HYDERABAD: Over 30 million stroke cases are reported in the country every year. A disturbing trend noticed of late is the steep rise of the incidence of stroke in youth, while earlier it was found to be more prevalent in the elderly population. Considering the major consequences stroke could leave in a young adult for the rest of his/her life, it is very crucial to address the reasons that could be contributing to the rampant occurrence of the disorder.
Stroke occurs when there is sudden loss/reduced blood supply to brain, that results in brain cells dying immediately. If not acted immediately, it might result in disability at various functional levels. But the good news is that stroke can be prevented. Prevention always precedes gathering a good understanding of the disease and its risk and causative factors.
It is a known fact that anyone who has got a normal value in the triad of hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol, has decreased risk of developing cardiac disorders and stroke. However, certain factors could alter the normalcy of these values, which could be broadly categorized to non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors.
Non-modifiable factors like age, gender, family history cannot be altered to prevent the incidence of a disorder. A doctor will need to proactively look for signs of the disorder in an individual to suggest immediate corrective measure. Modifiable factors are the risk factors that can be managed or modified and there will be enough scope to act upon them by adopting a healthier lifestyle.
The following are the different lifestyle modifications a young adult could adopt to prevent the chances of having an early stroke. (The writer is Director- New Initiatives, SuVitas Holistic Healthcare)