According to the China Stroke Center Report 2020, the incidence of ischemic stroke has been increasing in the past decade, jumping from 129.1 million in 2010 to 145.1 million in 2019. Behind this data are the joys and sorrows of countless families, and the painful struggles of countless people.
A study published in the authoritative medical journal The Lancet is a wake-up call. The study, which delved into the causes of death among Chinese residents over a nearly three decades from 1990 to 2017, staggeringly topped the list.
In other words, stroke is still the primary threat to the health of Chinese residents, and the incidence rate is still on the rise.
However, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that although obesity rates in the United States are increasing year by year, the incidence of cerebral infarction continues to decline
The high rate of obesity in the United States is related to its food industry and eating habits. High intake of fast food, processed foods, sugars and carbonated beverages often leads to excess energy intake for many people, resulting in the accumulation of body fat.
However, is it possible to directly correlate obesity with the incidence of cerebral infarction?
First, we need to understand the medical mechanisms behind cerebral infarction. Cerebral infarction, also known as cerebral infarction or ischemic stroke, is usually caused by the interruption or reduction of blood**, resulting in insufficient oxygen and nutrients in the brain tissue.
Most cerebral infarctions are caused by blood clots or plaques in blood vessels that can be triggered by long-term high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and other cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Here, obesity is indeed associated with several of the risk factors mentioned above. Obesity is often accompanied by elevated cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and can also cause or worsen high blood pressure. From this perspective, obesity is indeed associated with an increased risk of cerebral infarction.
However, this does not mean that all obese people will have cerebral infarction, because the risk of cerebral infarction is affected by a variety of factors, including genetics, age, gender, lifestyle habits, etc.
For those who actively manage their health, eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and control their weight, their risk of cerebral infarction may be much lower than that of people with normal weight who neglect their health, smoke, drink alcohol, and lead irregular lifestyles.
Returning to the situation in the United States, despite the high obesity rate, the population is also highly concerned about health and education. Many obese people will undergo regular medical check-ups to keep abreast of and manage their health status to avoid the worsening of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
In addition, other risk factors associated with cerebral infarction, such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, are also effectively controlled in the United States. These provide explanations for its relatively low incidence of cerebral infarction.
Overall, obesity is indeed associated with an increased risk of cerebral infarction, but it is not the only risk factor. This also reminds us that when facing health problems, we cannot simply evaluate the health status of a country or region through one indicator or data, but should comprehensively analyze it from multiple dimensions.
Why is there more fat people in the United States, but the rate of cerebral infarction is lower?Doctor: "1 more and 1 less" is worth learning from
"1 more": polyfolic acid
Folic acid, a seemingly ordinary substance, plays an important role in the dietary habits of Americans, and is widely praised for its role in reducing the probability of cerebral infarction.
Folic acid promotes the synthesis of DNA, which is essential for the health and function of cells, which can threaten their function and survival if they do not have sufficient energy and raw materials.
Secondly, folic acid can also reduce the level of HCY in plasma, HCY is a marker of vascular damage, and its increase is closely related to the occurrence of stroke in hypertensive patients.
A study published in the journal The Lancet in Nutrition showed that folic acid supplementation can effectively reduce the risk of having a stroke.
The results of the study showed that the level of HCY in the human body decreased with the increase of folic acid intake, which further confirmed the important role of folic acid in the prevention of cerebral infarction.
"1 less": Eat less salt
In recent years, the number of hypertensive patients in China has been increasing, and one of the important reasons is the high-salt diet, according to the survey on the nutritional status of Chinese residents
In 2012, the per capita daily intake of cooking salt for residents aged 18 and above in China was 105 grams, combined with salt ingestion through processed foods and the salt inherent in the food itself, the actual salt intake of Chinese residents is estimated to be around 12 grams, far exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended intake of 5 grams.
Studies have found that for every 1g of salt retained in the human body, 111 is needed1** It is prepared with "normal saline" and stored in the tissues, which will lead to an increase in the water in the blood vessels, and the pressure on the blood vessel walls will also increase, which will easily cause high blood pressure over time.
When edible salt is ingested into the body, it will irritate blood vessels, trigger water and sodium retention, cause continuous increase in blood pressure, and cause damage to various organs.
The brain, an important target organ for high blood pressure to cause damage to the target organs, can cause atherosclerosis for a long time. In this case, cerebral arteriosclerosis is prone to stenosis of cerebral arteries after it occurs, and on this basis, cerebral thrombosis can also be manifested, resulting in cerebral infarction.
Compared with China, the intake of edible salt in the United States is relatively low, and the diet is mainly light, which helps to reduce salt intake, reduce the stimulation of one's own blood vessels, and thus reduce the probability of cerebral infarction.
There are 5 symptoms at the unprovoked end, and ten of them are the "distress signal" of cerebral infarction, so go to CT in time
Severe headache that occurs suddenly: Cerebral infarction may cause a lack of blood**, causing headaches;
Sudden onset of weakness or numbness in the face, arms, or legs: Cerebral infarction interferes with nerve signaling and may cause weakness or numbness on one side of the body
Sensory loss or deviation: cerebral infarction may cause paresthesias or loss of visual field, such as blurred vision or reduced visual field
Sudden onset of speech disturbance or confusion: Cerebral infarction may interfere with the speech center, causing speech impairment or confusion;
Sudden balance problems or unsteady gait: Cerebral infarction may affect the brain's balance control center, making it difficult or unstable to walk.
The best way to stay away from cerebral infarction is to prevent it
In short, due to the high incidence of hypertension in China and the different living and eating habits, there are more and more patients with cerebral infarction compared with the United States.
In order to solve this problem, in addition to paying attention to folic acid supplementation, we should also adjust our living and eating habits, and for patients with high blood pressure, we should also pay attention to controlling their blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar, so as to avoid the occurrence of cerebral infarction.
Most cerebral infarctions are caused by the aggravation of atherosclerosis and the rupture of plaques to form blood clots, so the prevention of cerebral infarction is to prevent the aggravation of atherosclerosis.
To prevent atherosclerosis is to strictly control the three highs, quit smoking and alcohol, control weight, eat a low-salt, low-fat and low-sugar diet, adhere to aerobic exercise, reduce staying up late, and have a healthy lifestyle such as regular work and rest.
Consistently choosing healthy foods and following an ideal diet pattern can be of great benefit to both cardiovascular disease and physical health throughout the lifespan.