Lowering Your Risk Of Stroke

(CARLSBAD, CA) - You may read more about heart disease and cancer, but strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of disability. Every year about 4 million people worldwide die after a stroke, with millions of others experiencing their first stroke and surviving with various levels of impairment.

Strokes occur when a clot or fatty deposit blocks normal blood flow to an area of the brain. Depending on which area of the brain is damaged, disabilities can range from speech impairment to memory problems to paralysis on the right or left side of the body.

Quick response to stroke symptoms can make a tremendous difference in preventing permanent brain damage or even death. Individuals who seek medical treatment within three hours of experiencing symptoms have the best chance of recovering with limited or no disability within three months.

Stroke symptoms include:

— sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side

— confusion

— difficulty speaking or understanding speech

— blurred, dimness or loss of vision, especially in one eye

— dizziness, trouble walking and loss of balance/coordination

— severe headache with no known reason

Knowing your risk factors is also important. They include:

— hypertension/high blood pressure

— Body Mass Index (BMI)/obesity

— heart disease

— diabetes

— high cholesterol

— smoking

— stress

As might be expected, the more risk factors you have the greater your risk of having a stroke. Transient ischemic attacks (TIA) are another predictor of stroke. TIA symptoms are virtually identical to stroke symptoms, however they often cease within an hour and leave no lasting impairments. Still, individuals who experience a TIA should seek medical assistance as soon as possible to determine an appropriate course of treatment. About one third of individuals who have a TIA will experience an acute stroke in the future.

Fortunately, says Judi Sheppard Missett, Jazzercise founder and CEO, there are things you can do to lower your risk of having a stroke. They include:

— control related conditions, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, hypertension and high blood pressure

— quit smoking

— eat fish; researchers involved in a 12-year study found that individuals who ate fish one to three times a month had a significantly lower risk of ischemic stroke than those who ate fish less than once per month. (Eating fish more often – five or more times per month – did not have added benefits.)

— exercise; a report in the October 2003 issue of the American Heart Association journal “Stroke” stated that highly active people had a 27 percent lower risk of stroke than their inactive counterparts. Similar results were found for people who were moderately active.

Exercise also can avert recurrent strokes, but if you’ve had a stroke, be sure to obtain your doctor’s approval before beginning an exercise program. If you’re not sure where to start or what’s best for you, start by pursuing activities you enjoy.  If you like to dance, put on your favorite music, push the coffee table back and try the following step.

Stand with your feet hip width apart, and your knees and toes pointing forward.  Pull your abdominal muscles in and relax your shoulders.  Widen your stance by quickly stepping out first with your right foot then with your left, as you reach your arms up into a ‘V’ position overhead. Immediately step back in quickly, first with your right foot then with your left and bend into a slight crouch position. Pull your arms in to your waist.  Reverse and step out and in leading with your left foot, and continue alternating sides until you feel like changing to another dance step.  Your steps should have a quick, darting movement out and in.  Keep your chest lifted and your head held high as you do this move; avoid bending forward from the waist or shoulders. 

Jazzercise, created by Judi Sheppard Missett, is the world's leading dance-fitness program with more than 6,800 instructors teaching 30,000 classes weekly in the U.S. and around the globe. Since 1969, millions of people of all ages and fitness levels have reaped the benefits of this comprehensive program, designed to enhance cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility. For more information on Jazzercise go to jazzercise.com or call (800)FIT-IS-IT or (760)476-1750.

Courtesy of Jazzercise, Inc. - jazzercise.com