Stroke is a complex disease caused by both genetic and environmental factors, including diet and lifestyle. But can adhering to a healthy lifestyle offset the effect of genetics on the risk of suffering a stroke?
It is possible, say researchers of a recent study published in The BMJ on Thursday. The study found that people at high genetic risk (of stroke) can still reduce their chance of getting a stroke by sticking to a healthy lifestyle, in particular quitting smoking and maintaining an ideal weight.
These findings “highlight the potential of lifestyle measures to reduce risk of stroke across entire populations, even in those at high genetic risk of stroke,” say the researchers.
The team of international researchers developed a genetic risk score, based on 90 gene variants known to be associated with stroke from 306,473 white men and women in the UK Biobank — a database of biological information from half a million British adults. Hospital and death records were then used to identify stroke events over an average follow-up of seven years.
They investigated whether a genetic risk score for stroke is associated with actual (incident) stroke in a large population of British adults. Participants were aged between 40 and 73 years, and had no history of stroke or heart attack. Adherence to a healthy lifestyle was based on four factors: non-smoker, diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish, not overweight or obese (body mass index less than 30), and regular physical exercise.
Across all categories of genetic risk and lifestyle, the risk of stroke was higher in men than women. Risk of stroke was 35% higher among those at high genetic risk compared with those at low genetic risk, irrespective of lifestyle. However, an unfavourable lifestyle was associated with a 66% increased risk of stroke compared with a favourable lifestyle, and this increased risk was present within any genetic risk category.
A high genetic risk combined with an unfavourable lifestyle profile was associated with a more than a two-fold increased risk of stroke compared with a low genetic risk and a favourable lifestyle.
Preventing gene activation
Corroborating the study, doctors here say while some strokes are genetically influenced, the gene has to get activated in the body to exhibit the disease. “If a person follows a healthy lifestyle, even if there is a gene it will not get activated. It will remain dormant not exhibiting the disease,” says N.K. Venkataramana, chief neurosurgeon, BRAINS Hospital.
G.T. Subhas, president of Bangalore Stroke Support Group and Indian Epilepsy Association, describes a stroke as the sudden onset of neurological deficit due to vascular causes. People should not ignore warning signs, such as dizziness, sudden weakness in limbs and difficulty in speaking or understanding words.
Patients should reach the hospital within three or four hours of the stroke. The earlier the patient is rushed to a hospital, the better the outcome, he says.
Neurological disorders being the most complex among all health problems, Dr. Subhas says people should exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, keep their sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol under control, and most importantly quit smoking and alcohol consumption.