Death Threat Scores

Chances are, you know someone who's had a stroke. It's quite likely too, that you associate stroke with the over-60s crowd. But guess what: It could happen to you. One in 12 stroke victims is under age 50, and almost one-third succumb before their work lives are finished.

Most people think of stroke as a sudden, catastrophic event. But a more common event is the "silent" stroke (Transient Ischemic Attack or TIA).

Single silent strokes often don't cause any symptoms at all, but over time, they chip away at your ability to function. A TIA happens when a tiny clot - maybe a piece of plaque that breaks from a vessel in your arm or leg - meanders its way to the brain and plugs up a capillary, preventing oxygen-rich blood from reaching the tissue on the other side. Almost instantly, a pin-size part of your brain dies. You, however, feel fine. You don't even know it happened, so you don't change your lifestyle to reduce your risk of another. Your peripheral vision has reduced quite a bit, too, and your balance isn't what it used to be. Suddenly, you're 65 and your grandkids think you're losing your marbles. You actually have been for years, one by one.

It's called vascular dementia, and it's the second most common cause of dementia, behind Alzheimer's disease. You don't know it's happening until you're older. Even when a stroke does cause immediate symptoms, they're often so minimal that you may not realize what's happening until its too late. Moreover, the numerous risk factors for stroke typically produce no symptoms and thus often remain hidden and untreated. When tests do detect the warning signs - even the most ominous, such as an abnormal heart beat and a noise in the neck's arteries, it's often down played or mistreated by doctors who underestimate the threat. All of which are excellent reasons why you should know whether you are a prime candidate for the condition.

Will You Have A Stroke?

Different folks have different strokes. Take this test to find out if you're at risk.

1. Your blood pressure is...

a) Lower than 120/80. (3 points)

b) Higher than 140/90. (0 points)

c) Somewhere in between. (1 point)

Blood-vessel walls should be thin. When they’re thick, they start to constrict and harden, and break like eggshells. This is what happens with hypertension. The vessels are pulsed by high blood pressure, and they thicken to accommodate the increased pressure. Every 20-point increase in systolic BP or every 10-point rise in diastolic BP doubles your risk of dying of a stroke.

2. Do you smoke?

a) No, never. (3 points)

b) Used to, but I quit. (2 points)

c) Yes. (0 points)

One in four strokes strikes a smoker. Nicotine and other inhaled toxins make arteries more prone to blood clots. Quitting cuts your risk in half after just 1 year.



3. Do you have diabetes/ sleep apnea/ high homocysteine levels?

a) No. (3 points)

b) Yes. (0 points)

Diabetes ravages blood vessels, tripling your risk of stroke. The body's resistance to insulin leads to a buildup of blood glucose, which seems to speed up the artery-clogging process. Sleep apnea, in which breathing is intermittently interrupted during sleep, boosts stroke risk mainly by raising blood pressure. Symptoms: You snore heavily, experience morning headaches, and daytime drowsiness.

High homocysteine levels - an amino acid that builds up in the body when B-vitamin intake is low - have been linked with an increased risk of heart attack, overt and silent stroke, and dementia.

4. Stand up straight and look down. What do you see?

a) Most of both feet. (3 points)

b) Half of both feet. (2 points)

c) Your belly. (0 points)

The more abs flab you have, the more artery-inflaming C-reactive protein is circulating in your blood. Men in one study whose waistlines expanded to at least 93 per cent of their hip circumferences had up to three times the stroke risk of slimmer men. A waist-to-hip ratio of 0.70 to 0.89 is ideal.

5. During a typical day, what's the intensity level of your activity?

a) High: The equivalent of a 20-minute all-out run or swim. (3 points)

b) Moderate: The equivalent of 30 minutes of weight lifting. (3 points)

c) Does switching TV channels count? (0 points)

Just 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity movement reduces blood pressure and inflammation, and improves insulin efficiency and blood-sugar control.

6. How much alcohol do you drink each week?

a) At least 3 drink a day. (0 points)

b) One or two drinks, 3 or 4 days a week. (3 points

c) A drink or two. (2 points)

d) I don't drink. (1 point)

Harvard researchers who followed more than 38,000 men over 14 years report that the heaviest drinkers were 42percent more likely to suffer a stroke than nondrinkers, and that light-to-moderate drinkers were 32 per cent less likely. Those who favored red wine fare best of all, with a 9 to 48per cent lower risk than beer, white-wine, or hard-liquor drinkers.

7. Has one of your parents, or a brother or a sister, ever had a stroke?

a) No. (3 points)

b) Yes. (0 points)

According to British researchers, a stroke in an immediate family member who's 65 or younger more than doubles your risk of having one before you reach retirement age.

Scores:

24 to 30 points:

Good work. This is great news for your heart, too.

16 to 23 points:

Now it’s the time to embrace the lifestyle changes that will reduce your risk.

15 points or less:

You'll be touring your nearest stroke hospital eventually unless you make vascular health your top priority.