Treating strokes, third leading cause of death in the United States, will cost an estimated $51 billion this year in the United States, including $12 billion in nursing home costs, the CDC said. That expense is likely to rise as the baby boom generation grows old. Strokes killed almost 168,000 people in 2000 and account for about one of every 14 deaths.

What Can You Do To Reduce Your Risk of Stroke?

1) Eat More Whole Grains
A study of 75,521 US women aged 38 to 63 without a previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, stroke, or other Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) were followed up for 12 years as part of the Nurses' Health Study.

Over the course of the study, 352 confirmed cases of ischemic stroke occurred. Women who ate the most whole grains had the fewest strokes: as much as 51% fewer strokes than women who ate the least amount of whole grain foods. This inverse association remained essentially unchanged with further adjustment for known CVD risk factors, including saturated fat and transfatty acid intake. The inverse relation between whole grain intake and risk of ischemic stroke was also consistently observed among subgroups of women who never smoked, did not drink alcohol, did not exercise regularly, or who did not use postmenopausal hormones.

Interestingly, no associated reduction in the incidence of stroke was observed in women who ate an equal amount of refined grains. (JAMA. 2000;284:1534-1540)

2) Exercise Regularly
The combined data from 54 studies confirms the benefit of aerobic exercise to control blood pressure. Exercise pushes down blood pressure, regardless of age, weight, or what blood pressure was when the person started to exercise, according to a statistical analysis of the studies. The average reduction was 3.8 milligrams of mercury in systolic pressure - the measurement taken when the heart contracts and pushes blood through the arteries. The average diastolic reduction, taken when the heart relaxes, was 2.58 milligrams of mercury lower.

"If we can reduce systolic pressure by 3.8, we can reduce a lot of risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke - everything," said Dr. Jiang He of Tulane University. Being physically inactive raises the risk of developing high blood pressure. Federal surveys find 25 percent of all adults are not active at all. About a quarter of American adults have high blood pressure, and the risk of problems resulting from the condition gets worse as pressure rises. (Annals of Internal Medicine. April 2002)

3) Eat a Healthy Diet & Take a Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Supplement
Evidence from population studies, animal studies, ultrasound and angiographic studies in humans, as well as clinical trials suggest that vitamins C and E may prevent strokes. Additionally, new research indicates that and the B-Vitamins folate, B6, and B12, may reduce the incidence of strokes by lowering homocysteine levels. Clinical trials under way will likely confirm these preliminary assumptions.

In the meantime, it should be understood that the role of diet is much more important than is widely recognized. A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, low in sodium, high in potassium and calcium, and containing a lot of fruits and vegetables reduces blood pressure as much as an antihypertensive drug and in coronary patients is twice as effective as statin drugs, like Zocor and Lipitor, in reducing death and myocardial infarction. “Such a diet can therefore be confidently recommended as a source not only of natural proportions of vitamins and antioxidants but also for benefits that we are only beginning to define.” (Spence JD. Nutritional and metabolic aspects of stroke prevention. Adv Neurol. 2003;92:173-8.)

4) Eat Two Servings of Cold-Water Fish Weekly
Serving up some cold-water fish may be one of the best ways to care for your circulatory health. A recent study revealed that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish that live in cold-water climates may prevent certain kinds of strokes. Women in the Nurses' Health Study, aged 34 to 59, who were free from prior diagnosed cardiovascular disease, cancer, and history of diabetes or high cholesterol were followed up for 14 years.
Among the 79,839 women who ate at least two 4-ounce servings of fish per week had nearly 50% fewer incidences of thrombotic stroke than women who ate fish less frequently. (Hiroyasu Iso, MD, PhD et. al. Intake of Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Risk of Stroke in Women. JAMA. 2001;285:304-312)

5) Eat more Polyunsaturated Vegetable Oils
High blood levels of linoleic acid are associated with a lower risk of stroke, Japanese researchers report. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, examined blood samples from 7,450 men and women who participated in cardiovascular risk studies over a decade. Of these, 197 had suffered strokes.

A 5% increase in the level of linoleic acid in their blood was associated with a 28 percent reduction in stroke risk. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid, found in soybeans, corn, safflower and sunflower oil, that the body uses to make healthy prostaglandins. It is important in growth and development in the first years of life and helps control blood pressure, inflammation and other body functions. (Michael W. Pariza, Ph.D. Aug. 2, 2002, Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association)

6) Eat more Potassium-rich Foods
If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what will a banana a day keep away? A stroke, possibly. Bananas are a rich source of potassium, and a new study adds to the evidence linking low blood potassium levels to an increased risk of stroke. People with the lowest intake of potassium were 50 percent more likely to have a stroke than those with the highest dietary intake, the researchers report, with the risk concentrated among diuretic takers with low blood levels of potassium. Their stroke risk was 2.5 times greater than for diuretic takers with the highest blood levels of potassium.

An earlier study of 9,800 people found those with a dietary intake of less than 1,500 milligrams a day (a banana has about 400 milligrams, as does a glass of orange juice and a cup of cantaloupe) were 28 percent more likely to have a stroke than those getting the recommended daily intake of 2,300 milligrams. (Steven R. Levine, Aug. 13, 2002, Neurology)

For more information about Dr. Hansen’s Multi-Vitamin Recommendation. click here