Major Risk Factors for Bleeding Strokes Can be Modified

Major Risk Factors for Intracerebral Hemorrhage in the Young Are Modifiable -- Feldmann et al., 10.1161/01.STR.0000177480.62341.6b -- Stroke

Dr. Feldman at Brown University, Rhode Island, and colleagues at a number of other institutions performed a case-control study of the risk factors for bleeding stroke among men and women aged 18 to 49 years. They found that high blood pressure, diabetes, menopause, current cigarette smoking, alcoholic drinks (2 or more/day), drinks containing caffeine (5 or more/day), and caffeine in drugs were associated with increased risk for bleeding strokes. They pointed out that the major risk factors can be modified, suggesting that this type of stroke may be preventable. They emphasized that their findings for caffeine and menopause will require further study.

Apart from menopause, the risk factors are lifestyle related. What changes you can make in your life, if you have the risk factors above, is obvious, but some of you may wonder what diabetes has to do with lifestyle. Type 1 diabetes, the form of diabetes which is less common, is not related to lifestyle. It is a disease in which the insulin producing cells of the body are destroyed. Type 2 diabetes, which is related to becoming overweight and resistant to your own body's insulin, can potentially be prevented through diet and exercise.