Strokes (CVA) are a common neurological health issue, the 5thleading cause of death that leads into high disability in the U.S.A (CDC, 2017). Strokes are brain attacks that causes obstruction with blood flow to the brain and causes brain tissue to die. There are some ways to prevent strokes and health promotion for the patient and family. According to the CDC, 80% of CVA’s can be preventable.

According to CDC, ways to control or prevent CVA, that we can control are:

1. Diabetes
2. Hypertension
3. High cholesterol
4. Healthy diet
5. Obesity
6. Atherosclerosis
7. Peripheral artery disease (PVD)
8. Atrial fibrillation
9. Sickle cell
10. Coronary heart disease Behaviors that we cannot control that causes stroke are:
    1. Age
    2. Family history
    3. Gender
    4. Race (n.d.). Retrieved from American Stroke Association: https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/stroke-symptoms/
       Center of Disease Control. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/facts.htm
       Donkor, E. S. (2018, November). Stroke in the 21st Century: A Snapshot of the Burden, Epidemiology, and Quality of Life. Stroke Research & Treatment.
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       Medical statistics show that every 40 seconds somebody in United States has a stroke. The medical community is very focused on finding ways to prevent strokes as much as possible, due to the fact that it can cause death, paralysis, weakness, limited mobility, speech, thinking, memory.

Diet is considered one of the significant factors that can assist in prevention based on the fact that a healthy, balanced diet helps maintain a good metabolic health. Some studies show that “higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, dietary fiber, and dairy foods (milk, yogurt, cheese) was associated with lower risk of ischemic stroke. Higher intake of nuts, olive oil, and fish have all been associated with lower risk of stroke” (Diet and Stroke Prevention, 2020).

Other studies consider other common approaches such as physical exercise or maintaining a healthy weight, but others look into some uncommon factors such as herpes zoster and the importance of herpes zoster vaccination since “recent literature suggests that individuals who develop herpes zoster are at an increased risk of developing a stroke” (Klaric, J. S., Beltran, T. A., & McClenathan, B. M., 2019).

References:

Diet and Stroke Prevention. (2020). Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, 38(4), 1–7.

Klaric, J. S., Beltran, T. A., & McClenathan, B. M. (2019). An Association Between Herpes Zoster Vaccination and Stroke Reduction Among Elderly Individuals. Military Medicine, 184, 126–132. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/milmed/usy343