When a stroke occurs, it can have a major impact on daily life, with after-effects including paralysis of half the body and difficulty speaking
If the symptoms are severe, the patient may not be able to live independently and may require constant care. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the leading cause of becoming bedridden is stroke, including cerebral infarction①Prevention is important so that people can live independent, authentic lives
What are the characteristics of people who are more likely to develop or suffer from a stroke?
There are various reasons why people are more susceptible to cerebral infarction. Here we will explain the causes and countermeasures
reference)
table of contents
Causes of cerebral infarction
The causes of cerebral infarction include aging, lifestyle habits, and lifestyle-related diseases②
Aging-related
① High blood pressure
Hypertension is defined as blood pressure consistently above 140/90 mmHg. It is the most dangerous disease that causes cerebral infarction. Blood vessels also age, so blood pressure increases with age. High blood pressure damages blood vessels and accelerates arteriosclerosis, which narrows the inside of blood vessels. Furthermore, if there is a blood clot (blood clot) in the heart or neck blood vessels, high blood pressure (blood pressure) can cause the clot to travel to the blood vessels of the brain, resulting in a cerebral infarction
②Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a type of cardiac arrhythmia. The cause is unclear, but it is said to be related to aging. Symptoms include an irregular pulse when you feel it on your wrist, palpitations, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Sometimes there are no symptoms and it is only discovered through an electrocardiogram. In atrial fibrillation, blood in the heart stagnates in one area, which can lead to the formation of a blood clot. If this blood clot travels through the bloodstream and reaches the blood vessels of the brain, it can cause a cerebral infarction
Lifestyle-related diseases and lifestyle-related diseases
① Diabetes
Diabetes is defined as a condition in which several of the following conditions are met: HgA1C (hemoglobin A1C) is 6.5% or higher, fasting blood sugar is 136 mg/dl or higher, random blood sugar is 200 mg/dl or higher, and urine sugar is (+) or higher. When you have diabetes, sugar overflows into your blood, causing it to become "thick." As a result, blood flow becomes poor and blood vessels become more likely to become clogged, blood vessel walls thicken, and arteriosclerosis progresses, which can lead to cerebral infarction
②Dyslipidemia
Dyslipidemia is defined as LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) levels of 140 mg/dL or higher, HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) levels of less than 40 mg/dL, and triglycerides levels of 150 mg/dL. When there is too much LDL cholesterol or triglycerides, they accumulate in the blood and accelerate arteriosclerosis. Because HDL cholesterol has the role of removing LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol can also lead to arteriosclerosis
④Smoking
When you smoke, nicotine constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. It also leads to arteriosclerosis. It is said that men who smoke 20 or more cigarettes a day are twice as likely to develop a cerebral infarction, and women are more than four times as likely to do so, compared to non-smokers③
⑤Drinking
Like smoking, drinking alcohol constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. Also, because alcohol tends to be high in calories, excessive drinking can lead to dyslipidemia and the formation of blood clots
High blood pressure, which was mentioned as a cause of aging, can also be caused by lifestyle-related diseases such as excessive salt intake. In addition, the more lifestyle-related diseases and habits you have, the more likely you are to develop a stroke
Measures to prevent cerebral infarction
Strokes become more likely with age due to the weakening of blood vessels and the heart, but many are caused by lifestyle habits and lifestyle-related diseases. Therefore, lifestyle adjustments are a preventative measure
①Low-salt diet
High blood pressure is more likely to develop due to aging as well as excessive salt intake. Therefore, it is important to eat a low-salt diet. The nationally recommended salt intake is 8g or less per day. Check the nutritional information on food and be mindful of the amount of seasonings you use
② Regular and balanced meals
Diabetes and dyslipidemia are caused by irregular meal times and an unbalanced diet. It is important to eat three meals a day at the same time and to ensure a balanced intake of carbohydrates, protein, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. Be especially careful not to consume too much carbohydrate or lipids
3) No smoking, moderate drinking
It is known that quitting smoking for 5 to 10 years reduces the incidence of stroke, including cerebral infarction. Aim to quit smoking with support from smoking cessation clinics, etc③
When it comes to alcohol, excessive drinking can lead to high calorie intake and dyslipidemia, so try to drink in moderation. Specifically, it is recommended to limit alcohol intake to 25g per day (about 1 go of sake)④
reference)
③Characteristics of people at high risk of developing cerebral infarction (noukousoku-prevent.com)
④Alcohol and Dyslipidemia | e-Health Net (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (mhlw.go.jp)
summary
This time, we talked about the causes of cerebral infarction and countermeasures. Cerebral infarction is caused not only by aging but also by lifestyle habits and lifestyle-related diseases. Once a stroke occurs, the aftereffects can have a major impact on daily life thereafter. Prevention is more important than anything else
Look back at your health checkup results and lifestyle habits, and start taking measures now
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"I'm curious, but I can't decide if prevention is really necessary now." You may be at risk of wandering life and death without realizing it, so Please feel free to contact us.
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