Stroke in the elderly

Stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident, is the third leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease and cancer worldwide, and the leading cause of disability in adults. After the age of 55, the stroke rate doubles every 10 years in both men and women. Nearly three-quarters of strokes occur in people over 65. Stroke is becoming an increasing health concern in the elderly.

1. What is a stroke?

Stroke is a dangerous health condition that occurs when blood flow to the brain is suddenly reduced or stopped, unable to provide oxygen and nutrients to nourish brain cells, causing brain cells to be damaged and die quickly.

Stroke is a dangerous disease that often occurs in the elderly.

There are two types of stroke:

Hemorrhagic stroke: Also known as intracerebral hemorrhage, is a rarer form of stroke (about 15%). This condition occurs when a blood vessel in the brain suddenly ruptures, causing blood to spill into the brain tissue, depriving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients. When there is a cerebral hemorrhage, brain tissue is compressed and deprived of nutrients, leading to damage and necrosis.

Ischemic stroke: Also known as cerebral ischemia, is a condition in which a cerebral artery is partially or completely blocked, leading to a sudden reduction in blood flow to the brain. This prevents blood from flowing to other parts of the brain, preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching brain cells. This condition accounts for the vast majority, about 85% of strokes.

The two common types of stroke in the elderly are hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke (Source: Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital)

2. Signs of stroke in the elderly

Recognizing the signs of a stroke is extremely important, so that patients can minimize the risks and dangerous consequences. Below are warning signs of stroke risk in the elderly:

– Loss of speech or speech with difficulty pronouncing, unclear words, slurred speech, or unusual slurred speech. We can check by asking the stroke victim to repeat a short sentence they just said.

– Difficulty speaking and understanding what others say. A person having a stroke may experience confusion, slurred speech, or difficulty understanding what others are saying.

– Numbness, weakness, or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg. This usually affects only one side of the body. If one arm starts to fall when the person raises both arms above the head, it could be a sign of a stroke. One side of the mouth may also droop when trying to smile.

– Vision problems in one or both eyes. The person may suddenly have blurred or blackened vision in one or both eyes. The person may also see double.

– A sudden, severe headache with no known cause can be a symptom of a stroke. Vomiting, dizziness, and changes in consciousness may occur at the same time as the headache.

– Difficulty walking. A person having a stroke may stumble or lose balance or coordination.

Warning signs of stroke in the body (Source: Ministry of Health)

Strokes happen very quickly, so that requires quick reaction when noticed any of the above symptoms. Early recognition of suspected signs of stroke in the elderly plays an important role in proactively taking the patient to the emergency room and timely treatment to help limit the risk of death and disability.

3. Causes of stroke

Stroke occurs mainly due to atherosclerosis, which causes the arteries that nourish the brain to become blocked and lack oxygen. In addition, blood clots can also cause ischemic stroke. When blood clots are large or move into narrowed arteries, they will be blocked, preventing blood flow to the brain. Therefore, risk factors that increase the formation of atherosclerosis and blood clots are both causes of stroke. Below are some causes of stroke in the elderly:

– Hypertension: Hypertension increases the pressure of blood on the artery walls, increasing the risk of rupture. In addition, high blood pressure also damages and weakens the walls of blood vessels in the brain, creating favorable conditions for atherosclerosis and the formation of blood clots that cause blockages. Therefore, hypertension is the leading cause of stroke. People with this disease are about 4 times more likely to have a stroke than people with normal blood pressure. People with blood pressure at 140/90 or higher need early and effective treatment to reduce the risk of stroke.

– Diabetes: This disease is often accompanied by high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol (blood fat) – risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke. In people with diabetes, blood pressure is often high and over time, the process of atherosclerosis occurs more quickly. This condition forms blood clots in the arteries or atherosclerotic plaques that block the arteries, reducing the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. In particular, research shows that brain damage in stroke patients with diabetes is often very severe.

– Dyslipidemia: Research at Nghe An General Hospital showed that 68.6% of stroke patients had dyslipidemia, of which 68.4% were in the cerebral infarction group and 70% were in the cerebral hemorrhage group. This rate increases with age, with 80% of patients over 80 years old having it. When high blood lipid levels are not controlled, atherosclerotic plaques will gradually form on the vessel wall, causing atherosclerosis. This process progresses over a long period of time and silently, leading to blockage of the arteries that supply the brain. This is the main cause of 200,000 strokes each year in Vietnam​.

– Suffering from cardiovascular diseases: arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation. People with these diseases often have irregular heartbeats, which over time create conditions for blood clots to appear in the heart chambers. When blood clots escape from the heart chambers, they can travel to the brain, causing blockage of blood vessels in the brain and leading to stroke.

4. Measures to prevent the risk of stroke

80% of strokes are preventable. Therefore, we can control risk factors before they cause problems.

Health organizations have proposed many of the same stroke prevention strategies as they have for heart disease prevention. In general, healthy lifestyle recommendations include:

– Controlling blood pressure at a stable level is a key factor in reducing the risk of stroke, especially for people with high blood pressure. Patients should regularly monitor their blood pressure at home twice a day in the morning and evening, combined with exercise and a healthy diet to avoid weight gain and obesity. Maintaining good blood pressure also enables prevention of transient ischemic attacks (TIA), thereby minimizing the risk of stroke in the future.

– Reduce cholesterol and saturated fat in your diet: Eat less cholesterol and fat (especially saturated fat and trans fat) to reduce buildup in your arteries. Over time, this can block blood flow and lead to stroke.

– Do not smoke. Smoking increases the risk of stroke for smokers and non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke. Quitting smoking reduces the risk of stroke.

– Controlling diabetes helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

– Maintaining a healthy weight because being overweight or obese contributes to stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

– Limit alcohol consumption. Drinking too much alcohol increases the risk of high blood pressure leading to stroke.

– Create a healthy and scientific diet to maintain a healthy body, prevent stroke by adding lots of green vegetables, nuts and foods rich in Omega-3. Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fat (a type of healthy fat) that helps increase the level of “good” cholesterol in the body, supporting good cardiovascular health. The elderly need to limit processed foods and foods high in cholesterol including: yogurt, lard, liver pate, organs, beef, etc. In addition, supplementing foods containing antioxidants such as vitamins C, A, E, Lycopene, Lutein, Selenium, etc. is also very necessary. As they help neutralize harmful free radicals, reduce the risks and damage of oxidative stress (which occurs when the body cannot effectively remove free radicals), thereby preventing atherosclerosis and ischemia.

In addition to daily meals balance, the elderly also need to supplement good nutrients to prevent stroke through nutritional products. Nutricare Gold was researched and developed by scientists from Nutricare and the Nutricare Medical Nutrition Institute – USA (NMNI-USA), meeting the recommendations of the US FDA as a comprehensive nutritional solution allowing the elderly to recover and improve their health. Nutricare Gold contains up to 56 nutrients, including easily absorbed vegetable protein and whey protein from the US, providing essential amino acids for protein synthesis and immune cells. Thanks to that, Nutricare Gold supports resistance boost and rapid health recovery. In particular, the high Omega-3 content in the product also plays an important role in preventing stroke. In addition, the combination of Omega 3,6,9 and the Antioxidants system in the product is very beneficial for the cardiovascular system and helps prevent some heart-related diseases in the elderly such as stroke.

The product also supplements Calcium, Glucosamine and HMB, allowing to maintain musculoskeletal health, along with soluble fiber FOS to support the digestive system. In addition, Nutricare Gold also helps improve sleep for the elderly through Lactium, an ingredient that has been clinically proven to support better sleep. Nutricare Gold nutritional products are in the form of ready-to-drink powdered milk, with a convenient screw cap with a capacity of 200 ml, suitable for the nutritional needs of Vietnamese people.

– Regular exercise. Exercise can lower blood pressure, increase good cholesterol and improve the overall health of blood vessels and heart, control diabetes and reduce stress. Moderate-intensity activities include walking, jogging, swimming and cycling.

Daily exercise can “reduce” the risk of stroke in the elderly.

Conclusion: Stroke is a dangerous acute disease, with a high risk of death if not detected and treated promptly. Understanding the causes of stroke and how to prevent stroke minimize possible risks as well as protect the health and life of the patient.