The first study in history on the incidence of stroke in vegetarians and vegans suggests they may be at higher risk. When ranked in order of importance, among the interventions available to prevent stroke, the three most important are probably diet, smoking cessation, and blood pressure control. Most of us these days are doing pretty good about not smoking, but less than half of us exercise enough. According to the American Heart Association, only 1 in 1,000 Americans is eating a healthy diet and less than 1 in 10 is eating a moderately healthy diet.
Diet is an important part of stroke prevention. Reducing sodium intake, avoiding egg yolks, limiting animal flesh intake, and increasing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lentils are recommended. The paper highlights the impact of diet on stroke prevention.
The study found that vegetarians had greater stroke risk despite their lower blood pressure, suggesting something about meat-free diets increases stroke risk enough to cancel out blood pressure benefits. Further investigation is needed to determine what factors contribute to this increased risk.
In conclusion, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death. While vegetarians had more stroke cases, they had fewer cases of heart disease. Focusing on understanding the factors contributing to stroke risk in vegetarians could help optimize health outcomes for this population.
This article is part of a series on stroke risk. Stay tuned for more information on this topic.
