HEALTHY LIFESTYLE REDUCES WOMEN'S STROKE RISK by John Phillip Thursday, December 16, 2010 Stroke is a debilitating and

often deadly condition that strikes more than 800,000 people each year and ranks as the third leading cause of death. A stroke is caused by a blockage of blood flow to the brain from either a clot or blood vessel constriction. The condition is largely the result of poor lifestyle choices that cause arterial stiffening, alter metabolism and blood lipids and raise blood pressure. Fortunately you can dramatically lower your risk of stroke by making lifestyle changes; include targeted nutritional supplements shown to insulate against this devastating condition. Study Shows First Stroke Risk can be Slashed by 80% Along with heart disease and cancer, stroke can be categorized as another preventable lifestyle disease. Information published in the Journal of the American Heart AssociationpublicationStrokeexplains that first time stroke incidence can be lowered by 80% by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Modifiable lifestyle changes include not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and regular physical activity and eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. The study finds that the two most important factors for lowering stroke risk include reducing blood pressure and improving blood lipid and cholesterol ratios. Increased blood pressure is known to lead to arterial stiffening or hardening of the arteries that is a significant risk factor for a first stroke. Elevated levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol and low protective HDL cholesterol add fuel to the inflammatory fires that cause damage to the inner lining of blood vessel walls. The report concluded that the rise in stroke incidence was mainly due to population aging and increases in obesity. Folic Acid and Green Tea Independently Lower Stroke Risk Health conscious individuals already follow a healthy protocol that significantly lowers risk of stroke and many lifestyle mediated diseases. Eliminating processed foods and ensuring moderate daily exercise are known to lower blood pressure and affect blood metabolites that set the stage for an ischemic attack. You can further reduce your risk by adding folic acid (vitamin B9) and green tea catechins to your supplemental arsenal. The results of a study published in the journal Hemodialysis showed that supplementation with folic acid dramatically reduced the thickening of the carotid artery wall, a standard marker for stroke risk analysis. Individuals taking 10 mg of folic acid three times a week for a period of two years were shown to have a 25% lower risk of a

first stroke. Folic acid reduces blood levels of homocysteine that are associated with arterial wall hardening. Research published in the journal Stroke concludes that drinking the equivalent of three cups of green tea each day could prevent the onset of ischemic stroke. Green tea contains powerful antioxidants called catechins (EGCG) that help lower blood pressure by naturally increasing levels of nitric oxide in the blood. Stroke rates increase dramatically in the aging population as blood pressure tends to slowly elevate into the danger zone. This silent killer can be prevented through a series of lifestyle changes that have been shown to lower stroke risk by 80%. Include folic acid and green tea catechins as part of your daily supplement routine and live a life free of risk from this devastating condition It has been proven that exercising can reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol and the risk of developing diabetes. It would reduce the risk of strokes eventually. Quitting smoking in five years will make the individual to reduce the risk of heart attacks as well as the risk of stroke returns to the level of people who have never smoked. Tobias Kurth, M.D., Sc.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues studied the association between healthy lifestylesand stroke risk in 37,636womenage 45 years or older. At the beginning of the study, in 1993, the women answered questions about their smoking habits, alcohol consumption, diet, exercise routine and body mass index. From their responses, the researchers gave each woman a health index score that ranged from zero to 20, with a higher score indicating a healthier lifestyle. Healthy behavior was defined as never smoking, consuming four to 10.5 alcoholic drinks per week, exercising four or more times per week, having a body mass index of less than 22 and maintaining a healthy diet. This included consuming high levels of cereal fiber, folate and omega-3 fatty acids, a high ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat and low levels of trans fat and glycemic load. http://www.naturalnews.com/020372_stroke_healthy_health.html#ixzz1LcpGEc4C

ISL WEEK 14

adding folic acid (vitamin B9) reduces blood levels of homocysteine that are associated with arterial wall hardening green tea catechins lowers blood pressure by naturally increasing levels of nitric oxide in the blood

reduce the risk of developing diabetes

reduce high blood pressure

Taking supplement

Exercise regulary

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE REDUCES WOMEN'S STROKE RISK Quitting smoking A healthy diet

Reduce the risk of stroke returns to the level of people who have never smoked

PREPARED BY: ZULAIKHA BINTI ABD RAHMAN NUR ADZRINI BINTI MOHD NAYAN NUR FARHANABINTI MUHAMAD FUAD MONA SHAZREEN BINTI MOHD ZAINI NUR HAYATI BINTI JAMALUDIN

consuming high levels of cereal fiber, folate and omega-3 fatty acids, a high ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat and low levels of trans fat and glycemic load