Lifestyle link to stroke risk

17 April 2009

Small changes in lifestyle could make a big difference to your chance of having a stroke, researchers in Cambridge have shown.

They assessed over 20 000 men and women aged 40-79 living in Norfolk for four positive health behaviours: currently non-smoking, physically active, eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day, and drinking a moderate amount of alcohol.

The researchers found that people with none of these health behaviours were over twice as likely to suffer a stroke than those with all four. They conclude: "These results provide further incentive and support for the notion that small differences in lifestyle can have a substantial potential impact on risk."

Image credit: chictype/iStockphoto

Reference

Myint PK et al. Combined effect of health behaviours and risk of first ever stroke in 20,040 men and women over 11 years’ follow-up in Norfolk cohort of European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC Norfolk): prospective population study. BMJ 2009;338:b349.