"Stroke", also known as "cerebral infarction", is a type of acute cerebrovascular disease. It is a large class of diseases that cause brain tissue damage due to sudden rupture of brain blood vessels or blood flow into the brain due to blood vessel blockage. Elderly people can prevent stroke by controlling underlying diseases, adjusting diet structure, exercising regularly, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption, and having regular physical examinations.
Stroke is often related to factors such as hypertension and arteriosclerosis. Early intervention can significantly reduce the incidence rate. How to prevent stroke in the elderly A large amount of evidence-based medical evidence shows that early intervention of risk factors for stroke can significantly reduce the risk of stroke. Intervention factors are the main targets of primary prevention of stroke. Primary prevention refers to prevention before the onset of the disease. For individuals with a tendency to stroke but no history of stroke, by changing unhealthy lifestyles early and actively controlling various risk factors, the goal of preventing or delaying the occurrence of cerebrovascular disease can be achieved.
Prevention and treatment of hypertension
(1) It is recommended that elderly people over 60 years old regularly measure their blood pressure through various methods (blood pressure monitors, smart watches, health bracelets, etc.).
(2) Conduct regular physical examinations every year, conduct risk assessments for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, and initiate drug treatment for hypertension promptly.
(3) People with high normal blood pressure (systolic blood pressure 120-139 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure 80-89 mmHg) should promote a healthy lifestyle and undergo annual screening for hypertension.
(4) People with early or mild hypertension should first change their lifestyle. If the effect is still poor after 3 months, antihypertensive drugs should be added for treatment.
(5) In addition to improving their eating habits and unhealthy lifestyles, patients with moderate or above hypertension should receive continuous and reasonable drug treatment.
(6) For patients with normal hypertension, it is recommended to lower their blood pressure to < 140/90 mmHg.
(7) Follow the doctor's instructions for individualized treatment of hypertension.
Smoking cessation
(1) Use comprehensive smoking control measures to intervene in smokers, including psychological counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, oral smoking cessation drugs, etc.
(2) Smokers should quit smoking, and non-smokers should also avoid passive smoking.
Prevention and treatment of diabetes
(1) People at high risk of cerebrovascular disease should regularly test their blood sugar and, if necessary, test their glycosylated hemoglobin or undergo a glucose tolerance test to identify diabetes or prediabetes early.
(2) Diabetic patients should improve their lifestyle, first control their diet, increase physical activity, and, if necessary, take oral hypoglycemic drugs or insulin therapy.
(3) When the blood pressure of diabetic patients is ≥140/90 mmHg, they should start using antihypertensive medication. The recommended target blood sugar control value is glycosylated hemoglobin <7.0%.
(4) The blood pressure target for diabetic patients with hypertension should be <130/80 mmHg.
Timely detection and treatment of atrial fibrillation
(1) Adults should undergo regular physical examinations to detect atrial fibrillation and other heart diseases early.
(2) Patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation are advised to take oral aspirin or warfarin under the guidance of a specialist and undergo individualized anticoagulant or antiplatelet aggregation therapy. The treatment plan should take into account the risk of bleeding, economic burden, individual tolerance, etc.
Preventing and treating dyslipidemia
Adopting a healthy lifestyle is the first step in lipid management and must be maintained throughout the life cycle.
(1) Reduce the intake of saturated fatty acids (<7% of total calories) and cholesterol (300-500 mg/d), and choose foods that can lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, such as plant sterols (2 g/d) and soluble viscous fiber (10-25 g/d).
(2) Establish a healthy lifestyle: quit smoking, control diet, lose weight, increase physical exercise, etc.
(3) It is recommended that men over 40 years old and postmenopausal women should have blood lipid tests every year, and people at high risk of stroke should be tested every 3-6 months.
(4) Use statins under the guidance of a doctor to regulate blood lipids.
Diet and nutrition
(1) It is recommended that the diet should be diversified and the energy and nutrient intake should be reasonable; increase the consumption of whole grains, beans, potatoes, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, and reduce the intake of saturated fat and trans fatty acids.
(2) Reducing sodium intake and increasing potassium intake are beneficial for lowering blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of stroke; the recommended salt intake is ≤6g/d.
(3) People with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors should control their daily dietary cholesterol intake.
(4) There is a significant negative correlation between the intake of citrus fruits, apples, pears and leafy vegetables and the risk of stroke. It is recommended to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables (maximum beneficial amount 400g/d).
Strengthen physical activity
It is recommended to choose individualized physical activities that suit you to reduce the risk of cerebrovascular disease.
(1) Elderly people and people at high risk of stroke should undergo maximum exercise load testing and then develop individualized exercise prescriptions for exercise.
(2) Healthy adults should have at least 3 to 4 aerobic exercises of moderate or higher intensity (such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling or other aerobic exercises, etc.) per week, each lasting at least 40 minutes.
(3) People who mainly sit in their daily work are recommended to do short (2 to 3 minutes) physical activities every hour of sitting.