A groundbreaking study finds that two common eating habits may be behind an alarming rise in serious strokes.
Experts found that drinking soft drinks and eating a diet low in omega-6, a type of fat essential for health, of the 23 factors responsible for eight out of ten strokes.
Other causes identified by scientists include air pollution, high blood pressure, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle and high cholesterol.
Between 1990 and 2021, the number of people experiencing a medical emergency increased by 70 percent. The number of fatal strokes increased by 44 percent.
Experts say the research, published in the prestigious journal The Lancet Neurology, offers “enormous” hope that the condition can be managed with lifestyle changes.
World-leading experts found that two risk factors — soft drinks and a diet low in Omega-6 — were among the 23 factors that together account for 84 percent of cases worldwide. The Coca-Cola soft drink is pictured above, although the study did not name any brands
The symptoms of a stroke are often described by the four-letter acronym FAST. FAST stands for Face, Arms, Speech, and Time.
Other equally common signs of impending stroke often go unnoticed. These include sudden numbness on one side of the body, sudden dizziness and difficulty swallowing.
More than 100,000 Britons suffer a stroke every year: one every five minutes. 38,000 people die.
This makes it the fourth biggest cause of death in the UK and one of the leading causes of disability.
In the US, nearly 800,000 people are affected by the disease each year, resulting in 137,000 deaths.
The problem occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, killing brain cells. The damage can lead to long-term disability and can affect how people think and feel.
The most common cause is fatty deposits or a blood clot that blocks the arteries to the brain. This is also called an ischemic stroke.
This happens due to cardiovascular diseases, in which blood vessels narrow or become blocked by plaques over time.
These are made up of cholesterol, calcium and other substances that build up in the artery walls, a process called atherosclerosis.
Experts have long advised against soft drinks because of their negative association with cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease.
In the meantime, a diet low in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids is a good option. — found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds — accounted for a five percent increase.
Omega-6 is believed to play a role in improving heart and circulatory health. A poor diet, high in processed foods, can be deficient in this nutrient.
A high BMI also led to a staggering 88 percent increase.
Study co-author Dr Catherine Johnson, a cardiovascular disease expert at the University of Washington, said: ‘Given that 84 per cent of the stroke burden is associated with 23 modifiable risk factors, there is a huge opportunity to change the course of stroke risk for the next generation.
‘With increasing exposure to risk factors such as high blood sugar and a diet high in sugary drinks, there is a great need for interventions targeting obesity and metabolic syndromes.
“Finding sustainable ways to work with communities and take action to prevent and manage modifiable risk factors for stroke is essential to addressing this growing crisis.”
The research, which was presented at the World Stroke Congress in Abu Dhabi, also showed for the first time how great the influence of particulate matter can be on a fatal cerebral haemorrhage.
It contributed to 14 percent of the deaths and disability caused by this serious subtype of stroke, the study found, which is comparable to smoking.
Half of all disability and lives lost globally due to stroke — 81 million healthy life years lost — in 2021 were due to brain hemorrhages, the deadliest type.
These are strokes that occur due to bleeding in the brain.
While they occur about half as often as ischemic strokes.
Ischemic strokes are linked to heart disease, a problem that affects 7.6 million people in Britain and 30 million Americans.
The study shows that progress has been made worldwide in reducing the impact of stroke on risk factors linked to other factors such as poor diet, air pollution and smoking.
Health losses from a diet high in processed meat and low in vegetables decreased by 40 and 30 percent, respectively.
In contrast, air pollution caused by particulate matter fell by 20 percent and smoking by 13 percent.