Promoting ideal cardiovascular health is the best way to prevent strokes, vascular dementia and consequently maintain brain health, said Ralph L. Sacco, Professor and Olemberg Family Chair in Neurological Disorders, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, here on Sunday.
Delivering the 40th T.S. Srinivasan Endowment Oration, he said that though other advancements in medicine, particularly in the fields of neuroscience, genetics, and regenerative medicine, can bring considerable change in preventing and treating stroke, promotion of cardiovascular health was the most efficient way that did not require much of an investment.
Highlighting the ‘Life Simple 7’ formulated by American Heart Association to improve cardiovascular health by focussing on things like eating better, engaging in physical activity, avoiding smoking and managing cholestrol, blood pressure and sugar, he said that following these can directly address the major risk factors that can lead to stroke.
He added that consuming two drinks of alcohol per day (for men), and one drink a day (for women), was found to have positive effect in preventing risk factors associated with stroke. However, he added that any amount of increased consumption has been found to sharply increase the risks.
Citing data from the Northern Manhattan Study, which involved studying stroke risk factors among the people in Northern Manhattan, Dr Sacco said that it had shown direct correlation between addressing of risk factors and improvement in brain health.
To a question on genetic predisposition being a cause of non-communicable diseases, including some types of stroke, he said that it was not the key factor in majority of the cases. “In the US, we are seeing an increase in stroke at young age. They are not related to genetics. Genetics does not explain the majority (of the cases), only the minority,” he said.
On discussions around the connection between gut flora and brain health, he said that it was a promising area of intervention in the future although strong evidence has not emerged yet.
