Nurse explains diet which 'causes strokes' and gives eight simple tips to avoid it

A nurse has spoken about the impact she saw of strokes on patients and their carers. Speaking on The Conversation website Siobhan Mclernon Senior Lecturer, Adult Nursing at the London South Bank University said the effects of strokes are so serious that people should do everything they can to avoid having them.

And she explained that after her nursing career in neurocritical care, she became a researcher specialising in strokes - and added that knowledge of ‘risk factors’ for them is ‘poor’. The Stroke Association says that someone is hit by one every five minutes in the UK, 100,000 people have strokes each year and there are 1.3 million stroke survivors in the UK and explained that people having diets packed with saturated fats including fatty meats, butter, cheese, and full-fat dairy are at big risk.

The NHS says a stroke is when blood stops flowing to a part of your brain. It can affect things like speech and movement, and take a long time to recover. Ms Mclernon said: ”As a nurse working in a neurocritical care, I witnessed the sudden and devastating effects of stroke on survivors and their carers.”

She said it can happen at any point in life with ‘growing’ cases in people under 55. She said: “Stroke risk factors that tend to be more common among older people – such as high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity and poor diet – are increasingly found in younger people. Other lifestyle risks include heavy alcohol consumption or binge drinking and recreational drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine and heroin.

“Some risk factors are not modifiable such as age, sex, ethnicity, family history of stroke, genetics and certain inherited conditions. Women, for example, are particularly susceptible to strokes – and women of all ages are more likely than men to die from a stroke. Stroke risks unique to women include pregnancy and some contraceptive pills (especially for smokers), as well as endometriosis, premature ovarian failure (before 40 years of age), early-onset menopause (before 45 years of age) and oestrogen for transgender women.”

In terms of risk factors she said “Studies have found that people with a lower income and education level are at a higher risk of having a stroke. This is due to a combination of factors. Unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as smoking, heavier drinking and lower physical activity levels are more common in people with lower incomes. But, regardless of biological or social risk factors, there are things you can do – right now – to reduce your risk of having a stroke.”

Here are her top 8 tips for avoiding strokes:

1. Don’t smoke. She said “Smokers are more than twice as likely to have a stroke than non-smokers. Smoking causes damage to blood vessel walls, increases blood pressure and heart rate but reduces oxygen levels. Smoking also causes blood to become sticky, further increasing the risk of blood clots that can block blood vessels and cause a stroke.”

2. Make sure you check blood pressure - one study showed those who had hypertension for six to 20 years were 50% more likely to have a stroke, and those who had high blood pressure for more than two decades were at 67% greater risk for a stroke than participants with normal blood pressure.

3. Cholesterol - According to the UK Stroke Association your risk of a stroke is nearly three and a half times higher if you have both high cholesterol and high blood pressure. To lower cholesterol, aim to keep saturated fat – found in fatty meats, butter, cheese, and full-fat dairy – below 7% of your daily calories, stay active and maintain a healthy weight.

4. High blood glucose levels are linked to an increased risk of stroke. This is because high blood sugar damages blood vessels, which can lead to blood clots that travel to the brain. To reduce blood glucose levels, try to take regular exercise, eat a balanced diet rich in fibre, drink enough water, maintain a healthy weight, and try to manage stress.

5. Lose weight. Being overweight or obese raises your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It can lead to your arteries becoming narrowed and clogged up (atherosclerosis). All these things can increase your risk of a stroke.

6. Health diet can help. Follow a Mediterranean diet One way to eat a fibre-rich balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight is to follow a Mediterranean diet. This has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, especially when supplemented with nuts and olive oil.

7. Sleep. Cambridge University research showed lack of sleep has been linked with factors such as disrupted metabolism and raised levels of the ‘stress hormone’ cortisol, all of which may lead to higher blood pressure and increased stroke risk.

8. Stay active The NHS recommends that people should avoid prolonged sedentary behaviour and aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week. Exercise should be spread evenly over four to five days a week, or every day. Do strengthening activities, usually more than two days per week.

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