Obese people are more likely to have a stroke. Elderly people should pay attention to these in cold seasons.

Stroke is the leading cause of death among Chinese residents. According to relevant data, there are 14.94 million stroke patients in my country, 3.3 million new strokes occur each year, and 1.54 million people die from stroke each year. About 80% of stroke survivors are left with varying degrees of disability, which brings great burdens to families and society.

October 29, 2024 is the 19th World Stroke Day. On the morning of that day, Zhejiang Hospital held the 2024 World Stroke Day theme promotion and large-scale charity clinic event "Integration of Sports and Medicine to Defeat Stroke" in Xianghe Future Community, Deqing County.

"Stroke is preventable and controllable. It is imperative to effectively screen high-risk factors for stroke, implement precise control over high-risk groups, and minimize the incidence of stroke." Professor Wan Shu, deputy director of Zhejiang Hospital and leader of the Brain Center, pointed out that the "three highs" - high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high blood lipids, as well as excessive weight, coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation and other heart disease-related diseases, are all high-risk factors for stroke.

Stroke is more common in obese people

Elderly people should keep warm when exercising in the morning

Effective integration of physical exercise and medicine can nip stroke in the bud as much as possible. In many cases, the public knows the importance of healthy exercise, but it is difficult to practice it persistently. It is particularly important to strengthen popular science education. Wan Shu suggested that people should do aerobic exercise at least three to four times a week to control their weight, and control the three high indicators in a good range as much as possible through reasonable mood regulation to prevent the occurrence of diseases to the greatest extent.

"The incidence of ischemic stroke has shown a clear upward trend recently, especially cerebral infarction is more common in obese people. They do not exercise much, and their blood is prone to stagnation, which is more likely to occur in cold seasons." Wan Shu mentioned that the elderly prefer to get up early to exercise. In autumn and winter, the morning temperature is relatively low. If you do not do a good job of keeping warm, vasoconstriction and insufficient water intake may increase the risk of stroke. He suggested exercising when the sun is rising, and also pay attention to keeping warm during exercise.

"Patients often come to the hospital after suffering from acute cerebrovascular disease." Wan Shu said that early identification and screening of high-risk factors are of great significance. Patients with stroke-related diseases such as coronary heart disease and atrial fibrillation can be well controlled in outpatient clinics.

In addition, cerebrovascular disease itself should also be given high attention. The incidence of cerebrovascular stenosis is not low. Patients with cerebrovascular stenosis not only experience symptoms such as dizziness and unsteady walking, but are also the culprit of stroke. Currently, it can be quickly diagnosed through carotid artery B-ultrasound, cerebrovascular CTA, etc. It can be well controlled through drug or surgical treatment.

If residents find symptoms of stroke risk, they should quickly go to the nearest hospital with emergency treatment to minimize neurological damage and save brain cells. Zhejiang Hospital has established a one-stop stroke diagnosis and treatment system, with rich experience from early screening, in-hospital treatment, and early rehabilitation. Especially in ultra-early thrombolysis and thrombectomy, it can provide 7*24 hours of efficient treatment to ensure that patients receive timely and effective treatment. After the patient stabilizes, he/she will be transferred to home or community rehabilitation, and scientific remote guidance will be provided so that patients can leave the hospital without leaving the doctor, and receive timely guidance and care for drugs, psychology, etc. when new problems arise.

Stroke uncle lives in a wheelchair

Searching for "local doctors" and health products in vain

A 60-year-old man in Deqing had a history of diabetes and hypertension. After suffering a stroke, he was treated in a local hospital and survived, but he has been living in a wheelchair for more than half a year. During this period, he sought medical treatment everywhere and consulted "local doctors", but to no avail. Wang Fadi, director of the Public Health Consultation Studio of the Deqing County Charity Federation, recommended a neurologist from Zhejiang Hospital to him. Under his guidance, the man's lower limbs have recovered and he has returned to normal life.

"There are many elderly people like this. They don't know what to do, which doctor to see, and they blindly take a lot of health products." Wang Fadi pointed out that the health consultation studio plays the role of a public welfare "bridge", allowing the people to receive accurate medical treatment.

On the day of the event, Zhejiang Hospital organized a strong team of multidisciplinary experts from the Department of Neurointervention, Department of Neurology, Department of Neurosurgery, Department of Pharmacy, Hypertension Center, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Department of Gastroenterology, Department of Nutrition, Weight Management, Department of Respiratory Medicine, and Department of Endocrinology to provide health services and popular science to local residents, and offered a number of free public welfare projects such as atrial fibrillation screening and carotid artery B-ultrasound.

Wan Xiaoqing, director of the pharmacy department of Zhejiang Hospital and chief Chinese medicine pharmacist, taught residents Ba Duan Jin on site. "From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, exercise is divided into Yin exercise and Yang exercise. Gentle and soothing Yin exercise is more recommended for the elderly, as it does not harm the body." She said that traditional health-preserving exercises can promote the circulation of Qi and blood in the body, strengthen the spleen and stimulate the appetite, and are a maintenance method suitable for middle-aged and elderly people. It is very useful for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular prevention. "Clear first before replenishing, unblock first before replenishing, and exercise is also a kind of 'oxygen supplement'. Relaxing in nature allows the Qi and blood in the body to flow smoothly, expel useless things, and then the Qi and blood will be nourished."

Can I take aspirin by myself if I suspect I have cerebrovascular disease? Do I need to take antihypertensive drugs if I find that my blood pressure is high? Residents have only a partial understanding of the health knowledge of stroke. Xu Shanhu, deputy director of the Department of Neurology at Zhejiang Hospital and deputy chief physician, reminded in a popular science lecture that cerebrovascular disease is divided into hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. It is difficult to determine whether it is cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral infarction before a cranial imaging examination. Taking aspirin orally before a clear diagnosis will undoubtedly "add insult to injury" if it is found to be cerebral hemorrhage. And increased blood pressure is likely to be a stress response to cerebrovascular disease. The arbitrary use of antihypertensive drugs may lead to reduced perfusion and worsening symptoms. Therefore, if you suspect a stroke, the best way is to send it to the hospital and let the doctor deal with it. Xu Shanhu said.