Co-authors are Christina Bell, M.D.; Robert D. Abbott, Ph.D.; Lenore J. Launer, Ph.D.; Randi Chen, M.S.; Heather Motonaga, M.D.; G. Webster Ross, M.D.; J. David Curb, M.D.; and Kamal Masaki, M.D. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute on Aging funded the study.

The American Heart Association offers information on Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations. For information on stroke visit strokeassociation.org.
Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association’s policy or position. The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.

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Posted in Alternative, Diseases, Medicine, Survival, Vitamins

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Western Diet Increases Heart Attack Risk by 30%

Posted on October 20, 2008 by | Leave a comment

Western Diet Boosts Global Heart Attack Risk 30%

1 hr 46 mins ago

MONDAY, Oct. 20 (HealthDay News) — The fried foods, salty snacks and meats that are staples of the Western diet account for about 30 percent of heart attack risk across the world, a new report suggests.

Meanwhile, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, the so-called “Prudent” diet, is tied a low risk of heart attack, according to the study, published in the Oct. 21 issue of Circulation.

The research, which looked at dietary habits in 52 countries, found people who ate a Western diet had a 35 percent greater risk of having a heart attack compared to those who ate little or no fried foods and meat. Those who followed a “Prudent” diet had a 30 percent lower risk of heart attack compared to those who went light on fruits and vegetables.

The authors also looked at an “Oriental” diet, rich in tofu, soy and other sauces, and found it did not increase or decrease the risk of a heart attack.

Previous studies have reached similar conclusions about the “Prudent” and Western diet in the United States and Europe, but did not include the Oriental pattern of eating. While some components of the Oriental diet may protect against heart trouble, the higher sodium content of sauces counter that benefit.

“This study indicates that the same relationships that are observed in Western countries exist in different regions of the world,” study senior author Salim Yusuf, a professor of medicine at McMaster University and director of the Population Health Research Institute at Hamilton Health Sciences in Ontario, said in an American Heart Association news release.

The Canadian researchers analyzed risk factors in food choices and the risk of heart attack in about 16,000 people in 52 countries. Almost 6,000 people had heart attacks, while the rest had no known heart disease.

More information

The American Heart Association has more about heart-healthy eating.

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Red Bull Causes Stroke..?

Posted on September 5, 2008 by | 12 Comments

The heavily marketed energy drinks are all similar. Monster, Full Throttle and various other brands may have similar effects. In addition, I have had a few patients develop irregular heart rates after drinking energy drinks. Both went to the ER for  atrial fibrillation and they were instructed to stop drinking the energy drinks.  They had no further episodes of the irregular heart rate….  (Warning Labels on Red Bull?)

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Health Tip: Consider a Strawberry Banana smoothie instead of a RED BULL. Smoothies are a great alternative for young children and help create healthy dietary habits.   Learn more about the Industrial Vitamix Smoothie Blender designed for home use.

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By Rob Taylor

CANBERRA (Reuters) – Just one can of the popular stimulant energy drink Red Bull can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, even in young people, Australian medical researchers said on Friday.

The caffeine-loaded beverage, popular with university students and adrenaline sport fans to give them “wings”, caused the blood to become sticky, a pre-cursor to cardiovascular problems such as stroke.

“One hour after they drank Red Bull, (their blood systems) were no longer normal. They were abnormal like we would expect in a patient with cardiovascular disease,” Scott Willoughby, lead researcher from the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, told the Australian newspaper.

Red Bull Australia spokeswoman Linda Rychter said the report would be assessed by the company’s head office in Austria.

“The study does not show effects which would go beyond that of drinking a cup of coffee. Therefore, the reported results were to be expected and lie within the normal physiological range,” Rychter told Reuters.

Willoughby and his team tested the cardiovascular systems of 30 young adults one hour before and one hour after consuming one 250ml can of sugar-free Red Bull..….read rest of story..

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Vegan Diet Reduces Risk of Arthritis, Heart Attack and Stroke

Posted on August 30, 2008 by | 1 Comment

Vegan Diet Reduces Risk of Arthritis, Heart Attack and Stroke

by David Gutierrez

(NaturalNews) Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, have published a study in the journal Arthritis Research and Therapy showing that eating a vegan, gluten-free diet may reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in rheumatoid arthritis patients, as well as reducing the severity of the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is considered a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

The researchers studied 66 adults with rheumatoid arthritis, averaging 50 years in age. Thirty-eight of the adults were placed on a vegan, gluten-free diet in which carbohydrates provided 60 percent of daily calories, fat provided 30 percent and protein provided 10 percent.

A vegan diet is one free of any animal products, including flesh, dairy and eggs. In addition to omitting animal products, the study participants also eschewed gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, oats and rye.

Instead, participants in the vegan, gluten-free group began with a one-day, low-energy diet of berry juice and broth. Starting on the second day, they were fed grains such as buckwheat, corn, millet and rice, as well as ample quantities of nuts, sunflower seeds, vegetables and fruits. Calcium was provided with a daily serving of sesame milk.

The 28 participants in the control group were fed a diet including both animal products and gluten with a similar carbohydrate-fat-protein breakdown to the vegan diet. They were encouraged to eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day and to eat complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains and potatoes, over simpler sources.

In both diets, saturated fat was kept to a maximum of 10 percent of daily energy intake.

After three and 12 months, the researchers measured several biomarkers in all the participants. Only 58 percent of the people in the vegan, gluten-free group completed the study.

The researchers found that participants in the vegan group experienced a drop in their body mass index, total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Triglyceride and HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels did not change. There was also an increase in the levels of antiPC antibodies, which are believed to help protect the body against cardiovascular disease.

None of these markers changed in the control group.

“These findings are compatible with previous results of vegetarian/vegan dietary regimens in non-rheumatoid arthritis subjects, which have shown lower blood pressure, lower body mass index and lower incidence of cardiovascular disease,” the researchers said.

High LDL and total cholesterol, as well as higher body mass index, are all risk factors for heart attack and stroke.

In addition, the researchers found that levels of the inflammation marker CRP and the number of swollen joints decreased in those on the vegan, gluten-free diet. There was no change in those on the control diet.

In contrast to the more common osteoarthritis, which is caused by damage to the cartilage and lubricating fluid in the joints, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder caused when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissue. In addition to the pain and restricted movement caused by the destruction of joints, the inflammation caused by the immune system’s attacks increases patients’ risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Approximately 20 million people around the world suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, which affects women more than men. Early diagnosis can slow the progress of the disease, but there is no cure.

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service cautioned that the study had a small sample size and did not follow patients long enough to see if there was actually a reduction in the rate of heart attacks and strokes.

Still, Sir Muir Gray, the agency’s chief knowledge officer said that anyone interested in preserving their health should try to eat a more vegan diet.

“The evidence is mounting; if you want to stay healthy and save the planet, eat less, eat more plants and eat only food that your great grandmother would recognize if she were alive today,” Gray said.

From www.NaturalNews.com

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Ted Kennedy: Explaining the Differences and Similarities Between Seizures and Strokes

Posted on May 18, 2008 by | 1 Comment

Fox News-

By Marrecca Fiore

Ted Kennedy remained hospitalized Saturday for tests after reportedly suffering two seizures earlier in the day.

Initial reports indicated Kennedy, who had surgery in October to repair a nearly complete blockage in a major neck artery, suffered stroke-like symptoms.

Dr. Jennifer H. Mieres, a cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine who has not treated Kennedy, said a stroke may sometimes lead to a seizure or present itself as a seizure.

“It may manifest as a seizure in which the person will lose consciousness and may shake all over,” she said. “So strokes and seizures can be linked. However, sometimes seizures can be a manifestation of other things, such as tumors of the brain. So we’ll have to wait and see if he had a seizure that was unrelated to a stroke or possibly a mini stroke.”

Kennedy’s surgery in October, performed at Massachusetts General Hospital, included an hour-long procedure to unclog his left carotid artery — a main supplier of blood to the face and brain.

“The same build-up of plaque that occurs in the arteries that supply the heart, and that can lead to a heart attack, occurs in other arteries in the body,” Mieres explained of Kennedy’s blockage. “When that same build-up of fat and fatty substances occurs in the carotid artery, it can result in a brain attack or stroke.”

Mieres, who is a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association, added that the same risk factors that lead to blockages in the coronary arteries, such as being overweight, having hypertension or diabetes, as well as smoking and excessive use of alcohol, can lead to blockages in the carotid arteries.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,356506,00.html

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