The Silent Killer

As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” which is why you should familiarize yourself with the warning signs of a stroke. What’s that you say? You already have. Well, then you get a gold star. But what if you had a stroke but none of the symptoms?

A new study shows that 11% of people who believe themselves to be healthy actually had suffered brain damage from a “silent” stroke health diagnosis. Silent strokes strike without any noticeable symptoms, and those who have them without knowing it are at an increased risk for more strokes and an quicker loss of cognitive health. The study found that certain factors that put people at an increased risk for silent strokes include:
* Having an irregular heartbeat, or atrial fibrillation.
* Having high blood pressure, or hypertension.
* Having elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood.

Other risk factors for strokes in general include:
* Older age
* Diabetes
* High blood pressure
* Smoking
* Heart disease

Stroke is a serious health diagnosis. What prevention tips or wisdom can you share that might help someone else? [WebMD]