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Are You At Risk For Stroke
Perhaps no other malady that strikes down apparently otherwise healthy adults compares to stroke
ARE YOU AT RISK FOR STROKE?By Daniel J. Bourassa, D.C.
| Perhaps no other malady that strikes down apparently otherwise healthy adults compares to stroke. The humbling ravages that a stroke leaves upon its victims strike fear in most anyone that sees it effects. Victims that escape death are often left with permanent impairment in basic functions.It is one of the leading causes of death and disability in southeast Alabama |
Symptoms of Stroke *Sudden trouble standing or walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
*Sudden numbness of the face or weakness of arm or leg.
*Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
*Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
*Sudden, very severe headache with no known |
along with heart attacks, diabetes and cancer. So, are we all just hapless victims waiting for our turn to be struck down or are there things that can be done to reduce our risk of stroke?
The answer is no. The disease process that leads to the most common cause of stroke can take 30 – 40 years to develop. Given that much time, it would seem that intervention to detect and stop the disease process could be undertaken to prevent a stroke from ever occurring. The fact is that we already have the diagnostic tools to predict those at risk and the evidence of effective preventative measures to reduce or even prevent stroke.
Unfortunately, effective treatments are often seen as ‘experimental’ or dismissed as ‘alternative medicine’ in favor of carotid surgery and stents. If you have been told you have atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood |
sugar, hypoglycemia, fibromyalgia;if you: take hormones, have been a smoker, are over weight, or have any condition related to dysfunctional metabolic syndromes; then you have an increased risk. Even after a person has had severe warning signs such as a heart attack or transient ischemic attack (TIA or mini-stroke) little is done. Sadly, the risk of a stroke rises to 50% over next ten years without intervention.
Reducing your risk of stroke involves proper diagnostic testing and preventative measures. Diagnostic tests include imaging studies with ultrasound, CT and MRI. Laboratory tests to identify risk factors and monitor effective treatment. The three most likely predictors of future stroke are: homocysteine, fibrinogen and C-RP. They should be part of any routine lab work for middle age and older adults.
Once you have identified that you are at risk for stroke then preventative measures can be started to control the factors that are involved in causing a stroke. Preventative measures include: controlling high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and blood sugar levels. Reducing existing plaque formations and preventing new formation. And last but not least, make life style changes including stopping smoking, dietary changes, and exercise. |
How Stroke OccursStroke develops when some portion of the brain is deprived of blood and thus oxygen. This usually results when a tiny bit of debris dislodges from an atherosclerotic plaque within an artery wall and blocks a blood vessel to the brain. The same sort of plaque accumulates in coronary arteries to cause heart attack. The sources of debris have been a subject of controversy for decades, but new imaging technologies have settled the question: essentially, any blood vessel that leads from the heart to the brain can be a source of the debris that causes stroke. The two carotid arteries that lie on both sides of your neck are a frequent source, as these arteries are very prone to develop plaque. |
HOW HOMOCYSTEINE
CAUSES ARTERIAL
DISEASES
The reason homocysteine causes so many heart attacks and strokes is that it inflicts damage via several well-defined mechanisms, including:
• Increasing the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
• Causing plasma fibrinogen to adhere inside of arteries attracting cholesterol (LDLs) resulting in an abnormally clot (thrombosis)
• Possibly creating the initial lesion in the arterial wall that develops into an atherosclerotic occlusion
• Increasing the production of free radical-generating hydrogen peroxide
• Contributing to endothelial dysfunction, the underlying cause of atherosclerosis.
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There are nutrients taken in proper doses that help control and reduce the factors that cause stroke. For instance, B6, B12, folic acid reduces homocysteine levels. Turmeric (curcuma longa) dramatically reduces plasma fibrinogen levels. Nutrients with strong anti-oxidant activity should be taken reduce lipid oxidation and damage to blood cells and arterial walls. These include: ginkgo biloba, garlic, TMG, melatonin, and green tea extract. Fish oils (EPA), fiber (pectin and beta-glucan), and niacin help reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. DHEA improves blood sugar levels and reduces insulin resistance and reduces abdominal fat deposition. Magnesium, CoQ10, and Vitamin D3 improve sugar metabolism, thyroid function and help reduce blood pressure and improve cardiac function.
Additionally, there are oral supplements such as EDTA and potent fibrinolytic enzymes that help dissolve plaques that have already formed in your arteries. Hawthorne berry extract, forskolin, extracts of shark cartiladge, and cordyceps sinesis help reduce and normalize blood pressure.
Lastly, increase your intake of clean, fresh water. Most people do not drink sufficient water. Coffe, tea and soft drinks do not improve hydration and in fact may increase your need to consume more water. Proper hydration alone significantly reduces a person’s risk of stroke and heart attack.
| Those opposed to natural medicine believe that the public is too stupid to know what dose of supplements they should be taking. If your doctor won’t or can’t help you in this area, find one that can. Educate yourself and seek out doctors that are knowledgeable in proper use of nutrients and ‘alternative therapies’ to help you. You and your loved ones don’t have to wait to be a hapless victim of a devastating stroke. As previously mentioned, southeast Alabama is among the highest in risk for stroke in the nation. You should take charge of your health and make changes that significantly reduce your risk immediately.
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