Why the incidence of stroke is increasing in young and middle aged people?

The incidence of strokes (also known as CVA) is increasing in individuals aged between 20 to 54 years. This rise in CVA occurrence was shown by various medical studies performed in the past few years.

A stroke is an event when blood circulation to the brain stops. It results in reduced oxygen supply to the brain, which causes the brain cells to die. Symptoms of this event can occur all of a sudden and without any type of warning.

In addition, the occurrence and types of symptoms depend on the damaged part of the brain. Usually, the patient experiences symptoms like change in vision, difficulty in talking, muscle weakness (on one side of the body) and sudden headache. Many individuals also suffer from symptoms like loss of balance, lack of coordination, and other neurologic warning signs.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension is the major risk factor for stroke. There are several other risk factors for CVA such as atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, elevated cholesterol, and smoking. A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is also a risk factor for this event in young and middle aged individuals. PFO is a congenital small hole in the heart since birth.

According to the best cardiologist in NYC, the improved and latest medical technology may be associated with the increasing number of stroke diagnoses in individuals. The augmented use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a diagnostic tool to detect strokes in young individuals may partly be related to the increased detection of CVA.

Cardiologists suggest that an individual (especially aged between 20 to 55 years) should get an early diagnosis of stroke’s risk factors through blood testing, blood pressure evaluation, carotid ultrasound  and also echocardiography.

Link between Diabetes Type 2 and Heart Problems

Type 2 diabetes is a serious health condition that influences the way body metabolizes sugar or glucose. Type 2 diabetes patients are resistant to insulin and their bodies do not produce sufficient insulin for maintaining the glucose levels.

Symptoms of diabetes 2 develop slowly and may include frequent urination, increased appetite, weight loss, increase in thirst, blurred vision, fatigue, etc.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include inactivity, obesity, family history, and pre-diabetes. The most important complication of type 2 diabetes is cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and narrowing of arteries.

Type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed through a blood test like the A1C test, or fasting blood sugar test.
Top cardiologists in NYC suggest regular screening to people that are over 45 years of age and are overweight. Thos under 45years of age that are overweight and have any heart disease or risk factors associated with diabetes are also suggested to go for screening.

In research, it was found that INTENSIVE blood sugar control actually harms people with type 2 diabetes and heart problems. The study revealed that intensive efforts to control A1C can decrease rate of heart attack, but an increase in the chances of death.

Treatment

Blood glucose monitoring, healthy diet and daily exercise regimen are the initial treatment for type 2 diabetes. Your diet should include fruits, fresh vegetables, and whole grains.

If you are overweight, you need to get rid of your excess pounds, which is an important part of the type 2 diabetes treatment. Aerobic exercises are important and you should allocate 30 minutes for vigorous aerobics, almost every day.

If you notice any symptoms or risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes, it is highly recommended to book a consultation session with your cardiologist to get your condition evaluated.

How a new device is helping in the accurate diagnosis of high blood pressure?

Elevated blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is one of the main risk factors for heart disease. People with high blood pressure are always at a higher risk of cardiovascular problems, which includes heart attack and stroke.



It is very difficult to detect hypertension due to the lack of symptoms in its earlier phases. Another issue faced in detecting high blood pressure is the white coat effect or white coat hypertension. It is a phenomenon that causes variation in the blood pressure levels.

The blood pressure of some patients gets higher in the presence of medical personnel, which results in misdiagnosis of this condition.

For more accurate diagnosis of hypertension, it is necessary for a patient to visit a physician’s office multiple times. According to the reports, white coat hypertension may account for 20 to 25 percent of hypertensive patients, which clearly indicates that hypertension may be over diagnosed.

Recent studies show that 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and self-measurement at home provide more accurate diagnosis.

In the past few years, BpTRU (a new device that provides accurate hypertension diagnosis) has been accepted by several healthcare centers across country. The Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine has shown a noticeable increase in the accuracy of high blood pressure detection with the use of this device, compared to the standard techniques. BpTRU readings are usually associated with the average awake ambulatory blood pressure.

It automatically records blood pressure without any help from healthcare professionals. It records the blood pressure of a patient every 2 minutes. It includes a readout of 5 blood pressures along with an average level in a single visit to the physician’s office. This device is now considered one of the best methods for the accurate diagnosis of hypertension by a cardiologist in New York City. Many of the respected healthcare centers are now using this device to diagnose accurate hypertension in patients.

How Vitamin D deficiency is connected with the risk of cardiovascular disease?

Medical news service Med Page Today published a report that says- up to a great extent, the clinical results in a person with heart failure can be evaluated on the basis of their vitamin D status. This report was based on a study that was presented at the European Society of Cardiology .This study showed that the lower level of vitamin D in the body is connected with an increased risk of death for patients with congestive heart failure.

According to the best cardiologists in New York, vitamin D deficiency is very common in the United States of America. Reports and other evidence is emerging rapidly that suggest that the reduced level of vitamin D in the body affects the cardiovascular system adversely.
In 2008, an article was published in the journal Circulation (by the American Heart Association) in which the authors found that vitamin D deficiency was linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This article was based on a community based study.

In this study, the authors found that individuals with hypertension or high blood pressure were evidently at a higher risk of heart disease. Some other studies also showed that individuals with heart attacks, stroke, heart failure and other types of cardiovascular disease had a low level of vitamin D.

In March 2010, there was another study presented at the American College of Cardiology. This study showed that patients with a low level of vitamin D can reduce the risk of heart attack by 33%, if they improve the vitamin D level. Moreover, the risk of heart failure for these patients is also reduced to 20% and they are 30% less likely to die over an average follow up period of one year.

Patients can increase their vitamin D level by taking appropriate supplements. Doctors and cardiologists recommend their patients avoid taking supplements without proper medical consultation. Patients should take supplements only under a doctor’s supervision. Doctors can evaluate the vitamin D level in the body through a blood test. Careful and brief skin exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet light is another method to increase the level of vitamin D in the body.