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We are pleased to feature this guest post by Alanna Ritchie
One in four Americans who has a stroke
will have a second stroke, which may be more severe, and often
deadly, as they may affect parts of the brain that have already been
injured by the original stroke. Of the nearly 800,000 strokes that
occur every year, around 185,000 of them happen to people who have
had a stroke before. Strokes occur when the blood supply to the brain
is interrupted, and part of the stroke recovery process requires
taking whatever preemptive steps are possible to stop another stroke
from happening.
Eight Tips to Prevent Strokes
Some stroke
risk factors like age and medical history cannot be changed.
Others risk factors are in your control, allowing you to take steps
ahead of time to lessen the likelihood of recurrent strokes. These
controllable risk factors include lifestyle changes. Unchecked, an
unhealthy lifestyle can have physical consequences, such as high
blood pressure (hypertension), high blood sugar (diabetes) and high
blood fats (hyperlipidemia). Making lifestyle changes is a vital way
you can protect against future strokes.
Change lifestyle habits to prevent
strokes with these tips:
- Stop using tobacco products and avoid areas where others are smoking.
- Stay active for 30 minutes a day, even with low-impact exercise like housework, walking around the neighborhood or gardening.
- Spend time planning meals to make sure you consume at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
- Shy away from sugar and manage diabetes closely, if you've been diagnosed, as people with diabetes are four times more likely to have a stroke.
- Strictly monitor alcohol use, as studies show that over two drinks a day may lead to increasing the risk of stroke much as 50 percent.
- Snack on whole-grain crackers and fresh fruit instead of foods with high amounts of salt, fat or sugar.
- Schedule a yearly doctor's appointment to check blood pressure, blood sugar, blood fats and weight.
- Speak to your doctor if you've been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) -- an irregular heartbeat -- to see about taking medications to reduce stroke risk.
Medication to Prevent Strokes
Doctors may prescribe medications to
treat and prevent strokes, depending on the overall health and
pre-existing conditions of patients. Taking medication can be a
precaution that stops health problems from becoming exacerbated to
the point of causing strokes.
Types of medication to help prevent
stokes include:
- Antiplatelet agents, like aspirin
- Medication that lowers blood fats
- Medicine to control blood pressure, like calcium-channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors
- Medications to control blood sugar, for people who have diabetes
- Blood thinners like warfarin and Pradaxa
Risks Associated with Pradaxa
Be sure you are aware of possible side
effects before taking a new medication. Trials, studies and reports
of adverse events together have shown that Pradaxa
is associated with increased risk of heart attack and may lead to
uncontrollable bleeding events that can be fatal.
In 2010, Health Canada approved Pradaxa
(dabigatran), which offered patients an alternative to
high-maintenance blood thinners like warfarin. Boehringer Ingelheim
spent millions advertising Pradaxa as a convenient alternative to
other drugs, but reportedly minimized its dangers.
In just one year, 2011, the FDA
received reports of 817 adverse events involving Pradaxa.
The same year, QuarterWatch, a publication for the nonprofit
Institute of Safe Medication Practice, compiled reports from
additional sources, gathering a total of almost 4,000 adverse events.
Of this data, 542 cases were fatal.
Alanna Ritchie writes about
dangerous prescription drugs and medical devices for Drugwatch.com.
