{"id":153884,"date":"2025-07-06T23:11:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T23:11:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/strokes-have-become-a-significant-yet-quiet-health-issue-in-spain-but-there-are-ways-to-reduce-the-risks\/"},"modified":"2025-07-06T23:11:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T23:11:47","slug":"strokes-have-become-a-significant-yet-quiet-health-issue-in-spain-but-there-are-ways-to-reduce-the-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/strokes-have-become-a-significant-yet-quiet-health-issue-in-spain-but-there-are-ways-to-reduce-the-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"Strokes have become a significant yet quiet health issue in Spain, but there are ways to reduce the risks."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Every year, approximately \u00a090,000 cases\u00a0 of strokes occur in Spain, leading to an average of \u00a023,000 deaths\u00a0, according to the data provided by the <a rel=\"noopener, noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sen.es\/saladeprensa\/pdf\/Link459.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Spanish Society of Neurology<\/a>. This figure could potentially decline significantly as many of the \u00a0risk factors\u00a0 associated with these events stem from behaviors and habits that we can change.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 1 --> <\/p>\n<p>Before examining the \u00a0controllable\u00a0 and \u00a0non-controllable\u00a0 risk factors associated with strokes, it is vital to clarify what a stroke actually is. A stroke, or \u00a0cerebrovascular accident\u00a0, occurs when the blood flow to a part of the brain is interrupted or drastically reduced, impairing the brain&#8217;s ability to function.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 2 --><\/p>\n<p>Strokes can be categorized into two types: \u00a0ischemic\u00a0 and \u00a0hemorrhagic\u00a0. The former is more common and is caused by a blockage in a blood vessel, such as a clot or narrowing due to fatty deposits. On the other hand, hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel ruptures, leading to bleeding directly into the brain.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 3 -->  <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-asset article-asset-normal article-asset-center\">\n<div class=\"desvio-container\">\n<div class=\"desvio\">\n<div class=\"desvio-figure js-desvio-figure\">\n<pre><code> &lt;img alt=\"Our risk of suffering a stroke increases in summer. These are the main symptoms to detect it in time\" width=\"375\" height=\"142\" src=\"https:\/\/i.blogs.es\/4ff97b\/cerebro\/375_142.jpeg\"\/&gt;<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>There isn&#8217;t a definitive list of risk factors associated with strokes due to the numerous \u00a0overlaps and interconnections\u00a0 among them. Furthermore, distinguishing between controllable and uncontrollable factors can be quite challenging.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 4 --><\/p>\n<p>A prime example is \u00a0diabetes\u00a0. While this condition is a known risk factor for strokes, whether or not an individual has diabetes is out of our control. However, we can minimize risk factors associated with diabetes that are modifiable.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 5 --><\/p>\n<p>Despite the complications surrounding these definitions, experts estimate that \u00a0controllable risk factors account for approximately 60%\u00a0 to \u00a090%\u00a0 of the risk of experiencing a stroke. Effectively avoiding these factors can drastically reduce our chances of such a critical health event.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 6 --><\/p>\n<p>So, what are the \u00a0modifiable risk factors\u00a0 we can influence? According to the \u00a0National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute\u00a0 in the USA, these include high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet, and smoking.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 7 --><\/p>\n<p>The \u00a0American medical institution, Johns Hopkins Medicine\u00a0, states that a blood pressure reading of \u00a0140\/90\u00a0 or higher significantly increases the likelihood of having a stroke. Additionally, \u00a0obesity, diet, and physical inactivity\u00a0 are interconnected risk factors that can compound the risk.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 8 --><\/p>\n<p>Smoking is often highlighted as one of the most prominent \u00a0risk factors\u00a0 for strokes. Moreover, alcohol abuse and the use of recreational drugs like cocaine can also elevate the risk. Even certain legal substances, such as oral contraceptives, have been linked to an increased chance of strokes.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 9 --><\/p>\n<p>Regarding emotional health, issues such as \u00a0anxiety\u00a0, \u00a0depression\u00a0, and \u00a0stress\u00a0 can also act as risk enhancers. While we may have some control over these conditions, the extent can vary significantly based on individual circumstances. Our environment plays a role too; living or working in areas with high pollution can exacerbate stroke risks, but relocation is not always feasible.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 10 --><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What We Cannot Change<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Some risk factors, however, lie entirely beyond our control. One significant uncontrollable factor is \u00a0age\u00a0; as individuals grow older, their likelihood of suffering a stroke increases.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 11 --><\/p>\n<p>The \u00a0sex\u00a0 of a person also influences stroke risk. Men are generally at a higher risk at younger ages, whereas, due to their longer life expectancy, women tend to experience strokes in greater numbers over their lifespan.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 12 --><\/p>\n<p>Ethnic background can also play a crucial role; studies indicate that African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics in the United States have higher stroke incidences. Finally, \u00a0genetics\u00a0 and a family history of strokes can also constitute significant risk factors, particularly if a stroke occurred at a younger age in relatives.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 13 --><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s worth noting the \u00a0key symptoms\u00a0 associated with strokes to facilitate quick identification and prompt medical assistance. Key indicators include sudden \u00a0weakness or numbness\u00a0 in the face, arm, or leg (often on one side of the body), confusion or trouble speaking, sudden loss of vision, dizziness, loss of balance, or a severe headache with no obvious cause. <\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 14 --><\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, understanding strokes and their risk factors\u2014both controllable and uncontrollable\u2014is crucial for prevention and treatment. By addressing modifiable behaviors and being aware of the signs and symptoms, individuals can take proactive steps towards reducing their risk and ensuring timely assistance in the event of a stroke.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 15 --><\/p>\n<p>Image | <a rel=\"noopener, noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-shot-of-mri-results-4226264\/\" target=\"_blank\">Anna Shvets<\/a><\/p>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/category\/general\/\" rel=\"dofollow\">General News &#8211; 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every year, approximately \u00a090,000 cases\u00a0 of strokes occur in Spain, leading to an average of \u00a023,000 deaths\u00a0, according to the data provided by the Spanish Society of Neurology. This figure could potentially decline significantly as many of the \u00a0risk factors\u00a0 associated with these events stem from behaviors and habits that we can change. Before examining [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":153608,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[112,5813,275,929,4327,8831,1694,14954,6256],"class_list":["post-153884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-health","tag-issue","tag-quiet","tag-reduce","tag-risks","tag-significant","tag-spain","tag-strokes","tag-ways"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153884\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=153884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=153884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}