Know Your Stroke Risk With Your Dinner Time

Uncontrolled high blood pressure and trauma (such as a car accident) are the most common risk factors for hemorrhagic stroke. This shows stroke is preventable if one knows what lifestyle changes need to be followed. However, risk factors like trauma are not modifiable. Therefore, knowing the symptoms and following a healthy lifestyle could help as preventive measures.

Face drooping to one side, inability to smile or speak, weakness in the arms, sudden numbness on one side of the body, nausea, vomiting, sudden severe headache, loss of memory, dizziness, and sudden loss of consciousness are the warning signs of stroke one must be aware of ().

It is important to give immediate medical support to a patient in case of a stroke as it can cause long-term damage if the brain is deprived of oxygen for too long.

How Meal Timings Can Raise The Risk Of A Deadly Stroke?

To explore more about the role of lifestyle in stroke, researchers examined the associations between dinner timing and risks of mortality from stroke, coronary heart disease, and total cardiovascular diseases.

They categorized participants into three groups: the early dinner group (before 8 pm), the irregular dinner group (time irregular), and the late dinner group (after 8 pm).

Those who consumed their dinner at irregular times had an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke mortality. No significant association was found between dinner timing and the risk of mortality from other types of strokes, such as an ischaemic stroke ().

There was also no evidence to suggest a link between meal timing and coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease risk.

The explanation behind this finding is that irregular dinner time leads to irregular hormonal secretion, which may affect both blood sugar and blood pressure levels. And as we know blood pressure levels are linked to acute hemorrhagic strokes.

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It is well known that blood pressure may rise post-dinner. So, if you have dinner too close to mealtime, then the food is not very well metabolized. It leads to rising blood sugar and increased deposition of fat, which may also affect the stroke risk.

What Is The Right Time To Eat Dinner For Avoiding Stroke Risk?

It is generally advised that you take dinner before 8 pm for an overall healthy lifestyle. Give at least a gap of an hour or so before sleeping.

You can also do light exercises before you go to sleep which leads to better regulation of your blood sugar level. It is the blood pressure and carbohydrate metabolism that helps to prevent the risk of stroke
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Doctors also recommend not to immediately go sleep after meals which would help streamline the hormonal secretion and nerve transmitter balance which has a significant role in maintaining the blood pressure, blood sugar level, and sleep.

Most strokes happen in the middle of the night or early morning. So, there is a significant possibility that altering the timing of your dinner could be a very inexpensive way of controlling the stroke.

References :

1. What is Hemorrhagic Stroke? – (https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/types-of-stroke/hemorrhagic-strokes-bleeds)
2. Hemorrhagic Stroke – (https://www.mountsinai.org/locations/cerebrovascular-center/conditions/stroke/hemorrhagic-stroke)
3. Supper Timing and Cardiovascular Mortality: The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study – (https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/10/3389/htm)
4. Stroke – (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/Stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-20350113)

Source: Medindia