Young people, lifestyles and stroke

Think "stroke" and we usually think about an elderly relative or friend who may have suffered one.

Maybe that's why some experts have taken to using what they think is a more accurate descriptive term, "brain attack," which is what happens when the arteries leading to the brain are blocked or rupture.

Whatever it's called, we can help prevent this disabling condition by making better lifestyle decisions in our earlier years, something younger Americans need to hear.

According to results of a survey released by the American Stroke Association, Americans between ages 18 and 24 believe they're living healthy lifestyles, but most of them eat too much fast food, drink too many alcoholic and sugar sweetened beverages and engage in other behaviors that could put them at risk of stroke.

Ironically, nine out of 10 of them think they're living healthy lifestyles.

While, on average, they want to live to age 98, a third of the 18 to 24-year-olds don't believe in engaging in healthy behaviors now could affect their risk of stroke in the future, and 18 percent could not identify at least one stroke risk factor.

"Young adults need to make a connection between healthy behaviors and a healthy brain and healthy heart," said Ralph Sacco, M.D., neurologist and president of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

They need to know things like, for instance, they can reduce their risk of having a first stroke by as much as 80 percent by eating a low-fat diet high in fruits and vegetables, drinking alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages in moderation, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy body weight and not smoking.

Naturally, we tend to worry more about our health as we age, the survey confirmed.

* Only 22 percent of 35-44-year-olds said they were not concerned about cardiovascular diseases and conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and stroke.

* Thirty-six percent of 25-34-year-olds said they were not concerned about cardiovascular diseases and conditions.

* Forty-three percent of 18-24-year-olds were least concerned about cardiovascular disease.

* All groups said that they're least worried about stroke as a personal health threat.

As a reminder, stroke occurs when a blood vessel in or leading to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot. When this happens, part of the brain can't get the blood or oxygen it needs, so it starts to die. Depending on the severity of the stroke, immobility or paralysis may occur. In the United States, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds.

Thankfully, the prognosis for stroke victim has improved over the years, provided the victim receives proper treatment in a timely manner.

The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association are using this month, Stroke Awareness Month, to add momentum to their goal of improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20 percent.

To find out more, visit My Life Check at www.mylifecheck.heart.org and StrokeAssociation.org.