Interstroke Study published in the Lancet identified that 10 risk factors caused 88-90% of all strokes (both hemorrhagic and ischemic).
1. Hypertension
2. Current smoking
3. Low waist to hip ratio
4. Unhealthy diet
5. Lack of regular exercise
6. Moderate or high alcohol intake
7. Psychosocial stress
8. Depression
9. High ratio of apoB to apoA1 lipoprotein (i.e. high cholesterol)
10. Diabetes
Reference: Interstroke Study, Lancet
I am a vegetarian.
Often people are surprised and they ask me – “How do you get your proteins (i.e. without eating meat)?”
My answer – “Vegetables also contain proteins.”
Now a new study published in Circulation compared the blood pressure between individuals who ate vegetable protein (specifically glutamic acid along with 4 other amino acids which are relatively higher in vegetable than animal protein) with people who ate non-vegetable protein (read animal meat).
They found a difference of about -2.7/-2.0 mm Hg in blood pressure in people eating more vegetables. Although that may sound small, individual results may be different (and maybe higher for you).
Reference: Glutamic Acid, the Main Dietary Amino Acid, and Blood Pressure (The INTERMAP Study)
A recent meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal compared the efficacy of different classes of blood pressure medications in preventing coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke.
The investigators found that all blood pressure medicines are equally effective in preventing CAD and stroke.
Beta Blockers (e.g. metoprolol, carvedilol) were more effective in preventing future episodes of heart attacks in people who already had one. For primary prevention of CAD beta blockers were no more effective than other blood pressure lowering medications.
For 10mm reduction in systolic BP and 5mm diastolic BP:-
Risk reduction in CAD = 22%
Risk reduction in stroke = 41%
Calcium channel blockers (e.g. amlodipine) were slightly more effective in preventing stroke than other classes of medicines.
High blood pressure or hypertension is extremely common. Long standing hypertension has many complications including heart attack and stroke.
Here are a couple of YouTube videos explaining blood pressure and its complications in about 6 minutes.
What is Blood pressure (3 min)?
(This video was updated on November 13, 2008 as the previous video was removed from youtube)
Effects of high blood pressure on your body (3 min)?
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