The brain is an amazing organ that requires a very high blood supply. Once the blood flow to the brain is reduced, the brain cells will be deprived of oxygen, resulting in severe consequences such as paralysis, aphasia, and even death.
Among them, stroke, also known as stroke, is one of the most important risk factors for cerebral ischemia.
According to research, for every minute delay in treatment, 1.9 million nerve cells die in the brains of stroke patients. Also, their brains age rapidly. For every hour of delay, their brains age by 3.6 years [1].
Many people think that strokes are common in the elderly and are reserved for the elderly, not for the young.
Actually, very wrong!
In the news, there has been an increasing number of young faces among stroke patients, including one in their 20s [2].
Why do young people get strokes too? This starts with the cause of stroke.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
Stroke is actually a disease that damages brain tissue due to sudden rupture of blood vessels in the brain or blockage of blood vessels that prevents blood from flowing into the brain, resulting in cerebral ischemia and hypoxia.
There are many reasons for the rupture or blockage of blood vessels in the brain. In addition to non-interventional factors such as age and heredity, the most important are the risk factors that can be prevented.
These modifiable risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, dyslipidemia, heart disease, smoking, alcohol intake, improper diet, overweight or obesity, insufficient physical activity, psychological factors, and more.
It is known that these risk factors are associated with 94.3% of strokes in my country[3].
Nowadays, young people are under a lot of pressure from work, eat irregularly, and often smoke and drink at dinner parties. Their lifestyles are extremely unhealthy, and it is easy to produce the above-mentioned risk factors, which indirectly leads to an increase in stroke among young people. .
According to statistics, the overall lifetime risk of stroke in my country is 39.9%, ranking first in the world. In other words, in our lifetime, about 2 out of 5 people in our country will suffer from a stroke.
Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability in my country. It has five characteristics of high morbidity, high disability rate, high mortality rate, high recurrence rate and high economic burden[3].
Stroke is scary, but since most of the risk factors for stroke stem from unhealthy lifestyles, improving these unhealthy lifestyles can play a preventive role.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
How can a stroke be prevented?
1. Eat healthy. Eat more fruits, vegetables, high-fiber foods, low-sodium, low-fat diets, etc.
2. Moderate exercise every week. Exercise at least 2.5 hours a week, half an hour a day, 5 days a week.
3. Do not smoke, avoid secondhand smoke, and limit alcohol intake.
4. Maintain a healthy weight (18.5≤BMI≤23.9, BMI=weight (kg)/height (m)).
5. Treat hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes to keep blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar levels within a reasonable range.
6. Take aspirin or antiplatelet drugs as prescribed by your doctor if you have related diseases[4].
After a stroke, the key to treatment is time. The sooner thrombolysis or thrombectomy is initiated, the lower the risk of death and disability.
Therefore, early recognition after stroke is particularly important, and the internationally accepted “FAST” method is generally recommended.
● F (face): Whether the face is numb or weak (especially one-sided)
● A (arm): Whether the arm is numb or weak (especially on one limb)
● S (speech): Whether the pronunciation is blurred or the language is difficult or difficult to understand
● T (time): If one of the above has a sudden onset, that is, considering the possibility of acute stroke, you need to quickly dial 120 for help [5].
For stroke patients, every minute and second is very important. They should be quickly identified, sent to the doctor in time, and received standardized treatment by the doctor.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
Reviewer: Feng Jie| Attending Physician, Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University
References
[1]Saver JL. Time is brain–quantified. Stroke. 2006 Jan;37(1):263-6. doi: 10.1161/01.STR.0000196957.55928.ab. Epub 2005 Dec 8. PMID: 16339467.
[2] A 20-year-old young man has a sudden stroke Expert: It can be prevented
https:https://js.qq.com/a/20170618/006880.htm
[3] “China Stroke Prevention and Control Report” writing group. Summary of “China Stroke Prevention and Control Report 2019” [J]. Chinese Journal of Cerebrovascular Diseases, 2020,17(5):272 -281.DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1672-5921.2020.05.008.
[4]Tencent Medical Dictionary: Stroke
[5] Sun Beibei, Yao Bo, Fang Cai, etc. A comparative study on the application value of three stroke screening scales in the rapid referral of patients with suspected stroke in the community [J]. Chinese Stroke Magazine, 2020, 15(2):126-129.DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1673-5765.2020.02.003.
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