How to prevent the occurrence of cerebrovascular disease

  Cerebrovascular disease is a disease with a high disability rate. According to statistics, about three-quarters of the surviving patients with cerebrovascular disease lose their working ability to varying degrees, and about 40% of them are severely disabled. Therefore, it is very important to prevent the occurrence of cerebrovascular disease. Risk factors for cerebrovascular disease are classified as intervenable or non-intervenable, with age and gender being the two non-intervenable risk factors. Some of the major risk factors that can be intervened include hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, smoking, alcoholism, dyslipidemia, and carotid artery stenosis. The risk of stroke continues to increase with age, with the risk of stroke increasing 1-fold every 10 years after age 55.  I. Hypertension: Efforts should be made to raise awareness of stroke prevention and to take an active role in caring for one’s own blood pressure; it is recommended that blood pressure be measured once a year for those ≥35 years of age, and that patients with hypertension should have their blood pressure measured frequently (at least once every 2-3 months) to adjust the dose of medication. For patients with early or mild cases, lifestyle changes should be used first, and anti-hypertensive medication should be added if the results are still poor after 3 months. The first step is weight reduction and dietary salt restriction (the average daily salt intake per person is reduced to 8g in the north and then to 6g in the south). Reduce dietary fat (total fat <30% of total calories, saturated fat <10%, 400-500g of fresh vegetables, 100g of fruit, 50-100g of meat, 50g of fish and shrimp, 3-4 eggs per week, 250g of milk per day, 20-25g of oil per day, and less sugar and sweets). Increase and maintain appropriate physical activity, maintain an optimistic attitude and improve stress capacity, quit smoking, limit alcohol (no smoking, limit alcohol, alcoholics drink <20-30g of alcohol per day for men, <15-20g for women, no alcohol for pregnant women). Ideal blood pressure <120 /80mmHg, normal blood pressure <130/85mmHg. Second, heart disease: adults (≥ 40 years old) should have regular physical examination for early detection of heart disease; patients diagnosed with heart disease should actively seek treatment from a specialist; for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, anticoagulation therapy with Warfarin can be used in hospitals where available, but the international quasi-chemical ratio (INR) must be monitored and the range 2.0-3.0; for those aged >75 years, an INR of 1.6-2.5 is appropriate; or oral aspirin 50-300 mg/d, or other anti-platelet aggregation drugs. Patients at high risk of coronary artery disease should also take small doses of aspirin 50-150mg/d, or other anti-platelet aggregation drugs.  Diabetes mellitus: People with risk factors for cardiovascular disease should have regular blood glucose testing, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and glycated plasma albumin should be measured when necessary. The diagnostic criteria of diabetes mellitus are consistent with the Chinese guidelines for the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus (diabetic symptoms + plasma glucose level ≥ 11.1 mmol/L at any time or fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level ≥ 7.0 mmol/L or 2hPG level ≥ 11.1 mmol/L in OGTT test. Those who are still unsatisfied should be treated with oral hypoglycemic drugs or insulin. Diabetic patients should actively treat hypertension, control weight and lower cholesterol level.  D. Dyslipidemia: Patients with risk factors (or history) of stroke or coronary heart disease and patients with familial hyperlipidemia should have regular (3-6 months) lipid testing (TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG, etc.). Treatment should be determined by the presence or absence of risk factors for stroke or coronary artery disease and lipid levels. Therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) is the first step in the treatment of dyslipidemia and must be carried out throughout the treatment process, including: reducing the intake of saturated fatty acids (<7% of total calories) and cholesterol (<300mg/d), choosing foods that enhance the effect of LDL reduction, such as phytosterols ( 2g/d) and soluble viscous fiber (10-25g/d), smoking cessation, weight loss, and increased regular physical activity. Drug selection should be determined by the patient's lipid level and the typology of dyslipidemia. Patients with increased TC alone or mixed type with mainly increased TC and LDL should be treated with statins, while patients with increased TG alone or mixed type with mainly increased TG should be treated with betulinic acid, and combined drugs can be used if necessary. Strictly monitor the adverse drug reactions during treatment, including liver and kidney function, and test muscle enzymes if necessary to avoid the side effects of myofibrillolysis.  V. Alcohol consumption : Evidence from population studies has shown that alcohol intake has a direct dose-related effect on hemorrhagic stroke. Chronic heavy alcohol consumption and acute alcohol intoxication are risk factors for cerebral infarction in young people. Similarly, heavy alcohol consumption is a risk factor for ischemic stroke in older adults. In men, drinking no more than 50 ml (1 tael, <30 g of alcohol) of white wine, 640 ml of beer, and 200 ml of wine per day (halved for women) may reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Those who drink more than 5 "drinks" per day have a significantly increased risk of cerebral infarction. Alcohol may increase stroke through a variety of mechanisms, including elevated blood pressure, hypercoagulability, cardiac arrhythmias, and reduced cerebral blood flow.  VI. Others: Obese people - Promote a healthy lifestyle and a good diet. The BMI (kg/m2) of adults should be controlled at <28 or waist/hip ratio <1, with weight fluctuation range within 10%. Adults should engage in moderate physical activity at least 3 to 4 times per week, with each activity lasting at least 30 minutes (e.g., brisk walking, jogging, bicycling or other aerobic metabolic exercise). It is important to emphasize that increasing regular, moderate physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and its preventive effect is very obvious. The use of oral contraceptives may increase the risk of stroke in women over 35 years of age who smoke and have hypertension, diabetes mellitus, migraine, or previous thrombotic events. Therefore, long-term use of oral contraceptives is recommended to be avoided in women with these risk factors for cerebrovascular disease.