In Australia, patients with diabetes are being encouraged by doctors to better understand the complications of stroke and how to reduce their risk. This comes after a new study published in the Medical Journal of Australia found that there are almost 10,000 hospitalizations for stroke each year in Australia among people with diabetes. This represents about one in every four stroke cases.
“A stroke can have a major impact on your life. Not only are strokes a leading cause of death in Australia, but strokes can also cause a range of disabilities, including loss of mobility, impaired speech, and cognitive problems,” said Diabetes Australia CEO Professor Greg Johnson.
Advertisement
While stroke is a serious condition related to diabetes, some simple lifestyle changes can be made to reduce the risk. The most important place to start is by staying on top of your diabetes management and making sure your glucose levels stay in a healthy range.
Blood Pressure Management
Monitoring blood pressure is also a critical part of managing stroke risk in diabetes patients. Be sure to keep it within a healthy range. No matter your age, your blood pressure should be less than 120/80 mmHg.
Blood pressure can be heavily affected by diet, so watch what you eat. Make healthy food choices and limit those that are high in saturated fats and salt. Try to avoid processed foods that are high in sugar and eat as many whole foods as possible.
Along with a healthy diet, it is important to get plenty of physical activity. Engaging in moderate-intensity exercise for 20 minutes a day can go a long way towards lowering blood pressure.
Advertisement
Eating a healthy diet and practicing daily physical activity can help keep your weight in a healthy range. If you are overweight, losing even a few pounds can help to reduce blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
The best place to start is by speaking with your doctor. They can offer advice and guide you through the best method of weight loss and managing blood pressure for you.
They can also help with quitting smoking, which is an important factor when reducing the risk of stroke. There are also new treatments available that they can provide to help reduce your risk of stroke and other cardiovascular conditions.
Sarah began her interest in nutritional healing at an early age. After going through health problems and becoming frustrated with the conventional ways doctors wanted to treat her illness (which were not working), she took it upon herself to find alternative treatments. This led her to revolutionize her own diet to help her get healthier and tackle her health problems. She began treating her illness by living a more balanced lifestyle through healthy food choices, exercise and other alternative medicine such as meditation. This total positive lifestyle change led her to earn a diploma in Nutritional Therapy from Health Sciences Academy in London, England. Today, Sarah enjoys helping others by teaching healthy lifestyle changes through her personal consultations and with her regular contributions to the Doctors Health Press. Also, passionate about following her dreams in life, Sarah moved to France and lived in Paris for over 5 years where she earned a certification in beadwork and embroidery from Lesage (an atelier owned by Chanel). She then went on to be a familiar face sitting front row and reporting from Paris Fashion Week. Sarah continues to practice some of the cultural ways of life she learned while in Europe. They enjoy their food, and take the time to relax and enjoy many of life’s little moments. These are life lessons she is glad to have brought back home with her.
