A stroke requires immediate hospital intervention.

• Stroke is the result of poor blood flow to the brain resulting in death of brain cells. There are mainly two types of cells in the brain neuron and glial cells.
• Neurons are brain cells that transmit nerve signals. Structure of each nerve cell constitute cell body, dendrites, axon and myelin sheath and constitute around 10% of total brain cells.
• Glial cells are nerve cells that don’t carry nerve impulses and constitute around 90 percent of the brain’s cells.. The various glial cells perform many important functions, including manufacturing myelin for neurons, providing physical and nutritional support for neurons, protection and repair of damaged neurons etc.
• Healing after stroke occurs as a result of repair and regeneration of brain cells. As the neurons have very limited capacity for regeneration it is difficult to get full recovery after an extensive stroke.
• The protective glial cells surrounding the neurons have the ability to protect the neurons for an extended period of time. The damaged glial cells of the brain and the damaged blood vessel cells have the ability for regeneration and repair.
• Thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator within three hours of symptom onset, results in an overall benefit of 10% with respect to living without disability. It does not, however, improve chances of survival. Benefit is greater the earlier it is used.
• Endovascular treatment. Mechanical removal of the blood clot is a potential treatment for occlusion of a large artery, if performed within 12 hours of onset of symptoms. It did not change the risk of death, but reduced disability compared to the use of intravenous thrombolysis.
• There are two main types of stroke; ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both can result in physical, intellectual and psychological disability.
• The main risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure, triglyceride and cholesterol, high fat mass lean mass ratio and high omega 6 to 3 ratio at cell level.
• Other risk factors include tobacco smoking, alcohol abuse, obesity, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, increased toxic exposure induced atherosclerosis and inflammation.
• An ischemic stroke is typically caused by blockage of a blood vessel by a blood clot originated at the site from an atherosclerotic spot or formed at heart due to hypercoagulability of blood and atrial fibrillation and brought to the site.
• A hemorrhagic stroke is caused by the rupture of a damaged atherosclerotic vessel precipitated by hypertension or due to a ruptured brain aneurysm.
• Disability affects 75% of stroke survivors enough to decrease their employability. Stroke can affect people physically, mentally, emotionally, or a combination of the three.
• Family members may have a genetic tendency for stroke or share a lifestyle that contributes to stroke.
• Men are 25% more likely to suffer strokes than women, yet 60% of deaths from stroke occur in women.
• The risk of stroke increases exponentially from 30 years of age, and the causes vary by age. However, stroke can occur at any age, including in childhood.
• Prevention is easier than treatment. It is easy to treat the predisposing factors leading to stroke like high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride, atherosclerosis, inflammation and hypercoagulability, diabetes etc and prevent an episode of stroke.
• Cell activation treatment with high omega 3 optimized nutrient food, skin care and oxyflex stimulation helps repair and regeneration of damaged brain cells.
• CAP gives better control of causative factors for stroke hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia etc and reduce atherosclerosis. Therefore if started early can ensure the best possible recovery and prevent recurrence.
• Ultrasound scan of the carotid artery, carotid intima media thickness(CIMT), carotid doppler and carotid artery MRI can be used to screen high risk patients for stroke by identifying the extent of atherosclerosis and plaque density.

Symptoms

Symptoms are often overlooked it is essential that warning signs be recognised and medical care provided immediately.

The role of the individual is crucial in the pre- diabetic stage and understanding of Prediabetes symptoms can lead to early diagnosis and treatment.
In Type 1 it may help reverse the autoimmune process before the total beta cell destruction.
In Type 2 diabetes which has a long subclinical phase called Prediabetes and it is easy to reverse the disease process if diagnosed and treated at this stage.
In the case of gestational diabetes also a good understanding helps the best management.

A better understanding of symptoms and warning signs are saving more lives than ever before.

• Stroke symptoms typically start suddenly, over seconds to minutes, and in most cases do not progress further. The symptoms depend on the area of the brain affected. The more extensive the area of the brain affected, the more functions that are likely to be lost.
• Signs and symptoms of a stroke may include an inability to move or feel on one side of the body, problems in understanding or speaking, dizziness, or loss of vision to one side.
• If symptoms last less than one or two hours it is known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mini-stroke.
• A hemorrhagic stroke may also be associated with a severe headache.
• If the blood flow is not reestablished and adequate support for repair of affected cells, the symptoms of a stroke can be permanent.
• Long-term complications may include loss of muscle and bone strength, loss of movement and flexibility, loss of sensation on the affected skin, loss of speech and cognitive ability, loss of bladder control, bowel control etc.
• Diagnosis is typically based on a physical exam and supported by medical imaging such as CT scan and MRI scan.
• CT scan can rule out bleeding, but may not necessarily rule out ischemia, which early on typically does not show up on a CT scan. Other tests such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood tests are done to determine risk factors and rule out other possible causes.
• Low blood sugar may cause similar symptoms and patients on diabetic medication should be checked for blood sugar levels to rule out hypoglycemia.
• A silent stroke is a stroke that does not have any major symptoms, and the patients are typically unaware they have had a stroke. Despite not causing identifiable symptoms, a silent stroke still damages the brain and places the patient at increased risk for both transient ischemic attack and major stroke in the future. Conversely, those who have had a major stroke are also at risk of having silent strokes.
• In most patients blood parameters like pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol, ESR, CRP will be elevated.
• In high risk patients body composition analysis will show high fat mass lean mass ratio and omega 6 fat level will be high and a low omega 3 index. If the omega 3 index is <8 the risk for stroke is high.
• Ideally body fat should be around 15% for men and 20% for women. In high risk patients the body fat level will be high. If the body fat percentage is more than 25% in men and more than 30% in women increase the risk of stroke.
• Hypertension and dyslipidemia are the most important risk factor for stroke.
• Hypertensive patients are not only at high risk for stroke but also other diseases and needs analysis of blood for lipid profile, diabetes, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalance, liver function, kidney function and pancreas dysfunction, etc.