The risk of stroke is higher in a given group of adults under the age of 60, according to one study

According to a published study, people who reported being eight hours or more daily and not very physically active were otherwise seven times more likely to have a stroke than people who spent less than four hours sitting and sitting. and at least 10 minutes of exercise each day. a Stroke of the American Heart Association.

The researchers included in their analysis the health information of 143,000 adults from the Canadian Community Health Survey. The scientists followed the participants, who were 40 years and older with no history of stroke, for an average of 9.4 years.

“Sedentary time is believed to affect glucose, lipid metabolism and blood flow and increase inflammation in the body,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Raed Joundi, clinical scholar at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. “These changes, over time, can have adverse effects on blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.”

Of the 2,965 strokes that participants had during the study period, 90% were ischemic strokes. These are the most common type of stroke, Joundi said, and occur when an artery that supplies blood to the brain is blocked.

If the stroke is not treated quickly, brain cells in that area may begin to die from lack of oxygen, he added.

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Signs of a stroke

There are multiple signs that someone may have a stroke, said Kerry Stewart, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, who did not participate in the study.

The most common symptoms are the feeling of weakness in the arms, legs or face, especially if the sensation is isolated on one side of the body, he said.

Confused speech and difficulty seeing or hearing are other signs that a stroke may have, according to Stewart.

If you suddenly have an intense headache that is unrelated to any other known illness you have, it could also be a symptom of a stroke, he noted.

How to decrease the chances of stroke

Increasing physical activity while decreasing sedentary time can help reduce the risk of stroke, Stewart said.

He noted that people can start by stopping more and sitting less, and making small changes in their routine such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

According to the American Heart Association, adults should perform at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity. Joundi said it is ideal for this activity to take place in periods of more than 10 minutes at a time.

“Activities are considered to be of moderate intensity when you exercise enough to increase your heart rate and sweat, such as walking fast or cycling,” he said.

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Previous research has shown that 10 potentially modifiable risk factors, including alcohol consumption, are associated with 90% of strokes, Joundi said, so that “90% of strokes could in theory be prevented if ‘eliminate all these risk factors in a population’.

To reduce the risk of stroke, Joundi recommended that people focus on more than decreasing sedentary leisure time.

“Improving physical activity is just one important component of reducing the risk of stroke, along with a nutritious diet, quitting smoking and diagnosing and treating conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes,” he said.

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