Placeholder Content Image

It’s extremely hot and I’m feeling weak and dizzy. Could I have heat stroke?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lily-hospers-1060107">Lily Hospers</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-smallcombe-1412548">James Smallcombe</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ollie-jay-114164">Ollie Jay</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Australia is braced for a hot, dry summer. El Nino is back, and this year it will occur alongside an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-22/positive-indian-ocean-dipole-to-coincide-with-el-nino/102756378">Indian Ocean dipole</a>, a climate pattern which will further amplify this hot and dry effect.</p> <p>Hot weather can place great stress on our bodies. When the environmental conditions exceed the limit at which we can adequately cope, we can suffer from heat-related illnesses.</p> <p>Heat illnesses can vary, from relatively mild heat exhaustion to the potentially life-threatening condition of heat stroke.</p> <h2>What are the signs and symptoms?</h2> <p>If you’re suffering from heat exhaustion, you may feel weakness, nausea, headaches or dizziness.</p> <p>Mild <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/beattheheat/Pages/heat-related-illness.aspx">symptoms of heat exhaustion</a> can often be treated at home by reducing your levels of physical activity, finding shade, removing excess clothing, hydrating with water and perhaps even taking a cool shower.</p> <p>If left unchecked, heat exhaustion can progress to the far more serious condition of heat stroke, where your core temperature climbs upwards of 40°C. <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/beattheheat/Pages/heat-related-illness.aspx">Symptoms</a> can develop rapidly and may include confusion, disorientation, agitation, convulsions, or it could even result in a coma.</p> <p>Heat stroke is a medical emergency and requires urgent treatment. Call an ambulance and start rapid, aggressive cooling by immersing the person in cold water (such as a cold bath). If this isn’t possible, apply ice packs to their neck, armpits and groin and cover the skin with lots of cool water.</p> <p>When it comes to cooling someone with suspected heat stroke, the quicker the better: cool first, transport second.</p> <h2>Why do we overheat?</h2> <p>Environmental conditions play an important role in determining our heat stress risk. If the air temperature, humidity and levels of sun exposure are high, we are much more likely to dangerously overheat.</p> <p>When the body gets hot, the heart pumps more warm blood to our skin to help lose heat. As air temperature rises, this way of shedding heat becomes ineffective. When air temperature is higher than the temperature of the skin (normally around 35°C), we start gaining heat from our surroundings.</p> <p>Sweating is by far our most effective physiological means of keeping cool. However, it is the <em>evaporation</em> of sweat from our skin that provides cooling relief.</p> <p>When the air is humid, it already contains a lot of moisture, and this reduces how efficiently sweat evaporates.</p> <p>Our physical activity levels and clothing also impact heat stress risk. When we move, our bodies generate metabolic heat as a by-product. The more intense physical activity is, the more heat we must lose to avoid dangerous rises in core temperature.</p> <p>Finally, clothing can act as an insulator and barrier for the evaporation of sweat, making it even more difficult for us to keep cool.</p> <h2>Who is most vulnerable in the heat?</h2> <p>Some people <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/beattheheat/Pages/people-most-at-risk.aspx">are at greater risk</a> of developing heat illness than others. This can result from physiological limitations, such as a decreased capacity to sweat, or a reduced capacity to adapt our behaviour. When these two risk factors coincide, it’s a perfect storm of vulnerability.</p> <p>Take, for example, an elderly outdoor agricultural worker. Being aged over 60, their physiological capacity to sweat is reduced. The worker may also be wearing heavy safety clothing, which may further limit heat loss from the body. If they don’t slow down, seek shelter and adequately hydrate, they become even more vulnerable.</p> <p>When a person dies of heat stroke – which is relatively easy to diagnose – heat will be listed as a cause of death on a death certificate. Between 2001 and 2018 in Australia, 473 heat-related deaths were <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420921006324">officially reported</a>.</p> <p>However, the true association between heat and death is thought to be far greater, with an <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(20)30100-5/fulltext">estimated 36,000 deaths</a> in Australia between 2006 and 2017.</p> <p>This is because most people who die during extreme heat events do not die from heat stroke. Instead, they they die of <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejm199607113350203">other medical complications</a> such as cardiovascular or renal collapse, as additional strain is placed on essential organs such as the heart and kidneys.</p> <p>People with underlying health conditions are more likely to succumb to heat-associated complications before they develop critical core temperature (over 40°C) and heat stroke.</p> <p>In such cases, while the additional physiological strain imposed by the heat probably “caused” the death, the official “cause of death” is often listed as something else, such as a heart attack. This can make understanding the true health burden of extreme heat more difficult.</p> <h2>How to stay safe in the heat</h2> <p>Thankfully, there are effective, low-cost <a href="https://twitter.com/TheLancet/status/1677702906789740545">ways</a> of staying safe in the heat. These include: <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215084/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <ul> <li>staying adequately hydrated</li> <li>getting out of the heat to a cooler area indoors or shaded area outdoors</li> <li>loosening or removing clothing</li> <li>cooling down any way you can: <ul> <li>using an electric fan (which can be used at 37°C and below, irrespective of age and humidity)</li> <li>using a cold-water spray</li> <li>applying a cool, damp sponge or cloth</li> <li>wetting clothes and skin</li> <li>having a cool shower or bath</li> <li>applying ice packs or crushed ice in a damp towel on the neck, groin and armpits.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lily-hospers-1060107"><em>Lily Hospers</em></a><em>, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-smallcombe-1412548">James Smallcombe</a>, Post-doctoral Research Associate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ollie-jay-114164">Ollie Jay</a>, Professor of Heat &amp; Health; Director of Heat &amp; Health Research Incubator; Director of Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-extremely-hot-and-im-feeling-weak-and-dizzy-could-i-have-heat-stroke-215084">original ar</a><a href="https://theconversation.com/its-extremely-hot-and-im-feeling-weak-and-dizzy-could-i-have-heat-stroke-215084">ticle</a>.</em></p>

Body

Placeholder Content Image

Daily aspirin doesn’t prevent strokes in older, healthy people after all

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nial-wheate-96839">Nial Wheate</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tina-hinton-329706">Tina Hinton</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>The daily use of <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/drugs-in-secondary-stroke-prevention">low dose aspirin</a> has been a mainstay of preventing strokes for decades. While there has always been a risk of bleeding associated with aspirin use, the benefits were thought to outweigh the risk.</p> <p>Now <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.25803">new research</a> led by Monash University has shown daily, low-dose aspirin doesn’t prevent strokes in relatively healthy people aged over 70. And it increases their risk of bleeding on the brain after falls or other injuries.</p> <p>But if you’re taking aspirin, it doesn’t mean you should abruptly stop. It may still have a role to play in treating people at high risk of stroke. Or, after talking to your doctor, there might be better options available.</p> <h2>Why has aspirin been used to prevent strokes?</h2> <p>Aspirin is an anti-platelet medicine, which is commonly known as a blood-thinner. <a href="https://www.lifeblood.com.au/blood/learn-about-blood/platelets">Platelets</a> are the component of blood primarily responsible for its clotting action. They are what stop you from continuously bleeding any time you have a cut or scrape on your skin.</p> <p>A <a href="https://strokefoundation.org.au/about-stroke/learn/what-is-a-stroke">stroke</a> is when oxygen can’t get into the brain because of a burst or blocked blood vessel. A blockage can occur when platelets in the bloodstream form a clot and it gets stuck in the artery.</p> <p>Because aspirin acts on platelets, it can help prevent the clots that can lead to a stroke.</p> <p>But because aspirin acts on platelets, it can also increase the risk of <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/daily-aspirin-therapy/art-20046797#:%7E:text=While%20daily%20aspirin%20can%20help,of%20developing%20a%20stomach%20ulcer.">unwanted bleeding</a>, usually in the stomach. It can also increase your risk of bleeding more when you have another injury, like hitting your head.</p> <p>Aspirin isn’t just used for the prevention of strokes. It is also the first aid treatment for someone undergoing a <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/acute-myocardial-infarction-early-treatment">heart attack</a>.</p> <h2>Findings of the Monash trial</h2> <p>New <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.25803">research from Australia and the United States</a> reports results from the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) trial.</p> <p>The researchers examined the protective use of daily low-dose aspirin (100 mg) in nearly 2,000 people who were aged 70 years and older and had no history of heart disease or stroke and whose blood pressure and cholesterol were well managed.</p> <p>When compared with placebo, aspirin didn’t reduce or increase the risk of stroke. Of the participants who took the aspirin, 195 or 4.6% had a stroke. Of those who took the placebo, 203 people or 4.7% had a stroke.</p> <p>But it did statistically increase the rate of non-stroke bleeding in the participants’ brains, for example when they injured their head. Those on aspirin showed a rate of bleeding in the brain of 1.1% (108 participants) compared with 0.8% (79 people) for those on placebo. This is a relatively, low but serious, risk.</p> <p>These findings are not entirely new. <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1800722?query=featured_home">Research</a> published five years ago based on the same ASPREE trial showed a similar result: a higher rate of bleeding among those taking low-dose aspirin compared with placebo.</p> <p>However as the study authors note, aspirin continues to be widely used for the prevention of stroke.</p> <h2>What are the study’s limitations?</h2> <p>The researchers examined aspirin in mostly people of white European heritage.</p> <p>So we don’t know whether the results are translatable to people with different ethnic backgrounds. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2594139/">Genetics and ethnicity</a> can significantly impact the efficacy and safety of some drugs.</p> <p>The clinical trial only included people who were not significantly at risk of a stroke, and had no history of heart disease.</p> <p>Younger age groups were not studied either, so we cannot make any conclusions about their use of low dose aspirin to prevent stroke.</p> <p>It’s also possible the potential benefits and risks are different for those who have underlying heart problems or who have previously had a stroke and are therefore at higher risk of another stroke.</p> <h2>I’m taking aspirin, what should I do?</h2> <p>If you’re taking daily low-dose aspirin and are concerned by the results of the study, it’s important you don’t just stop taking your medicine. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist.</p> <p>For people who are at high risk of having a stroke, or have previously had one, low-dose aspirin may remain their treatment of choice despite the slight bleeding risk.</p> <p>If you’re at high risk of bleeding, for example because of falls and other accidents due to advanced age, frailty, or another underlying condition, your doctor may be able to reduce the amount of aspirin you take by adding in <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/dipyridamole">dipyridamole</a> or prescribing a different medicine completely, such as <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/clopidogrel">clopidogrel</a>.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210388/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nial-wheate-96839">Nial Wheate</a>, Associate Professor of the Sydney Pharmacy School, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tina-hinton-329706">Tina Hinton</a>, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty </em><em>Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/daily-aspirin-doesnt-prevent-strokes-in-older-healthy-people-after-all-210388">original article</a>.</em></p>

Body

Placeholder Content Image

Not “your average beanie”: Smart Aussie invention to help stroke and trauma patients

<p dir="ltr">A new ‘smart helmet’ packed with tech is being developed to monitor brains of patients who have suffered a stroke, injury or trauma by a team of Australian scientists and developers thanks to funding from the Victorian government.</p> <p dir="ltr">Patients with these kinds of injuries often experience brain swelling and have parts of their skull removed to prevent the brain from pushing on structures such as the brainstem, the part of the brain that regulates the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, <a href="https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/brain-drowns-in-its-own-fluid-after-a-stroke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which can be fatal</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The SkullPro, developed by Anatomics Pty Ltd and the CSIRO, is a customised protective helmet that includes sensors that relay data back to the patient’s neurosurgeon to help them determine the best time to repair the skull.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the helmet, the conditions of patients’ brains can be monitored while they recover at home.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c30fb9f0-7fff-5de6-6b83-53be40564edb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Neurosurgeons can monitor their brain function in real time thanks to a ‘brain machine interface’ developed using machine learning, advanced sensors and microelectronics.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDApuNgj68s/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDApuNgj68s/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Anatomics (@anatomicsrx)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that Anatomics’ development of the helmet would be among 11 Victorian medical technology products funded through the latest round of MedTech grants.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This isn’t your average beanie. This is a Smart Helmet,” Mr Andrews <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DanielAndrewsMP/posts/pfbid02SJfjW1BcypXz8ubJHtQUTPvG349spbWAch4Eib1nguHedjAH1fFhWg4DaPJ9V5kNl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on social media.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It helps monitor the brains of patients who've had a stroke or suffered traumatic brain injury. It lets doctors know how the brain is healing and helps surgeons decide on the ideal time to perform operations on the skull to give patients the best possible chance of a full recovery. It's been researched, designed and manufactured right here in Bentleigh East by Anatomics.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It's the kind of technology that doesn't just save lives – it changes lives too.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Andrews added that the series of grants would help support “Victorian innovation” and create jobs.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We're backing Anatomics and 11 other Victorian medical technology manufacturers with a new round of MedTech grants. Creating jobs and supporting Victorian innovation,” the post continued.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2c713391-7fff-9b9e-2205-2217707d9715"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“That's something we can all get behind.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8xqoDDnORs/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8xqoDDnORs/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Anatomics (@anatomicsrx)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The team developing the SkullPro hope it will lay the foundation for research relating to brain injuries, diagnostics, and treatments in Australia.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a <a href="https://www.anatomics.com/au/news/2020/07/24/smart-skullpro.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, Professor Paul D’Urso, a neurosurgeon and the founder of Anatomics, said the grant would “greatly benefit brain injured patients throughout the world”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The recently announced funding through MTPConnect’s BioMedTech Horizons program will allow Anatomics and CSIRO to lay the foundations for advanced diagnostics and therapies for decades to come that will greatly benefit brain injured patients through-out the world,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We should all be proud of the pioneering R&amp;D (Research &amp; Development) that has already occurred in Australia and the opportunities that this grant will deliver to our future."</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-bb14f8a1-7fff-b6d7-650f-abcedbfc94fc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @anatomicsrx (Instagram)</em></p>

Mind

Placeholder Content Image

With the strokes of a guitar solo, Joni Mitchell showed us how our female music elders are super punks

<p>The iconic Joni Mitchell’s recent surprise performance at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxiluPSmAF8&amp;feature=youtu.be">2022 Newport Folk Festival</a> prompted a world-wide outpouring of love and respect. </p> <p>This was her first musical performance since suffering from a brain aneurysm in 2015 that left her unable to walk and talk. Last year, she spoke of having <a href="https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/joni-mitchell-addresses-health-issues-in-rare-speech-at-2021-kennedy-center-honors-3112447">polio as a child</a> as “a rehearsal for the rest of my life”. </p> <p>The tributes for Mitchell celebrated her triumph from illness to recovery, but they also paid homage to Mitchell’s career that has pivoted on protest. </p> <p>Mitchell is largely associated with folk scenes of the 60s and 70s. She has produced a prolific body of work, advocating for social change. As a committed activist she has spoken against environmental degradation, war, LGBTQI+ discrimination, and most recently, removed <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/29/22907696/joni-mitchell-spotify-joe-rogan-podcast-misinformation-covid-19">her music catalogue</a> from Spotify in a protest against anti-vaccine propaganda. </p> <p>Now, with the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7wOdpxGctc">strokes of a guitar solo</a> she repositioned herself from folk hero to punk provocateur, defying the “permissible” ways older women “should” behave. </p> <p>In commanding public space and using one of the most traditionally masculinised expressions of popular music practice, she directly challenged the sorts of expectations many people have around gendered norms, particularly what women in their elder years look and sound like.</p> <h2>Not everyone gets to age on stage</h2> <p>Some of the most persistent social restrictions placed on women and gender diverse musicians are in relation to age. </p> <p>Ongoing expectations of older women are to be passive, quiet and very much in the background. They are rarely asked, or expected, to “take up space” in the same ways their male counterparts do. </p> <p>Whereas men step through phases of youthful experimentation into established music legends, there are tiresome obstacles for female and gender diverse people to do the same. </p> <p>And while exceptions are often exceptional, they are not plentiful.</p> <p>It’s not just age. Women have long been sidelined when it comes to acknowledging their skills on the electric guitar. Much like Mitchell.</p> <p>The electric guitar has been an important part of rock and punk genres. There is a symbiotic relationship between how these genres – and the instrumentation that defines them – have unwittingly become gendered. The electric guitar solo in particular has come to be associated with machismo: fast, loud, expert, brave. </p> <p>If you like to imagine a world where women don’t exist, google “best guitar solos ever”. </p> <p>A recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/04/02/opinion/grammys-rock-guitar-solo.html">New York Times article</a> suggested things are starting to change. Citing guitarists like Taja Cheek and Adrianne Lenker, the Times suggested the guitar solo has shifted from a macho institution into a display of vulnerability, a moment (perhaps many) of connectivity. </p> <p>Mitchell’s performance sits somewhere in this domain. </p> <p>For the hundreds of thousands of women and gender diverse guitarists world-wide, myself included, the electric guitar and the genres it is entwined with offer a cool, optional extra: to test the cultural norms of gender with other markers of identity like class, culture, sexuality and age, to blur ideas of what we should and shouldn’t do.</p> <h2>Australian women to the front</h2> <p>Australian women and gender diverse rock and punk musicians are often subject to a double act of erasure – missing from localised histories, and also from broader canons of contemporary music, which often remain persistently rooted in the traditions of the UK and the US.</p> <p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55669013-my-rock-n-roll-friend">Tracey Thorn’s brilliant biography</a> of the Go-Between’s drummer Lindy Morrison is a love lettered homage that steps out the complex local, emotional, personal and structural ways that Australian women and gender diverse people are often omitted from cultural spaces. </p> <p>“We are patronised and then we vanish,” writes Thorn.</p> <p>The work of women and gender diverse artists is often compared to the glossy pedestal of the male creative genius.</p> <p>In this light, we don’t play right, we don’t look right, we don’t sound right. </p> <p>And then, somehow, we don’t age right. </p> <p>Other reasons are far more mundane. Women contribute around <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/blog/economics-blog/2019/Value-unpaid-work-care.html">13 hours more unpaid work</a> than men each week. </p> <p>Carrying plates overflowing with generous gifts of labour, the maintenance of a music practice – a largely underpaid endeavour – is often the first to fall by the wayside. </p> <p>Add to the mix ingrained social networks of knowledge sharing, and the dominance of men making decisions higher up the chain, and it is easy to see how women and gender diverse musicians stay submerged as men rise to the limited real estate of music elders. </p> <p>The problem isn’t so much about starting up. It’s about finding the time to keep up.</p> <h2>Our female and gender diverse music elders</h2> <p>There are so many Australian female and gender diverse music elders. Some are visible, but many ripple beneath the surface. </p> <p>Regardless of genre, in maintaining decades-long practice, they are the super punks whose legacy can be heard in venues across the country. </p> <p>The challenge now is to support the current crop of excellent musicians beyond the flushes of youth so that we have a more sustainable, textured and diverse Australian music culture. One where Mitchell’s defiance of expectations represents the status quo of how older women should and can be.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-the-strokes-of-a-guitar-solo-joni-mitchell-showed-us-how-our-female-music-elders-are-super-punks-188075" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Music

Placeholder Content Image

Australian women are less likely to receive pre-hospital stroke care than men

<p>Paramedics are failing to recognise strokes in women as much as they do for men, according to a new <a href="https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/women-less-likely-receive-pre-hospital-stroke-care-men" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> of New South Wales stroke patients. Researchers suggest that clinician sex bias might be the cause.</p> <p>In 2018 it was <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/heart-stroke-vascular-diseases/hsvd-facts/contents/heart-stroke-and-vascular-disease-and-subtypes/stroke" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimated</a> that 387,000 Australians aged over 15 years had experienced a stroke at some point in their lives. The success of treatment is very time dependent, so it’s critical that patients suffering from stroke are identified as soon as possible, preferably before arriving at hospital.</p> <p>But according to the study by Australian researchers, women (aged under 70) suffering with stroke were less likely than men to receive stroke care management prior to hospital admission – despite being more likely to arrive at hospital by ambulance.</p> <p>This is concerning, as other research shows stroke outcomes are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31719135/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">generally worse</a> for women than men – with greater stroke-related disability and poorer subsequent quality of life.</p> <p>“Our study suggests that better recognition of stroke symptoms in women by ambulance staff could ensure the right treatment is started as early as possible and give them the best opportunity for recovery,” says lead author Dr Xia Wang, research fellow at The George Institute for Global Health in Sydney.</p> <p>There are two types of stroke: ischaemic stroke occurs when a vessel supplying blood to the brain becomes blocked, and haemorrhagic stroke occurs when one ruptures and begins to bleed. This can cause parts of the brain to die – resulting in impairment that can affect things like speech, movement, and communication – or can often be fatal.</p> <p>Thanks to development in medical research <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">treatment for stroke</a> is changing, but the efficacy of these treatments is highly time-dependent and rapid and accurate pre-hospital assessment is critical for successful outcomes.</p> <p>“When stroke is not recognised early, delays can have serious consequences,” says co-author Dr Cheryl Carcel, senior research fellow and academic lead of the George Institute’s Global Brain Health Initiative.</p> <p>“Procedures for in-ambulance stroke care ensure patients with stroke symptoms are brought to a high-level specialised facility quickly to receive life-saving treatment.”</p> <p>In a population-based cohort study, researchers analysed data from more than  200,0000 patients (51% women) admitted to NSW hospitals between July 2005 and December 2018 and subsequently diagnosed as having a stroke.</p> <p>Just over half of all stroke patients were taken to hospital via ambulance, with women (52.4%) more likely than men (47.9%) to arrive this way.</p> <p>Despite this, women were less likely to receive stroke care management prior to hospital admission.</p> <p>“Among patients under 70 years of age, women were less likely than men to be assessed by paramedics as having a stroke, but there was no significant difference for older patients,” the authors say.</p> <p>Instead, they were more frequently assessed by paramedics as having conditions which mimic stroke – like headache or migraine, anxiety, and unconsciousness – which contributed to a delay in the recognition and treatment of stroke.</p> <p>There was no significant difference for older patients.</p> <p>Health professionals know that on initial presentation, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31114842/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atypical clinical symptoms of stroke</a> occur more frequently in women. So, these findings could be due to a difference in symptoms, although it’s also possible that implicit sex bias exists amongst healthcare providers.</p> <p>“While there aren’t any studies looking at clinician sex bias in stroke, we have evidence from other countries where it is happening in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3810172/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coronary artery disease</a>,” explains Carcel.</p> <p>This has also been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002870321001885?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">found</a> to be the case for myocardial infarction (heart attack), with women less likely to be assessed by paramedics as having MI than men.</p> <p>“Greater awareness among all health professionals about differences in symptom presentation between men and women could help address this bias,” concludes Carcel. “In the case of stroke, this is particularly important for ambulance staff, so that women are identified early and treatment is commenced even before they reach the hospital.”</p> <p>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/australian-women-stroke-care/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos</a>. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Does your heart skip a beat? You could be at a higher risk of a stroke

<p dir="ltr">One in three Australians over the age of 50, or <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27798365/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one in 20 New Zealanders</a> aged 55 or older, will develop Atrial Fibrillation - an irregular or rapid heartbeat which ups their risk of strokes and heart failure.</p> <p dir="ltr">But many, like marriage celebrant Maryann Bawden, will have no idea until something happens.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When the doctors asked me to shift over a little on the bed, I realised I was completely paralysed down my left side,” she said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b8851d47-7fff-1f46-3531-42bb9c39e40f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">In Maryanne’s case, she suffered a stroke and was in intensive care for four days, where staff realised she had Atrial Fibrillation (AF).</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/atrial-fib1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Maryanne Bawden (left) had no idea she had Atrial Fibrillation until after she was hospitalised for a stroke. Image: Supplied</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“It was a surreal moment. I had no emotions at the time, just a detached curiosity that my body wasn’t functioning properly,” Maryanne said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It felt very matter of fact, with no correlation between the seriousness and the actual situation.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Professor Ben Freedman, the Deputy Director of Cardiovascular Research at the <a href="https://www.hri.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heart Research Institute</a>, says the number of Australians who will unknowingly suffer from AF is set to increase by 150 percent over the next four decades.</p> <p dir="ltr">“One in three people aged over 50 will develop AF - the issue is, most people have never heard of it, and that’s problematic because it means they don’t know how to ask their doctor to check for it,” Professor Freedman explains.</p> <p dir="ltr">Symptoms include an irregular pulse, heart palpitations or a “fluttering” heartbeat, and feeling tired, dizzy or weak.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-96c09322-7fff-4e6b-ba47-e70456d485d9"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“However, people often have no symptoms at all or only experience symptoms some of the time,” he says.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/atrial-fib2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Professor Ben Freedman (centre), and two members of his team - Dr Katrina Giskes (left), and Dr Nicole Lowres (right) - hope to prove that regular ECG screening will decrease morbidity from Atrial Fibrillation. Image: Supplied</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“People can live suffering these small, silent strokes and they don’t even know they are having them. But while they might not notice them, over time they cause a cognitive decline.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Professor Freedman also heads - and founded - the <a href="https://www.afscreen.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AF-SCREEN International Collaboration</a>, a global group of scientists that includes many of the foremost names in AF research.</p> <p dir="ltr">One way to catch AF before a person experiences a stroke or heart failure is by using electrocardiograms (ECGs), and Professor Freedman will be looking to prove that more intensive ECG screening will prevent strokes, morbidity, and death.</p> <p dir="ltr">Over the next five years, Professor Freedman and his team will be measuring AF in Australians over the age of 70 with a handheld device to prove that this screening helps.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We need to increase awareness of AF, as only 11 percent of people over the age of 65 are being regularly screened for AF by their GP despite it being a very simple test,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Almost everyone who turns 65 should be getting a yearly pulse check. Cost isn’t a factor - anyone can afford a pulse check.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e9d83005-7fff-6692-b959-28309fe982e3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Though only a doctor can diagnose you with AF, you can keep an eye on your heart health by regularly checking your pulse and keeping a record of your results.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/Picture12.png" alt="" width="508" height="508" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p> <p dir="ltr">A resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute, and although a pause or extra beat every now and then is normal, you should speak to your doctor if it is quite irregular.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6cefb02a-7fff-82f4-b132-77e195a3d19f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

Body

Placeholder Content Image

Stroke, cancer and other chronic diseases more likely for those with poor mental health

<p><a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-statistics/health-welfare-services/mental-health-services/overview">Four million Australians</a>, including our friends, family members, co-workers and neighbours, are living with mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression.</p> <p>A <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/australian-health-policy-collaboration/publications#chronic-diseases">new report out today</a> from the <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/australian-health-policy-collaboration">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</a> has found these four million Australians are at much greater risk of chronic physical disease and much greater risk of early death.</p> <p>Having a mental health condition increases the risk of every major chronic disease. Heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, back pain, diabetes, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and cancer are all much more likely to occur among people with anxiety and depression. </p> <p>More than 2.4 million people have both a mental and at least one physical health condition.</p> <p>For the first time in Australia, this report quantifies the extent of this problem. For example, people with mental health conditions are more likely to have a circulatory system disease (that is, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke). The likelihood increases by 52% for men, and 41% for women.</p> <p>More than a million people are affected by both a circulatory system disease and a mental health condition. These diseases are Australia’s biggest killers.</p> <p>For painful, debilitating conditions such as arthritis and back pain, the numbers are even higher. Arthritis is 66% more likely for men with mental health conditions, and 46% more likely for women, with 959,000 people affected.</p> <p>Back pain is 74% more likely for men with mental health conditions, and 68% more likely for women, with more than a million affected.</p> <p>The gender differences are significant. Women with mental health conditions are much more likely to have asthma than women across Australia as a whole (70% more likely), while men are 49% more likely to have asthma with a mental health condition.</p> <p>The biggest gender difference is cancer. Men with mental health conditions are 84% more likely to have cancer than the general population, and for women the figure is 20%.</p> <p>As more women live with mental health conditions than men, overall, women are 23% more likely to be living with both a mental and physical health condition than men.</p> <p>The report shows having a co-existing mental health condition and chronic physical disease generally results in worse quality of life, greater functional decline, needing to use more health care and higher healthcare costs. </p> <p>These people require more treatment, use more medications, and have to spend more time, energy and money managing their health. People with a mental health condition are also <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)60240-2/abstract">more likely to be poorer</a>, less likely to work, less likely to receive health screening and, sadly, <a href="https://www.rethink.org/media/810988/Rethink%20Mental%20Illness%20-%20Lethal%20Discrimination.pdf">more likely to receive substandard care</a> for their physical diseases.</p> <p>On average, people with mental health conditions die younger than the general population, and mostly from preventable conditions. We know from <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f2539">earlier research</a>that people with severe mental illnesses die much earlier than the rest of the population. Our report shows even common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression contribute to more chronic disease, leading to higher rates of early death.</p> <h2>Why?</h2> <p>We don’t know exactly why people with mental health conditions have poorer physical health. The <a href="https://acmedsci.ac.uk/policy/policy-projects/multimorbidity">Academy of Medical Sciences</a> has identified that poor mental health and psychosocial risk factors such as feeling dissatisfied with life, not feeling calm, having sleep problems that affect work, and financial concerns can predict physical disease.</p> <p>Other factors, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/low-income-earners-are-more-likely-to-die-early-from-preventable-diseases-87676">low socioeconomic status</a>, poor social networks, living in rural areas and smoking are associated with both poor mental health and poor physical health.</p> <p>We do know people with mental health conditions often don’t receive advice about healthy lifestyles, don’t get common tests for disease, and are less likely to receive treatment for disease. Some of this is due to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21379357">stigma and discrimination</a>, and sometimes it’s neglect. People with mental health conditions can <a href="https://www.ranzcp.org/Files/Publications/RANZCP-Serious-Mental-Illness.aspx">fall through the gaps between disjointed physical and mental health systems</a>. </p> <h2>What can we do about it?</h2> <p>There is <a href="https://www.ranzcp.org/Files/Publications/RANZCP-Keeping-body-and-mind-together.aspx">momentum for change</a> among the mental health sector, with dozens of organisations signing up to the <a href="https://equallywell.org.au/">Equally Well</a> consensus statement. This aims to improve the quality of life of people living with mental illness by providing equal access to quality health care. </p> <p>There’s some great work being done around the country, including in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/inm.12459">Hunter region</a>, where people with mental health conditions can access tailored help with physical health risk factors such as smoking and diet.</p> <p>People using mental health services should have their physical health regularly assessed, and any problems addressed as early as possible. Better coordination of care would preserve healthcare resources and improve quality of life.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/stroke-cancer-and-other-chronic-diseases-more-likely-for-those-with-poor-mental-health-100955" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Mind

Placeholder Content Image

Best stroke: Microswimmers that can deliver drugs around the body

<p>Picture an artificial cell: a self-propelling mixture of chemicals, somewhere between a thousandth and a tenth of a millimetre in size, able to travel around the body delivering medicines.</p> <p>This could become a reality with microswimmers – micrometre-sized blobs of liquid that can move independently, thanks to either chemical or physical mechanisms. There are plenty of naturally occurring microswimmers, but researchers have begun to tune artificial ones to do more interesting jobs.</p> <p>Artificial microswimmers can be very simple – last year, a group of researchers published a method for microswimmers you could <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/almost-home-made-microswimmers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">make at home</a> (provided you have a pipette and a microscope). But more complex “microrobots” have even more potential.</p> <p>Last month, for instance, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Germany, announced they’d developed light-powered microswimmers that can move through biological fluids.</p> <p>The researchers’ microswimmers are made from a porous substance called poly(heptazine imide) carbon nitride. This material comprises organic (carbon-containing) molecules linked together in a flat sheet, making it a “two-dimensional” <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/explainer-what-is-a-polymer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polymer</a>.</p> <p>The microswimmers can be propelled forwards by light, and can also be triggered to release chemicals they’re holding – making them prime targets for drug delivery.</p> <p>Light-powered microswimmers aren’t an entirely new concept, though it had previously been tricky to make them work in biological environments.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p182933-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> <p>“The use of light as the energy source of propulsion is very convenient when doing experiments in a petri dish or for applications directly under the skin,” says co-author Filip Podjaski.</p> <p>“There is just one problem: even tiny concentrations of salts prohibit light-controlled motion. Salts are found in all biological liquids – in blood, cellular fluids, digestive fluids etc.”</p> <p>But these microswimmers can move in even the most saline liquids. Podjaski says this is because of the porous nature of the material, as well as its light sensitivity.</p> <p>“In addition, in this material, light favours the mobility of ions, making the particle even faster,” he says.</p> <p>Currently, the microswimmers can release drugs in very acidic environments, but the researchers are still looking for other release mechanisms they can use. Artificial microswimmers are a long way from drug delivery or use in humans, but they’ve got plenty of exciting potential.</p> <p>“We hope to inspire many smart minds to find even better ways for controlling microrobots and designing a responsive function to the benefit of our society,” says co-author Metin Sitti.</p> <p>The findings were <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.abm1421" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in <em>Science Robotics.</em></p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=182933&amp;title=Best+stroke%3A+Microswimmers+that+can+deliver+drugs+around+the+body" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/materials/microswimmers-targeted-drug-delivery-light/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/ellen-phiddian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ellen Phiddian</a>. Ellen Phiddian is a science journalist at Cosmos. She has a BSc (Honours) in chemistry and science communication, and an MSc in science communication, both from the Australian National University.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Body

Placeholder Content Image

Salt substitute leads to fewer strokes and heart attacks

<div class="copy"> <p>A reduced-sodium, potassium-rich ‘salt substitute’ reduces rates of stroke, heart attack and death, according to a new <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2105675" target="_blank">study</a> published in <em>The New England Journal of Medicine. </em></p> <p>Researchers from the George Institute for Global Health showed that a salt substitute with more potassium chloride and less sodium chloride – the ‘normal’ table salt – leads to lower blood pressure and reduced heart problems, with no harmful effects.</p> <p>“Almost everyone in the world eats more salt than they should,’’ says lead author Bruce Neal. “Switching to a salt substitute is something that everyone could do if salt substitutes were on the supermarket shelves.</p> <p>“Better still, while salt substitutes are a bit more expensive than regular salt, they’re still very low-cost – just a few dollars a year to make the switch.</p> <p>“As well as showing clear benefits for important health outcomes, our study also allays concerns about possible risks.  We saw no indication of any harm from the added potassium in the salt substitute. Certainly, patients with serious kidney disease should not use salt substitutes, but they need to keep away from regular salt as well.” </p> <p>The study was conducted with 21,000 adults with a history of stroke or blood-pressure issues from 600 rural Chinese villages in 2014/15. For those using the low-sodium salt, the team found that incidents of stroke dropped by 14%, total cardiovascular events (including heart attack) dropped by 13% and premature deaths dropped by 12%.</p> <p>They also showed that the price difference between table salt and the substitute was low – $1.48 per kilogram for regular salt compared to $2.22 per kilogram for low-sodium salt.</p> <p>‘’Last year, a modelling study done for China suggested that about 400,000 premature deaths might be prevented each year by national uptake of salt substitute,” says Neal. “Our results now confirm this. If salt was switched for salt substitute worldwide, there would be several million premature deaths prevented every year.  </p> <p>“This is quite simply the single-most worthwhile piece of research I’ve ever been involved with.  Switching table salt to salt substitute is a highly feasible and low-cost opportunity to have a massive global health benefit.”</p> <p>Because of this result, the researchers have urged salt manufactures to switch to low-sodium salt, and for governments to make policies that promote salt substitutes.</p> <em>Image credits: Shutterstock           <!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=163351&amp;title=Salt+substitute+leads+to+fewer+strokes+and+heart+attacks" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication -->          </em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/salt-substitute-fewer-strokes-heart-attacks/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Deborah Devis. </em></p> </div>

Body

Placeholder Content Image

Losing speech after a stroke can negatively affect mental health – but therapy can provide hope

<p>Around <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa1804492">25% of adults</a> will have a stroke in their lifetime. And <a href="https://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(16)30041-7/fulltext">around one-third</a> of stroke survivors will be left with damage to the part of their brain that decodes and organises language – leaving them with a disability known as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02687038.2020.1852003">aphasia</a>. Aphasia can affect speaking and understanding as well as reading and writing abilities, but does not affect intelligence. It can vary in severity from getting a few words mixed up, to being unable to say any words.</p> <p>Aphasia can be a difficult and frustrating disability to live with, and can disrupt many aspects of a person’s life – including relationships, holding down a job, and social activities. As such, depression is common, affecting an <a href="https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/16107">estimated two-thirds</a> of people with aphasia. Yet many people with aphasia <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02687038.2019.1673304">struggle to access</a> the psychological support they need – psychological therapies, or “talk therapies”, can feel inaccessible to someone with a language disability.</p> <p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10497323211020290">Our research</a> explored how psychological therapy could be made to work for people with aphasia. Working with speech and language therapists, mental health professionals and stroke survivors, we adapted a form of psychological therapy so that it was accessible for people with aphasia. We found that this form of therapy was valued by people with aphasia, and could make a positive difference in their lives.</p> <p><strong>Accessible therapy</strong></p> <p>The therapy that we delivered to our research participants was adapted from a form of psychological therapy called “<a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203116562/solution-focused-brief-therapy-harvey-ratner-evan-george-chris-iveson">solution-focused brief therapy</a>”. This form of therapy supports a person in building meaningful change in their everyday lives. It invites people to describe their hopes for the future, and explores their skills, talents and resources to support them in when adapting to their new circumstances. It also gives them a chance to discuss their experiences and thoughts.</p> <p>Thirty people with post-stroke aphasia received the therapy in our study. Fourteen of our participants had severe aphasia, while 16 had milder aphasia. They were all at least six months post-stroke – and some were as many as 12 years post-stroke. Participants were offered up to six therapy sessions, each of about an hour, spaced over three months. The therapy was delivered by speech and language therapists who had received specific training and supervision from experts in solution-focused brief therapy.</p> <p>To make the therapy accessible, we made sure that the therapists worked closely with participants to help them communicate their thoughts and feelings, using whatever method they could – so as well as talking, participants communicated through drawing, gestures, pictures, objects, mime, or writing key words. Although their intelligence was not affected, many participants found it harder to understand language when spoken rapidly.</p> <p>To support participants’ understanding, therapists used simpler language, slowed their pace of speech and supported communication visually such as by writing key words, or using gestures or pictures. Above all, the therapists gave people time – time to express their thoughts and time to process what the therapist was saying.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/406699/original/file-20210616-3629-1d6qq4s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="A young man reads a book with an elderly woman." /> <span class="caption">Participants communicated using whatever method they could.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-male-nurse-spending-time-elder-300626726" class="source">Photographee.eu/ Shutterstock</a></span></p> <p>Therapists encouraged participants to describe what “living well” with their aphasia meant to them. They invited participants to notice small signs of progress and share their successes and achievements with the therapist. These could be seemingly small events, such as making porridge with one hand for the first time, and also profound conversations around how they experienced aphasia, their early times in hospital, or describing the process of recovery and adjusting to their stroke. The therapists invited them to notice their own skills and the resources that they had drawn on, and how they could use these to help them continue to adjust to their new circumstances.</p> <p>Our participants agreed that the therapy worked well for people with aphasia – and that it was important for them (and others with aphasia) to have access to psychological support if needed. Many valued being able to talk about their hopes and achievements, and share how they found living with stroke and aphasia. They also valued the companionship and connection they felt with their therapist.</p> <p>Many participants also described experiencing positive changes in their life after attending therapy – including having the confidence to start using the phone again, doing things they used to do such as cooking dinner, or starting a volunteer role. For some, it gave them courage, and let them feel more like themselves again.</p> <p>Our research shows that even people with a severe language disability can benefit from this therapy when it is adapted specifically for them. A challenge is ensuring that mental health professionals and speech and language therapists have the training, skills and confidence to provide appropriate psychological support for people with aphasia.</p> <p>There are around <a href="https://www.stroke.org.uk/what-is-aphasia/aphasia-and-its-effects">350,000 people</a> living with aphasia in the UK. Yet <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1460-6984.12204">public awareness</a> of the condition remains low, making it a poorly understood and often lonely disability to live with. If we give people with aphasia the time to express themselves – noticing and valuing them as people, and not just seeing their disability – it can make a real difference in improving their lives.<!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sarah-northcott-1227983">Sarah Northcott</a>, Senior Lecturer in Speech and Language Therapy, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/city-university-of-london-1047">City, University of London</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/losing-speech-after-a-stroke-can-negatively-affect-mental-health-but-therapy-can-provide-hope-160581">original article</a>.</p>

Mind

Placeholder Content Image

Will a vegetarian diet increase your risk of stroke?

<p>A UK study finding vegetarianism is associated with a higher risk of stroke than a meat-eating diet has made <a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/food/vegetarians-and-vegans-at-greater-risk-of-stroke-than-meat-eaters-new-study-reveals-c-436993">headlines</a> around the world.</p> <p>The study, published in the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l4897">British Medical Journal</a>, found people who followed vegetarian or vegan diets had a 20% higher risk of having a stroke compared to those who ate meat.</p> <p>But if you’re a vegetarian, there’s no need to panic. And if you’re a meat eater, these results don’t suggest you should eat more meat.</p> <p>While we don’t fully understand why these results occurred, it’s important to note the study only showed an association between a vegetarian diet and increased stroke risk – not direct cause and effect.</p> <h2>What the study did and found</h2> <p>The researchers looked at 48,188 men and women living in Oxford, following what they ate, and whether they had heart disease or a stroke, over 18 years. The researchers grouped the participants according to their diets: meat eaters, fish eaters (pescatarians) and vegetarians (including vegans).</p> <p>While vegan diets are quite different to vegetarian diets, the investigators combined these two groups as there were very small numbers of vegans in the study.</p> <p>In their analysis, the researchers accounted for variables which are known risk factors for heart disease and stroke, including education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activity.</p> <p>They found vegetarians had a 22% lower risk of heart disease than meat eaters. This is equivalent to ten fewer cases of heart disease per 1,000 vegetarians than in meat eaters over ten years.</p> <p>Yet the vegetarians had a 20% higher rate of stroke, equivalent to three more strokes per 1,000 vegetarians compared to the meat eaters over ten years.</p> <p>The decrease in heart disease risk seemed to be linked to lower body mass index (BMI), cholesterol levels, incidence of diabetes, and blood pressure. These benefits are all known to be associated with a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26853923">healthy vegetarian diet</a>, and are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5686931/">protective factors</a> against heart disease.</p> <p>This study showed fish eaters (who did not consume meat) had a 13% lower risk of heart disease, but no significant increase in the rate of stroke when compared to meat eaters.</p> <h2>As with any study, there are strengths and weaknesses</h2> <p>The main strength of this study is that it closely followed a very large group of people over a long period of time.</p> <p>The major weakness is that being an <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-defence-of-observational-science-randomised-experiments-arent-the-only-way-to-the-truth-49807">observational study</a>, the researchers were not able to determine a cause and effect relationship.</p> <p>So this study is not showing us vegetarian diets <em>lead</em> to increased risk of stroke; it simply tells us vegetarians have an increased risk of stroke. This means the association may be linked to other factors, aside from diet, which may be related to the lifestyle of a vegetarian.</p> <p>And while vegetarian and vegan diets may be seen as generally healthier, vegetarians still may be eating processed and ultra-processed foods. These foods can contain high levels of added salt, trans fat and saturated fats. This study did not report on the whole dietary pattern – just the major food groups.</p> <p>Another major weakness of this study is that vegans and vegetarians were grouped together. Vegetarian and vegan diets can vary considerably in nutrient levels.</p> <h2>So why would the vegetarian group have a higher stroke risk?</h2> <p>These kind of observational studies are unable to provide what scientists call “a mechanism” – that is, a biological explanation as to why this association may exist.</p> <p>But researchers will sometimes offer a potential biological explanation. In this case, they suggest the differences in nutrient intakes between the different diets may go some way to explaining the increased risk of stroke in the vegetarian group.</p> <p>They cite a number of <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/32/4/536/666950">Japanese studies</a> which have shown links between a very low intake of animal products and an increased risk of stroke.</p> <p>One nutrient they mention is vitamin B12, as it’s found only in animal products (meat, fish, dairy products and eggs). Vegan sources are limited, though some mushroom varieties and fermented beans <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4042564/">may contain</a> vitamin B12.</p> <p>Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anaemia and <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/vitamin-b12-deficiency-can-be-sneaky-harmful-201301105780">neurological issues</a>, including numbness and tingling, and cognitive difficulties.</p> <p>The authors suggest a lack of vitamin B12 may be linked to the increased risk of stroke among the vegetarian group. This deficiency <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19357223">could be present</a> in vegetarians, and even more pronounced in vegans.</p> <p>But this is largely speculative, and any associations between a low intake of animal products and an increased risk of stroke remain to be founded in a strong body of evidence. More research is needed before any recommendations are made.</p> <h2>What does this mean for vegetarians and vegans?</h2> <p>Vegetarians and vegans shouldn’t see this study as a reason to change their diets. This is the only study to date to have shown an increased risk of stroke with vegetarian or vegan diets.</p> <p>Further, this study has shown overall greater benefits are gained by being vegetarian or vegan in its association with reduced risk of heart disease.</p> <p>Meanwhile, other studies have shown meat eaters – particularly people who eat large amounts of red and processed meats – have <a href="https://theconversation.com/confused-about-your-cancer-risk-from-eating-meat-heres-what-the-figures-mean-49888">higher risk</a> of certain cancers.</p> <p> </p> <p>Whether you’re an omnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan, it’s important to consider the quality of your diet. Focus on eating whole foods, and including lots of vegetables, fruits, cereals and grains.</p> <p>It’s equally important to minimise the intake of processed foods high in added sugars, salt, saturated and trans fats. Diets high in these sorts of foods <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6320919/">have well-established links</a> to increased risk of heart disease and stroke. <strong>–Evangeline Mantzioris</strong></p> <h2>Blind peer review</h2> <p>The analysis presents a fair and balanced assessment of the study, accurately pointing out that no meaningful recommendations can be drawn from the results. This is particularly so since the majority of the data was collected via self-reported questionnaires, which reduces the reliability of the results.</p> <p>While in many cases the media has reported an increased stroke risk in vegetarians, total stroke risk was not actually statistically different between the groups. The researchers looked at two types of stroke: ischaemic stroke (where a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain is obstructed) and haemorrhagic stroke (where a blood vessel leaks or breaks).</p> <p>A statistically significant increased risk in the vegetarian group was only seen in haemorrhagic stroke – and even there it’s marginal. Statistically, and in total numbers of people affected, the reduced heart disease risk in the vegetarian group is more convincing. <strong>–Andrew Carey</strong><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123083/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Written by <span>Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of South Australia</span>. Republished with permission of </em><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/will-a-vegetarian-diet-increase-your-risk-of-stroke-123083" target="_blank"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>. </em></p>

Food & Wine

Placeholder Content Image

How to survive a stroke

<p><span>When a stroke happens, acting fast is crucial to survival. As the third most common cause of death and a leading cause of disability in Australia, stroke interrupts blood supply to the brain, preventing brain cells from accessing oxygen and nutrients and damaging the brain tissue in the process. </span></p> <p><span>According to <a href="https://www.rush.edu/health-wellness/discover-health/surviving-stroke">Rush University Medical Center</a>, 1.9 million brain cells die every minute a stroke goes untreated, increasing the risk of brain damage, disability and death. </span></p> <p><span>The sooner a person receives treatment for stroke, the better the outcome. However, a lack of awareness of early stroke symptoms means that more people may miss out on getting prompt medical attention.</span></p> <p><strong><span>How to recognise the signs of stroke</span></strong></p> <p><span>Not all strokes are sudden and incapacitating – the signs can be subtler than commonly expected. The Stroke Foundation recommends using the FAST test to recognise the main symptoms of stroke:</span></p> <ul> <li>Face: Has their face drooped?</li> <li>Arms: Can they lift both arms? Does one arm drift downward?</li> <li>Speech: Is their speech slurred, and do they understand you?</li> <li>Time: Time is critical. Call the ambulance as soon as you see any of these signs.</li> </ul> <p><span>Other signs of stroke may include:</span></p> <ul> <li>Weakness and/or numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body</li> <li>Blurred or loss of vision in one or both eyes</li> <li>Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination</li> </ul> <p><strong><span>What to do</span></strong></p> <p><span>Should you notice any symptoms on yourself or others, call 000 immediately. </span></p> <p><span>Avoid driving yourself to the hospital – while this may seem like a quicker option, lifesaving treatment begins in the ambulance. Paramedics and ambulance workers can screen you on the way and ensure you get the necessary drugs and the most suitable procedures at the emergency department.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Who is at risk?</span></strong></p> <p><span>According to the <a href="https://brainfoundation.org.au/disorders/stroke/#strokeaffectaustralians">Brain Foundation</a>, the risk of stroke may increase for:</span></p> <ul> <li>People with a family history of stroke</li> <li>People with risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or obesity</li> <li>Smokers and heavy alcohol drinkers</li> <li>People aged 45 and above</li> </ul> <p><span>Stroke <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/stroke-prevention">can be prevented</a> with a low-fat, high-fibre diet, regular exercise and avoidance of smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.</span></p>

Mind

Placeholder Content Image

Detecting strokes: Here’s what you need to know

<p>After news broke of actor Luke Perry’s death following a “massive stroke” it’s important to understand the signs and symptoms.</p> <p>The 52-year-old <em>Riverdale</em> and <em>Beverly Hills, 90210</em> star passed away on March 4, after suffering a massive stroke late last week.</p> <p>The much loved actor died while surrounded by family and friends. He leaves behind two children, 21-year-old Jack and 18-year-old Sophie, and his fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer.</p> <p>Celebrities and those close to the actor took to Twitter to share their thoughts and well wishes.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">My heart is broken. I will miss you so much Luke Perry. Sending all my love to your family. ❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LukePerry?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LukePerry</a></p> — Molly Ringwald (@MollyRingwald) <a href="https://twitter.com/MollyRingwald/status/1102631945819713538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">4 March 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">As a young girl from Hamilton Ontario coming onto the biggest show in the world mid stream, Luke welcomed me from day one. My heart breaks. ❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lukeperry?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lukeperry</a> #90210 <a href="https://t.co/8QA4SEipqB">pic.twitter.com/8QA4SEipqB</a></p> — kathleen robertson (@kathleenrobert7) <a href="https://twitter.com/kathleenrobert7/status/1102640120539176960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">4 March 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Luke Perry... you were a joyful and vibrant soul. You will be missed but most certainly your legacy will be remembered forever. Rest in love and peace, friend. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Riverdale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Riverdale</a></p> — Riverdale Writers Room (@RiverdaleWriter) <a href="https://twitter.com/RiverdaleWriter/status/1102634825880547328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">4 March 2019</a></blockquote> <p>The tragedy has started the conversation on strokes, with the condition being the third most common cause of death in Australia.</p> <p>Each year, close to 40,000 Australians suffer from strokes, with 10,869 resulting in death in the year 2015.</p> <p><strong>What is a stroke?</strong></p> <p>According to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/docs/ConsumerEd_Stroke.pdf" target="_blank">Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)</a><span>, strokes are caused by lack of blood supply to the brain. This can be due to the blood flow being blocked by a clot (ischemic stroke) or when the vessels in the brain burst (haemorrhagic stroke).</span></p> <p>Other incidents are classified as “brain attacks”, which happen when people suffer from a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or otherwise known as “mini strokes”.</p> <p>These occur when there is a blockage of blood flow to the brain. But despite these short incidents only occurring for five minutes, they should be taken seriously as they are indicators for future strokes.</p> <p>When the brain fails to receive an adequate amount of blood flow or oxygen, it can result in permanent disability or death.</p> <p><strong>What are the major symptoms of stroke?</strong></p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://strokefoundation.org.au/About-Stroke/Stroke-symptoms" target="_blank">The Stroke Foundation</a> urges everyone to brush up on F.A.S.T.</p> <p>The F.A.S.T test is a simple acronym that helps people understand the symptoms of stroke, and could be the difference between life or death.</p> <p><strong>F:</strong> <strong>Facial drooping or numbness.</strong><span> </span>Ask the person to smile and check for any asymmetries.</p> <p><strong>A:</strong> <strong>Arm weakness.</strong><span> </span>If the person is suffering from a stroke, they may find it difficult to move their arms. Ask them to raise both their arms to see any irregularities.</p> <p><strong>S:</strong> <strong>Slurred Speech.</strong><span> </span>A common symptom of a stroke is slurring of the speech. People may either be talking extremely slow or it may be difficult to understand what they’re saying. Ask the person to repeat phrases several times, but even if their speech returns to normal, be sure to call a doctor regardless.</p> <p><strong>T:</strong><strong> Time to call 000.<span> </span></strong>If the person has any of the above symptoms, then call emergency services immediately.</p> <p><strong>Other symptoms to look out for</strong></p> <p>While F.A.S.T is important to be on top of, there are other symptoms also linked to strokes, such as walking difficulties or understanding conversations.</p> <p>Those who suffer from severe headaches, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, all come under signs of a stroke and should be looked at by a doctor immediately.</p> <p><strong>Who is at risk?</strong></p> <p>Strokes do not discriminate and can happen to anyone at any age, but there are certain factors that make some people more susceptible to the condition than others. People who excessively smoke or consume alcohol, live sedentary lifestyles, have high cholesterol, blood pressure or diabetes have a much higher risk of suffering from a stroke. </p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

“Diet” drinks linked to increased risk of dementia and stroke

<p>We all know that too much sugar in our diet is bad for our health, and that includes sugary soft drinks. But many reach for the artificially sweetened ‘diet’ drinks, thinking that it has to be a better choice than sugary soft drinks.</p> <p>It has now been proven that these ‘diet’ drinks are equally bad for our health, if not worse. This is the latest data from the Framingham Heart study in Massachusetts.</p> <p>“We advise that people don’t drink sugary beverages because we know they are associated with a whole range of adverse health outcomes such as obesity, diabetes,” said Matthew Pase, a visiting postdoctoral fellow at Boston University School of Medicine and an investigator at the Framingham Heart Study. Pase, who authored the study, said the outcomes of consuming diet drinks with artificial sweeteners can be just as bad.</p> <p>“We found that those people who were consuming diet soda on a daily basis were three times as likely to develop both stroke and dementia within the next 10 years as compared to those who did not drink diet soda,” said Pase. About 4,000 Framingham residents aged 30 or older were monitored for this study.</p> <p>It was found that those who drank sugary drinks showed faster brain ageing and poorer memory function. <span><a href="http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/48/5/1139">The conclusion to this study</a></span> was that "artificially sweetened soft drink consumption was associated with a high risk of stroke and dementia." The artificial sweeteners used in the study were saccharin, acesulfame, aspartame, neotame, and sucralose.</p> <p>Aspartame is considered by some to be the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to foods and drinks. It accounts for more than 75 per cent of the adverse reactions reported to the US FDA, yet the additive is still widely permitted and no warning labelling is required.</p> <p>The range of symptoms and ailments attributed to aspartame in a 1994 Department of Health &amp; Human Services Report  include headaches, migraines, memory loss, dizziness, seizures, numbness, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, slurred speech, tinnitus, vertigo and joint pain.</p> <p>Aspartame is an excitotoxin, and excessive exposure can cause damage to your brain cells. It is important to be aware when food shopping that you look at the ingredients list on the packaged foods and drinks. Look out for (950) or (951) - these are the number codes for aspartame, so avoid purchasing anything with those numbers.</p> <p>Start cutting back on the artificially sweetened drinks, with a view of eliminating them completely from your diet to protect your heart and brain health.</p> <p><em><a href="https://www.smartbrainhealthcentre.com.au/">Louise Hallinan</a> is the international award-winning author of </em>Smart Brain, Healthy Brain<em>, a natural medicine practitioner and founder of the Smart Brain Health Centre which specialises in the prevention of memory problems and improving brain health.</em></p>

Mind

Placeholder Content Image

Why stroke, cancer and other chronic diseases are more likely for those with poor mental health

<p><a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-statistics/health-welfare-services/mental-health-services/overview">Four million Australians</a>, including our friends, family members, co-workers and neighbours, are living with mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression.</p> <p>A<span> </span><a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/australian-health-policy-collaboration/publications#chronic-diseases">new report</a><span> </span>from the<span> </span><a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/australian-health-policy-collaboration">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</a><span> </span>has found these four million Australians are at much greater risk of chronic physical disease and much greater risk of early death.</p> <p>Having a mental health condition increases the risk of every major chronic disease. Heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, back pain, diabetes, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and cancer are all much more likely to occur among people with anxiety and depression.</p> <p>More than 2.4 million people have both a mental and at least one physical health condition.</p> <p>For the first time in Australia, this report quantifies the extent of this problem. For example, people with mental health conditions are more likely to have a circulatory system disease (that is, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke). The likelihood increases by 52% for men and 41% for women.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230716/original/file-20180806-119602-1aouvik.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230716/original/file-20180806-119602-1aouvik.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230716/original/file-20180806-119602-1aouvik.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"></a><span class="caption"></span><em><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></em></p> <p>More than a million people are affected by both a circulatory system disease and a mental health condition. These diseases are Australia’s biggest killers.</p> <p>For painful, debilitating conditions such as arthritis and back pain, the numbers are even higher. Arthritis is 66% more likely for men with mental health conditions, and 46% more likely for women, with 959,000 people affected.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230717/original/file-20180806-119615-1mpdy9d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230717/original/file-20180806-119615-1mpdy9d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230717/original/file-20180806-119615-1mpdy9d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"></a><span class="caption"></span><em><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></em></p> <p>Back pain is 74% more likely for men with mental health conditions, and 68% more likely for women, with more than a million affected.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230718/original/file-20180806-119602-zuqx7p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230718/original/file-20180806-119602-zuqx7p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230718/original/file-20180806-119602-zuqx7p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"></a><span class="caption"></span><em><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></em></p> <p>The gender differences are significant. Women with mental health conditions are much more likely to have asthma than women across Australia as a whole (70% more likely), while men are 49% more likely to have asthma with a mental health condition.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230719/original/file-20180806-119615-1sh4s9r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230719/original/file-20180806-119615-1sh4s9r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230719/original/file-20180806-119615-1sh4s9r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"></a><span class="caption"></span><em><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></em></p> <p>The biggest gender difference is cancer. Men with mental health conditions are 84% more likely to have cancer than the general population, and for women the figure is 20%.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230720/original/file-20180806-119612-1v7b4l3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230720/original/file-20180806-119612-1v7b4l3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230720/original/file-20180806-119612-1v7b4l3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"></a><span class="caption"></span><em><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></em></p> <p>As more women live with mental health conditions than men, overall, women are 23% more likely to be living with both a mental and physical health condition than men.</p> <p>The report shows having a co-existing mental health condition and chronic physical disease generally results in worse quality of life, greater functional decline, needing to use more health care and higher healthcare costs.</p> <p>These people require more treatment, use more medications, and have to spend more time, energy and money managing their health. People with a mental health condition are also<span> </span><a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)60240-2/abstract">more likely to be poorer</a>, less likely to work, less likely to receive health screening and, sadly,<span> </span><a href="https://www.rethink.org/media/810988/Rethink%20Mental%20Illness%20-%20Lethal%20Discrimination.pdf">more likely to receive substandard care</a><span> </span>for their physical diseases.</p> <p>On average, people with mental health conditions die younger than the general population, and mostly from preventable conditions. We know from<span> </span><a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f2539">earlier research </a>that people with severe mental illnesses die much earlier than the rest of the population. Our report shows even common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression contribute to more chronic disease, leading to higher rates of early death.</p> <p><strong>Why?</strong></p> <p>We don’t know exactly why people with mental health conditions have poorer physical health. The<span> </span><a href="https://acmedsci.ac.uk/policy/policy-projects/multimorbidity">Academy of Medical Sciences</a><span> </span>has identified that poor mental health and psychosocial risk factors such as feeling dissatisfied with life, not feeling calm, having sleep problems that affect work, and financial concerns can predict physical disease.</p> <p>Other factors, such as<span> </span><a href="https://theconversation.com/low-income-earners-are-more-likely-to-die-early-from-preventable-diseases-87676">low socioeconomic status</a>, poor social networks, living in rural areas and smoking are associated with both poor mental health and poor physical health.</p> <p>We do know people with mental health conditions often don’t receive advice about healthy lifestyles, don’t get common tests for disease, and are less likely to receive treatment for disease. Some of this is due to<span> </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21379357">stigma and discrimination</a>, and sometimes it’s neglect. People with mental health conditions can<span> </span><a href="https://www.ranzcp.org/Files/Publications/RANZCP-Serious-Mental-Illness.aspx">fall through the gaps between disjointed physical and mental health systems</a>.</p> <p><strong>What can we do about it?</strong></p> <p>There is<span> </span><a href="https://www.ranzcp.org/Files/Publications/RANZCP-Keeping-body-and-mind-together.aspx">momentum for change</a><span> </span>among the mental health sector, with dozens of organisations signing up to the<span> </span><a href="https://equallywell.org.au/">Equally Well</a><span> </span>consensus statement. This aims to improve the quality of life of people living with mental illness by providing equal access to quality health care.</p> <p>There’s some great work being done around the country, including in the<span> </span><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/inm.12459">Hunter region</a>, where people with mental health conditions can access tailored help with physical health risk factors such as smoking and diet.</p> <p>People using mental health services should have their physical health regularly assessed, and any problems addressed as early as possible. Better coordination of care would preserve healthcare resources and improve quality of life.</p> <p><em>Written by Ben Harris. Republished by permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/stroke-cancer-and-other-chronic-diseases-more-likely-for-those-with-poor-mental-health-100955">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

Mind

Placeholder Content Image

“Determination the key to my dad’s recovery from a stroke”

<p><strong><em>Sean Gothe writes about his father Rex’s determination to recover from a stroke at 76.</em></strong></p> <p>In June 2014, my father, Rex, suffered a major stroke when he was home in Tasmania. This resulted in a complete loss of speech and almost complete loss of right-hand function.</p> <p>Dad was 76 at the time and had just returned home after visiting my wife Helen and I in Melbourne.  He’d been fine while he was with us, but Helen realised something was wrong when she called him on the day of the stroke. He could barely speak. She asked him to hang up and she called an ambulance. She then called Dad back and stayed on the phone with him until the ambulance arrived.</p> <p>The paramedics took Dad straight to hospital. He spent over a month there, including a period of rehabilitation. He was unsteady on his feet after the stroke, but was able to walk again quickly without aids. He also had to be supervised when eating for a few weeks due to the danger of choking.</p> <p>The next month, he came to live with us in Melbourne where he started regular speech therapy.</p> <p>Dad also lost all use of his right hand, but adapted quickly. The day after his stroke he immediately started writing and drawing with his left hand so he could communicate with us. He knew what he wanted to say because his mind was working but he couldn’t actually speak.</p> <p>My dad had to cope with the sheer frustration of not being able to communicate verbally. The loss of speech was the most difficult challenge he faced, followed by the loss of use of his right hand.  He’s been working hard, but it’s been a slow process. The improvement in his hand is significant and his speech continues to get better.</p> <p>To compound this experience, shortly after the stroke, my dad’s GP discovered he had elevated blood pressure. Following tests, an arterial blockage was found. Dad then had to decide if he would have heart surgery to fix this even though there was a risk of suffering another stroke during the operation. Dad had a triple bypass surgery in January 2015.</p> <p>It has now been three and a half years since Dad’s stroke. Dealing with both a stroke and heart issue has lengthened his recovery time. But he was determined to regain his independence. A major step in this process was regaining his drivers’ licence.</p> <p>Helen and I have been right beside Dad during his recovery. He’s lived with us since completing rehab. That has played a huge part in his recovery and ongoing life. I’m pleased to say, he’s now reached a point where he can do most things for himself.</p> <p>He has well and truly caught the travel bug. He hadn’t been overseas since he was a child, but has now visited multiple countries with us. The first trip happened just one year after his stroke and six months after heart surgery. We’ve been to the USA twice, New Zealand twice, Singapore, England, France and Hong Kong. We recently travelled to Malaysia for Dad’s 80th birthday and celebrated Helen’s 50th birthday together in Singapore. Dad obtains full travel insurance for all of his overseas travel – he wouldn’t travel without it.</p> <p>I think anyone who suffers a stroke just has to be patient. You can’t give up, but you have to accept it takes time and Dad has done that. Even though a few years have passed, dad is still determined to improve his speech. It is good now but, he knows that it’s not the same as it was prior to the stroke. He will never stop trying.</p> <p>Dad has shown that determination and the right level of support can allow you to continue leading a fulfilling life. He is not just existing, he is living.</p> <p><strong>Top 10 facts about stroke: </strong></p> <ol> <li>Stroke is one of Australia’s biggest killers and a leading cause of disability.</li> <li>Stroke kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer.</li> <li>In 2018 there will be more than 56,000 new and recurrent strokes – that is one stroke every nine minutes.</li> <li>More than 80% of strokes can be prevented.</li> <li>In 2018 there will be more than 475,000 people living with the effects of stroke. This is predicted to increase to one million by 2050.</li> <li>Around 30% of stroke survivors are of working age [under the age of 65].</li> <li>65% of stroke survivors suffer a disability which impedes their ability to carry out daily living activities unassisted.</li> <li>The financial cost of stroke in Australia is estimated to be $5 billion each year.</li> <li>In 2015, funding for stroke research through the National Health &amp; Medical Research Council (NHMRC) represented just 4.1 percent of the total investment in medical research.</li> <li>The FAST test is an easy way to recognise and remember the signs of stroke. Using the FAST test involves asking these simple questions:</li> </ol> <ul> <li>Face – Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?</li> <li>Arms – Can they lift both arms?</li> <li>Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?</li> <li>Time – Time is critical. If you see any of these signs, call 000 straight away</li> </ul> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 500px; height:500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7819924/fast_generic500x500.png?width=500&amp;height=500" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7e770b45800847e5a06ac14269a7c249" /></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Having a stroke was the wake-up call I needed to change my life

<p>As John Hughes stood outside his house in Potts Point, Sydney, his knees buckled, his face drooped, and he felt as though he was suddenly drunk.</p> <p>Alarmed and aware something was incredibly wrong he called a taxi to take him to the hospital where he was diagnosed as having a stroke.</p> <p>It was a turning point that would transform his life and help him to drop 18 kilos. Now John is talking out about his incredible journey in an attempt to get others to get active before it’s too late.</p> <p align="center"><img width="498" height="709" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7818943/johnhughesbefore-2-_498x709.jpg" alt="Johnhughesbefore (2)"/></p> <p align="center"><em>John Hughes before his stroke.</em></p> <p>John was the Associate Dean of Education at Sydney University before retiring in 2009 and admits he had a poor diet, never exercised and despite once previously joining a gym – had never used the membership. His weight spiralled to 94kg.</p> <p>“I ate out a lot and lived off steak and chips or pasta,” says John, 69.</p> <p>“The most exercise I ever got was when I got out of the taxi and had to walk to the Opera House. Even then, I struggled to do it.”</p> <p>John had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and always battled with depression which spiralled when he retired and felt unneeded.</p> <p>“Looking back the stroke was probably the best thing that could have happened to me, but it didn’t feel like that at the time,” he says.</p> <p>“I was left paralysed on my entire left hand side and it took me three weeks before I could even shuffle my feet back and forth. It was six weeks before I could use cutlery again.”</p> <p>John left hospital and continued with regular physiotherapy. It was there they suggested he join the Uniting Senior’s gym, at Waverley.</p> <p align="center"><img width="499" height="665" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7818947/john-hughes1_499x665.jpg" alt="John Hughes1 (5)"/></p> <p align="center"><em>John started exercising after his stroke.</em></p> <p>Hesitant, John arranged to meet an exercise physiologist at the gym in October 2016. He hasn’t looked back since.</p> <p>“They were so caring, so understanding of my situation. I felt like I truly mattered,” he explains.</p> <p>“They drew up a specific plan for me and we focused a lot on balancing and managing to walk without a stick. It was unlike any gym I’d heard about before.”</p> <p>John worked on targeted stretching, balancing exercises, riding an exercise bike and upper body work. The weight started falling off and John’s confidence grew.</p> <p>“I felt like I was part of a community again and it gave me somewhere to go each day. The confidence was amazing and it truly tackled my depression. Along with visits to a diabetes clinic and a change of my diet, I was transforming myself from the outside in.”</p> <p class="CutThroughCreativeParagaph">Today John weighs 75.5kg and eats his green vegetables regularly. He’s thankful to the team at Uniting who have helped him get his life on track and urges others in similar situations to do the same before it is too late.</p> <p>“Just give it a go, and make sure you find someone who is specialised in senior’s health. No retired person wants someone in their 20s looking at them strangely when they say they haven’t been active for longer than they’ve been alive.”</p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

This exercise could help you walk again after a stroke

<p>Recovering from a stroke can be a painful, difficulty and lengthy process consisting of weeks, months and even years of intense physical therapy.</p> <p>But <a href="http://www.physiology.org/doi/10.1152/jn.00570.2017" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">a new study</span></strong></a>  has found that focusing on arm exercises as well as leg training can help stroke sufferers relearn how to walk faster than leg exercises alone.</p> <p>Researchers from the University of Victoria in Canada studied 19 patients between the ages of 57 and 87 who had suffered a stroke between seven and 17 years prior. They discovered that those who completed 30 minutes of moderate-intensity rhythmic arm cycling, three times a week, performed far better on walking tests after five weeks of training.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wSOL05XmkTs" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>The walking tests included measuring how far the participants could walk in six minutes, how fast they could walk 10 metres, and how long it took them to stand from sitting, walk 10 feet then return to their seat. All who completed rhythmic arm cycling exercises experienced an improvement in these tests – as much as 28 per cent in the final test.</p> <p>“Arm cycling training activated interlimb networks that contribute to the coordination of rhythmic walking,” researchers wrote. In other words, activating the nerves in the arms helped them improve function of the spinal cord in other parts of the body affected by stroke, including the legs.</p> <p>But it’s not only those who’ve only recently suffered a stroke that can benefit from these exercises – they can help years after injury.</p> <p>“Although improvements in walking may not be as robust as those from other training modalities, they do highlight the integral role that training the arms can have on rehabilitation of human locomotion,” researchers concluded.</p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, have you ever suffered a stroke? How did you recover?</p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

How to help a loved one after a stroke

<p>Before you can effectively help your loved one after they have suffered a stroke, you need to take a little time to understand what a stroke is and how it can affect the body and mind. No two strokes are alike, and depending on the severity as well as the size and length of time one lasts, they can affect people differently. This means that the recovery time needed to heal will be different from one person to another.</p> <p>The first couple of weeks after a person has a stroke are critical for determining the amount of damage done by the stroke. It can be a time of confusion for you, but even more so for the patient who has had the stroke. Life can suddenly feel turned completely upside down, and support will be greatly needed by the stroke survivor.</p> <p><strong>What happens during a stroke?</strong></p> <p>First, to help your loved one, you need to be educated on what happens during a stroke. During a stroke, a blood vessel that carries blood to <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/mind/2018/01/how-to-improve-brain-flexibility/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">the brain</span></strong></a> either bursts or becomes blocked. This means that the brain is not getting the oxygen that it needs to have and within minutes, brain cells begin to die. There are two kinds of strokes;</p> <ol> <li>Ischemic stroke – An ischemic stroke affects the largest number of stroke patients and it happens when a blood vessel is blocked by fatty deposits. You can also have a thrombotic ischemic stroke which means a blood clot has formed where the vessel is blocked.</li> <li>Hemorrhagic stroke – A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a weakened blood vessel collapses and causes a bleed into the brain. This can be caused by an aneurism or other issues.</li> </ol> <p><strong>Stroke symptoms</strong></p> <p>Knowing how to identify the symptoms of a stroke can be a great way to get help quick and cut down on the chance of long-term effects. Many doctors recommend using the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/2016/06/understanding-the-symptoms-of-stroke/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">F.A.S.T. acronym</span></strong></a> for strokes to identify the symptoms. These include:</p> <p><strong>F:</strong> Face drooping</p> <p><strong>A:</strong> Arm weakness</p> <p><strong>S:</strong> Speech difficulty</p> <p><strong>T:</strong> Time to call <span>111 </span></p> <p><strong>Caring for your loved one after the stroke</strong></p> <p>For the best medical care for your loved one who has had a stroke, it is important to speak to an insurance agent and have <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.taylorbenefitsinsurance.com/group-health-insurance-insurance-plans/" target="_blank">a good health insurance plan</a></strong></span> in place to assist with medical bills. This is important for stroke patients as well as everyone else as quality medical care is a vital part of a healthy life.</p> <p>Once your loved one has received medical treatment and their doctor deems them healthy enough to return home to continue recovery, it is vital to their healing that they have a support system in place to help them as they heal. Here are some things you can do to help your loved one recover.</p> <ul> <li>Clean the house and clear a path so they can easily navigate rooms without tripping over anything.</li> <li>If their bedroom is upstairs, try making a bed up downstairs where they won’t have to climb stairs, or be assisted going up and down steps to get to or from the bedroom.</li> <li>Have a bedpan for use so they can get to it fast if necessary.</li> <li>Talk to their doctor before they are released to see if they need a walker, wheelchair or other assistance with moving around.</li> <li>Add bed rails to the bed so they won’t slip out and fall.</li> <li>If your loved one has a feeding tube (which is extremely normal after a stroke) you need to learn to insert it (even if they have a nurse) and check it to make sure it is working correctly and not causing discomfort or coming loose.</li> <li>Strokes can, and often do, cause <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/hearing/2017/09/6-things-you-should-not-do-when-talking-to-a-person-with-hearing-loss/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">hearing loss</span></strong></a> as well as speech impediments. It will take time for the stroke victim to relearn speech and it is very important to show them patience and help them as they relearn how to voice their words. Try to use small hand gestures to show them things. You may even want to try to use vision boards or let them try to write things down if they are able to write.</li> <li>Many people suffer from bladder problems and will need to wear an adult diaper for a while after a stroke. Be kind about this and help with changing and cleaning to avoid infections and sores.</li> <li>One of the biggest concerns after a stroke is the anger or depression that a stroke patient may have because of what the stroke has damaged. This is common, and most stroke patients will experience some degree of both. As a loved one, show them you care and if you notice any major emotional problems, contact their physician to let them know so they can prescribe the proper medication or therapy to help.</li> </ul> <p>You also need to help your loved one by making sure they can get to the doctor or therapy appointments when they are scheduled. If they need to do exercise therapy at home to regain movement, it’s a big help if you can work alongside them to make them feel more comfortable with healing. Keep in mind that just as no two strokes are the same, the healing time varies from one person to another. It may be a long road to recovery, but with patience and love from you, you can help your loved one as they recover and work towards a stable life again.</p> <p><em>Written by Jason Mueller.</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

The number one nutrient you need to prevent stroke

<p>When it comes to preventing stroke, we’re usually told our best bet is to control our blood pressure, avoid smoking, eat healthy and be active. But in addition to this advice, according to a new study, there’s something else we could be doing to prevent a stroke – increase our potassium intake.</p> <p><a href="http://www.einstein.yu.edu/news/releases/1039/potassium-rich-foods-cut-stroke-death-risk-among-older-women/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">A recent study</span></strong></a> of over 90,000 women between the ages of 50 and 70 from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York found that those with high levels of potassium in their diet had a 12 per cent lower risk of stroke in general and 16 per cent lower risk of ischemic stroke.</p> <p>In women who didn’t suffer hypertension (high blood pressure), the benefit was even greater, reducing general stroke risk by 21 per cent and ischemic by 27 per cent.</p> <p>Researchers have previously linked high potassium intake with lower blood pressure, which may explain the reduced risk of stroke, but this study was the first to show that potassium itself reduces stroke risk.</p> <p>“We think the beneficial effects act through other pathways, beyond the effects on blood pressure,” lead author, epidemiologist Dr Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller.</p> <p>“Our findings give women another reason to eat their fruits and vegetables. They're good sources of potassium, and potassium not only lowers postmenopausal women's risk of stroke, but also of death.”</p> <p>While it may be the nutrient’s poster fruit, potassium can be found in more than just banana. Potato, watermelon, leafy greens (think spinach and kale), beans, milk, yoghurt, pistachios, salmon, chicken breast and more also contain high levels of potassium.</p> <p>The Australian and New Zealand governments recommend a daily potassium intake of 3,800mg for men and 2,800 mg for women.</p>

Caring

Our Partners