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A new study involving thousands of people on six continents finds that most cases of stroke involve a handful of risk factors. Hi, I'm Dr. Cindy Haines, host of HealthDay TV. Recently in the medical journal The Lancet, researchers compared 3,000 people who'd had a first stroke and 3,000 who had never had a stroke. The participants were from 22 countries around the world. The researchers found having a history of high blood pressure or currently smoking were each associated with more than double the risk of stroke. Having a large waist-to-hip ratio was linked to a 65-percent higher risk of stroke, and having diabetes was linked to a 36-percent higher risk. Binge drinking or drinking more than 30 alcoholic drinks per month was linked to a 51-percent higher risk. Eating a diet that's not healthy for the cardiovascular system was related to a 35-percent higher risk. However, regular physical activity went hand-in-hand with a 31-percent lower risk. As a result, if more people made just a few health-related changes, the number of strokes around the world could fall substantially, according to the authors. IÕm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news that doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.
