Stroke your heart with love

KOCHI: Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide and a leading cause of disability. Around two crore people suffer from a stroke attack each year.  A stroke occurs when blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off.  The effects of a stroke depend on the site and severity of brain injury. It must be noted that cardiovascular and stroke risks are related. Coronary heart diseases and stroke share many similar risk factors such as high LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, low HDL (good) cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, physical inactivity, and being overweight or obese.

Persons with coronary heart diseases- angina or who have had a heart attack due to atherosclerosis have more than twice the risk of stroke than those who haven’t. If atherosclerosis is present in the coronary arteries, there is more possibility of there being atherosclerosis in other parts of the body.  Physical activity helps to control blood cholesterol, diabetes and weight as well as lower blood pressure in some individuals. Excess weight increases the heart’s work. On the positive side, regularly monitoring blood pressure with medication, giving up smoking and eating a healthy diet have a beneficial effect on risk of either condition.
Dr Sandeep Padmanabhan,Senior specialist,Neurologist, Aster Medcity