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According to the National Stroke Association, stroke is the number one killer of Americans.  These “brain attacks” occur when blood flow to the brain is interrupted (an ischemic stroke) or when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or bursts (a hemorrhagic stroke).  800,000 people annually are affected by stroke, and for an alarming 144,000 people, the result is death.

There are both controllable and uncontrollable factors that can lead to stroke, such as genetics, age and race.  However, research has recently discovered more of these risk factors, from your diet to where you live.

Being a Southerner

Also called the ‘Stroke Belt’, the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama show larger number of stroke incidences.  A study published in the journal Neurology in 2009 reported that among blacks, being born in the Stroke Belt increased the risk of stroke by 22 percent. For whites, the number was 30 percent. Part of the reason may be due to risk factors like poor diet, smoking and obesity, which may start earlier in southern states.

Diet High in Fat

Researchers from the University of North Carolina found that post menopausal women who consumed high fat diets had 40 percent more incidences of ischemic stroke than low fat eaters. Trans fats, found in processed foods increased risk dramatically. The group of women who consumed seven grams of trans fat each day had 30 percent more stroke incidents than those who ate one gram.

Being Single

A Tel Aviv University study of more than 10,000 Israeli men found that those who were married at midlife were 64 percent less likely to die of a stroke during the next 34 years than single men. The data was adjusted for other stroke risk factors like socioeconomic status, blood pressure and smoking.

Positive Attitude

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston reported in 2001 that among older individuals, positive moods and attitudes protected against strokes. Even incremental increases in happiness helped: For every step up on the researchers’ happiness scale, male participants’ stroke risk dropped 41 percent. Women’s risk dropped 18 percent per happiness unit.

Obesity

According to researchers from the University of Minnesota the more you weigh, the more likely you will have a stroke.  The relationship between weight and stroke is that your health is in jeopardy.  Obesity is linked with high blood pressure and diabetes, risk factors that increase your chance of stroke.

Smoking

According to the American Heart Association, smoking doubles your risk of stroke. Fortunately, quitting can drop that risk back down, even for heavy smokers. One 1988 study found that former smokers had the same rate of stroke as nonsmokers five years after quitting.

Demographics

Blacks have twice the incidence of strokes as whites, according to the American Heart Association.  Blacks have increased rates of diabetes and high blood pressure which could be a factor.

In addition, researchers at the University of Southern California reported that women aged 35 to 64 are almost three times as likely to have a stroke as men of the same age. The reason may be that women in midlife carry more abdominal fat than men, which is another risk factor for stroke.

SOURCE:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100316/sc_livescience/7waystoraiseyourriskofstroke

According to experts at the Institute of Medicine, high blood pressure is a neglected disease that needs significantly more attention from both doctors and patients.  David Fleming, an expert at the Institute of Medicine says that “Although hypertension is relatively easy to prevent, simple to diagnose and relatively inexpensive to treat, it remains the second leading cause of death among Americans.”

Experts say that in general, the higher the blood pressure, the greater the health risk.  Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, angina and dementia.

The shocking facts:

1 in 3 American adults suffer from hypertension

1 in 6 will eventually die from its consequences, which include heart disease and stroke

73 million Americans are affected by high blood pressure

65 percent of Americans with hypertension are NOT effectively managing the condition

The Institute of Medicine works with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the topic of hypertension is at the top of their priority list.  Last year, the CDC spent $50 million on hypertension-related outreach.

The Institute of Medicine wants the CDC to go for widespread policy changes rather than more small-scale education efforts. That means increased involvement with government agencies and private institutions. 

Together they want to highlight three specific recommendations that not only could save Americans over $18 million dollars in health costs annually, but save lives too.

1.       A simple reduction in salt intake could cut hypertension rates by 22 percent.

2.       If overweight Americans each lost 10 pounds, the panel predicts a 7 to 8 percent reduction in hypertension.

3.       Work with insurance companies to cut back on co-payments and deductibles for hypertension treatments, which can make medication prohibitively expensive.

Look for upcoming announcements sponsored by the CDC encouraging lifestyle changes, like weight loss and a better diet, which can greatly improve blood pressure.

SOURCE:  http://www.aolnews.com/health/article/americans-ignoring-serious-hypertension-problem-expertswarn/19370053?icid=main|main|dl4|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fhealth%2Farticle%2Famericans-ignoring-serious-hypertension-problem-experts-warn%2F19370053