Updated Perspectives on Lifestyle Interventions as Secondary Stroke Prevention Measures: A Narrative Review.
Valbona GovoriHrvoje BudincevicSandra MorovićFilip ĐerkeVida DemarinPublished in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) (2024)
Despite being highly preventable, stroke is the second-most common cause of death and disability in the world. Secondary prevention is critical as the stroke recurrence risk is 6- to 15-fold higher than the risk of stroke in the general population. Stroke recurrence is associated with higher mortality rates and increased disability levels. Lifestyle modifications should address not single but multiple cardiovascular risk factors to effectively reduce the risk of stroke. Lifestyle modifications on a personal level should include adequate physical activity, a healthy diet, the cessation of smoking and alcohol consumption, and stress reduction. Physical activities should be performed in a healthy environment without air pollution. According to recent studies, up to 90% of strokes might be prevented by addressing and treating ten modifiable stroke risk factors, half of which are related to lifestyle modifications. These lifestyle modifications, which are behavioral interventions, could impact other modifiable risk factors such as arterial hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation. The most common obstacles to effective secondary stroke prevention are motor impairment, post-stroke cognitive impairment, post-stroke depression, and stroke subtype. Long-term lifestyle modifications are difficult to sustain and require comprehensive, individualized interventions. This review underlines the benefits of adhering to lifestyle modifications as the most effective secondary stroke prevention measure.
Keyphrases
- atrial fibrillation
- physical activity
- metabolic syndrome
- weight loss
- cardiovascular disease
- risk factors
- cardiovascular risk factors
- catheter ablation
- heart failure
- oral anticoagulants
- left atrial
- air pollution
- left atrial appendage
- cognitive impairment
- type diabetes
- multiple sclerosis
- body mass index
- direct oral anticoagulants
- skeletal muscle
- alcohol consumption
- adipose tissue
- emergency department
- mental health
- left ventricular
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- brain injury
- smoking cessation
- electronic health record