Stroke Archive

You can do more than you think to avoid a fatal or debilitating "brain attack."

While there’s good evidence that omega-3s in the diet offer protection against heart disease and stroke, omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil supplements may not reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack among people with a high heart disease risk.

Q. I've been taking Coumadin for some time and have begun taking Plavix after having had several stents put in to open blocked arteries. My doctor said Plavix would prevent clots. Isn't that what Coumadin does?

Even at currently acceptable levels, air pollution may lead to blocked arteries and stroke.

Only two and a half years into its planned 10-year duration, the MESA study (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution) already suggests that fine particulate air pollution causes thickening of the arteries.

When stroke strikes, every minute's delay of treatment counts. A huge new study now shows the exact benefit of early treatment.

Ischemic stroke occurs when a clot blocks blood flow to the brain. Two million brain cells die every minute until blood flow is restored. Infusion of the clot-busting drug known as tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) can restore blood flow to the brain. However, tPA must be infused in a hospital, as quickly as possible, and no later than 4.5 hours after the stroke.

New studies show resolving heart problems now may preserve brain function later.

The heart and brain occupy different spaces within our bodies, but they have strikingly similar needs—including a steady supply of oxygen-rich blood and a network of open, unobstructed blood vessels to deliver it.

Careful compliance makes management of anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs safer.

If you have atrial fibrillation and have been prescribed an anticoagulant such as warfarin (Coumadin), there may come a time when your doctor will consider adding another type of blood thinner, called an antiplatelet agent, to your anti-clotting regimen. Examples of antiplatelet agents include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), and prasugrel (Effient).

Adding just a couple of extra servings of fiber to your diet each day might help lower your risk of a stroke, according to an analysis published online March 28 in the journal Stroke.

After looking at eight different studies from around the world, researchers found that people who increased total dietary fiber by 7 grams a day—which you can get by eating a bowl of whole-grain pasta, an apple, and a serving of tomatoes—had a 7% lower stroke risk. The authors say fiber may help ward off strokes via its ability to control weight and lower elevated cholesterol levels. Women, on average, eat only 13 grams of fiber each day. To ensure you're getting enough fiber in your diet (25 grams daily for women), try to incorporate plenty of whole grains (brown rice, whole-wheat bread, quinoa), fruits, and vegetables into your diet.

If you toss and turn at night or rattle the windows with your snores, you may be headed for heart trouble.

Sleep, Shakespeare knew, is the chief nourisher in life's feast. Without restful sleep, your heart health deteriorates.

Women who walk every week are less likely to have a stroke than women who don't.

Here's another reason to start walking: recent research shows that women who walk at least three hours a week have a 43% lower stroke risk compared with women who are inactive. Women walkers also have a lower stroke risk than women who do other high-intensity exercise. "Walking is a more consistent, gradual training program, as opposed to high-intensity exercise that can result in sudden increases in blood pressure, which can be dangerous," says Dr. Michael R. Jaff, chair of the Institute for Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.