Tips for the elderly to prevent stroke

According to her, a stroke is an acute disturbance in blood circulation in the brain that leads to brain damage. A stroke can be ischemic (lack of blood flow due to lack of blood flow to a certain part of the brain) or hemorrhagic (bleeding in brain tissue).

“There are two groups of factors that cause stroke: factors that cannot be influenced – gender (men are more likely to have a stroke), genetic predisposition and age. And factors that, fortunately, can be influenced and are more – high blood pressure, bad habits (smoking and alcohol), sedentary lifestyle, excess weight and certain diseases,” she says.

According to her, it is very important to maintain an active lifestyle even in old age, as it is recommended to do moderate exercise for 30 minutes, five days a week. Walking at a moderate pace and swimming also help prevent stroke.

“Of course, the diet should be balanced and healthy and not contain foods rich in saturated fats, and replace them with foods rich in unsaturated fats – red fish, avocados, nuts, vegetable oils, as well as grains such as buckwheat, wild rice, bulgur, etc. You should also eat fruits and vegetables because they are rich in dietary fiber,” she says.

The doctor points out that people who suffer from high blood pressure should take the medications prescribed by the doctor and reduce salt consumption, taking into account that many foods contain a high percentage of salt, so they should be excluded.

According to her, the elderly usually suffer from atrial fibrillation, the long episodes of which lead to the formation of blood clots in the heart and can lead to an ischemic stroke. Therefore, they should consult a specialist doctor to prescribe the appropriate treatment to prevent these clots from occurring.

Source: Izvestia newspaper