Healthy cardiovascular lifestyle may reduce risk of stroke- Recent Medical Outcome

As we know Genes and lifestyle factors together play a role in stroke risk. According to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. "People at high risk for stroke, adopting a healthy cardiovascular lifestyle may significantly lower the risk of stroke in their lifetime" According to Senior study author Myriam Fornage, Ph.D., FAHA, professor of molecular medicine and human genetics at the Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas, Health Science Center, Houston, a well-managed, modifiable risk factors, especially the treatment of hypertension, can noticeably lower an individual's risk of stroke,"     

"He confirmed that they may be able to mitigate the lifetime risk of stroke by modifying other risk factors and that regardless of genetics—whether you have a high polygenic risk score or low polygenic risk score—maintaining good cardiovascular health decreases the lifetime risk of stroke. So, modifiable risk factors are crucial in preventing stroke." For the study, researchers reviewed data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, a community-based study of more than 11,500 white and Black adults over the age of 45, who had no history of stroke at enrollment. Study participants were followed for 28 years; 45% were men, and 55% were women.         

Researchers estimated the lifetime risk of a first stroke according to levels of genetic risk based on a stroke polygenic risk score. Polygenic risk scores were derived from over 3 million genetic variants, or single-nucleotide polymorphisms, across the whole genome. Participants were categorized as having either low, intermediate, or high genetic risk based on an analysis of how many stroke-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms they had.  

The researchers investigated the potential impact of the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7.  Life's Simple 7 scores are a composite measure of seven modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors: smoking status, physical activity, healthy diet, body mass index, total cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose levels. Cardiovascular health is categorized as optimal, average, or inadequate based on each participant's total score of ideal cardiovascular health components according to Life's Simple 7. For this analysis, Life's Simple 7 scores were combined with the polygenic risk score to estimate lifetime stroke risk.     

This study used the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 metrics, which were established in 2010. On June 29, 2022, the organization expanded and relaunched the recommendations to Life's Essential 8, adding sleep as an additional component of heart health."

This is the first step in using genetic information to identify people who may be at higher risk for stroke, and also in motivating people to make lifestyle changes for cardiovascular disease prevention," Fornage said. "This type of study shows us the possibilities for the future. Polygenic risk scores are not used clinically at this point; however, this may be the first step towards achieving personalized risk information to be used in lifestyle and health change. Having optimal cardiovascular health is crucial in stroke prevention."     

The authors note that one major limitation of the study is that a polygenic risk score is a tool that needs improvement before it can be used broadly. The tool was developed and validated only among people who are white, which means it cannot be used to predict stroke risk accurately in people from diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds. 

The outcome of the study: 

1. At age 45, study participants with the lowest polygenic risk scores had the lowest lifetime risk of stroke, 9.6%. The lifetime risk of stroke was 13.8% for participants with an intermediate polygenic risk score and 23.2% for participants with a high polygenic risk score. 

2. Those with both high genetic risk for stroke and low cardiovascular health had the highest lifetime risk of stroke score of 24.8%. 

3. Across all polygenic risk score categories (low, intermediate, and high), people with optimal cardiovascular health had the most significant reduction in lifetime risk of stroke. Participants who had a high polygenic risk and optimal cardiovascular health were observed to mitigate their lifetime risk of stroke by up to 43%, compared to those with inadequate cardiovascular health. This translated into about six additional years without a stroke.

If you want to keep your heart healthy, eat dark fruits and vegetables, give preference to whole grains.....

Nowadays everybody has self-consciousness about their health. New research and practical practices also give us updates to maintain our health well. recently, new guidelines from the American Heart Association have been issued. the main points of these guidelines are if we wish to keep our heart healthy, have to eat dark fruits and vegetables, give preference to whole grains, and avoid oils like palm, and do workouts. Eating well for heart health doesn't necessarily mean staying away from burgers, french fries, or cold drinks. But it has to be kept in mind that these things should not be included in the regular diet. This is to say of Dr. Robert Eckel, former head of the American Heart Association.  

Lead author Dr. Alice H. Liechtenstein said that instead of pressurizing people with admonitions like 'don't eat, we have tried to promote such eating patterns, which keep the heart-healthy. These habits that will help in making the right eating pattern, will also reduce the risk related to the heart. if we do a minimum of 150 minutes of workout in a week, we may reduce heart-related risks by keeping the weight balanced throughout life. A workout of 150 minutes a week keeps the energy balance right too. Energy needs decrease by 70-100 calories for every decade of age. Therefore, regular tracking of diet is necessary. 

Eat dark-colored fruits and vegetables - Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, they will get more phytochemicals. These are helpful in preventing serious life-threatening diseases. Necessary nutrients are more in dark-colored fruits and vegetables in comparison to the lighter ones. Eating whole fruits and vegetables instead of juice will get more fiber. 

Use whole grains instead of refined - The nutrients in refined grains are removed. Therefore, give preference to food made from whole grains. Whole grains have three layers of bran, endosperm, and inner seed. Hence, they are rich in nutrients and fibres. It has been proved in many studies that eating whole grains helps in the control of heart risk factors. 

Choose Healthy Sources of Protein- To meet the protein requirement, eat legumes, nuts such as soybeans, pulses, chickpeas, and peas. These are good sources of fiber as well as protein. Choose dairy products to low fat or fat-free if you fond of to eat. These will help prevent weight gain and obesity. 

Eat less oil like coconut/palm - Experts believe that oils with polyunsaturated fats are better. These include soybean, corn, sunflower, and linseed oil. These reduce cardiovascular risk by up to 30%. Whereas, tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil increase both HDL and LDL cholesterol. Therefore, it should be avoided to include them in food. 

Avoid added sugar/salt- Avoid items and drinks that contain added sugar. This increases the risk of diabetes and heart diseases. Salt (sodium chloride) has a direct relationship with blood pressure. Its low consumption helps in controlling blood pressure. Apart from this, experts believe that doctors must talk to patients for five minutes about the number of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains they eat. Or how much do they know about their benefits.

Stay healthy, stay safe...