Stroke Archive

A 2023 study suggests that sleep problems such as snoring, snorting, or getting too much or little sleep can significantly raise the odds of having a stroke.

The more salt people eat, the greater their risk of clogged heart and neck arteries, a 2023 study suggests. Narrowed arteries (atherosclerosis) can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

COVID-19 may increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, including heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure, up to a year after the infection. But vaccination appears to lower these risks. Getting just one dose of a COVID vaccine may halve the risk of myocarditis, a rare condition that causes inflammation of the heart muscle that can arise after viral infections.

Marijuana use, which is rising among older adults, appears to heighten the risk of heart-related problems. Cannabis is known to increase heart rate and blood pressure, although high doses can have the opposite effect. Marijuana use has been implicated in causing heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, stress cardiomyopathy, and arteritis.

People who take an average of 4,500 steps each day may have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart failure than those who take less than 2,000 steps per day.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) can cause a range of unsettling symptoms, including slurred speech or arm weakness. The symptoms appear suddenly but usually last less than five minutes, which is why TIAs are often ignored or missed. However, two of every five people with a suspected TIA who get an appropriate brain imaging test find out that they actually had a stroke. Recognizing the symptoms and seeing emergency care right away is vital. The mnemonic BE-FAST (which stands for balance, eyes, face, arms, speech, and time) was designed to help people identify the symptoms of a TIA or stroke and to act quickly.

Diets high in free sugar—which includes sugar added to processed foods and drinks as well as the sugar in syrups, fruit juice, and honey—are linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Otherwise healthy men treated with prescription drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction had a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes, or death from heart-related causes.

People who experience stroke symptoms that disappear in less than an hour, a phenomenon known as a transient ischemic attack, should seek immediate care to prevent a full-blown stroke.

People who have had shingles have a 30% increased risk for heart disease and stroke, says a new Harvard study. Learn more about the risk.