Recovery mode
The risk of stroke is one of the most challenging health issues we face as we grow older. recovery if you should ever have a stroke.
Last week, in the e-Alert “Blue Winter” (1/3/05), I told you how depression may be closely linked to an increased stroke risk. Today I’ll take a look at an important study that shows how one simple dietary change may significantly improve your chances of a successful
Levels of damage
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo conducted a study to assess how patients who had low potassium concentration immediately following a stroke progressed in their ability to function independently. The SUNY team began its work knowing that previous research has shown that a low potassium intake might be associated with a higher mortality rate from stroke. Some animal studies have also found that a lower potassium level after a stroke may increase the amount of tissue damage in the brain.
With access to medical records of 66 patients who suffered damaged cerebral tissue during a stroke, the researchers used a special test specifically designed to determine the potassium level in blood samples taken immediately after the strokes occurred.
The results showed that the patients with higher potassium concentrations were almost twice as likely to have favorable long-term outcomes following a stroke as those patients who had lower potassium levels.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Feng Hua, hopes this research will encourage larger, more conclusive studies that could eventually lead to the development of potassium supplement therapy in the early post-stroke period.
Bananas and more
So how do these conclusions translate into practical steps to prevent long-term disability from stroke? It would seem that maintaining a good level of potassium in the diet would create a better chance of successful post-stroke rehabilitation. But a word of caution is in order: In this case, supplements are probably not the answer.
Potassium is a mineral that helps maintain muscle tone, as well as fluid and electrolyte balance. The National Academy of Sciences suggests that adult men and women should get at least 2,000 milligrams of potassium every day. In most cases this is easily achieved from a normally healthy diet, without supplements.
High potassium content can be found in fruits such as bananas, apricots, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and citrus fruits. Vegetables with good amounts of potassium include asparagus, potatoes, green beans, lima beans, and cauliflower. Other foods that are also high in potassium: grain products, red meat, poultry, seafood and dry beans, such as peas and lentils.
It would be difficult to get too much potassium from dietary sources alone. The problem with supplements in this case is that they can send potassium levels soaring, and an imbalance of potassium and sodium can result in kidney damage and other serious complications. So even those who are at high risk of a stroke would probably do best to get their potassium strictly from food sources.
Take action
Aside from potassium consumption, there’s one other key element that can improve stroke recovery: It’s essential to get medical attention as quickly as possible at the first warning signs of a stroke. Quick action can reduce the long-term effects of a stroke and may even save the victim’s life.
A stroke can sometimes be forming for several days before the first symptoms occur, so prepare to act immediately if any of these warning signs appear:
- Weakness or numbness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Trouble seeing out of one or both eyes
- Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Severe headache with no known cause
If you notice any of these symptoms, call for help without delay. Some stroke procedures, such as thrombolytic therapy – a drug treatment known as “clot-busting” (see the e-Alert “Tick Tock” 6/19/02) – can only be performed within the first hours after a stroke. In the event of a transient ischemic attack (TIA), or “mini stroke,” the symptoms will pass quickly. But more than one-third of those who suffer a TIA will later have an ischemic stroke.
Those who are at a high risk for stroke include patients who have had a heart attack, especially if they’re over the age of 75. Other high-risk groups are those who have been diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes, or peripheral vascular disease.
Sources:
“Early Post-Stroke Serum Potassium Concentration and Functional Outcome among Patients with Cerebral Infarction” Abstract P03.034, 54th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, abstracts-on-line.com “AAN: Low Potassium Levels Soon After a Stroke Linked to Poor Outcome” Jill Stein, DG News, docguide.com
