Lacking particular carotenoids increases the risk of stroke by 40% in men

January 02, 2006

The Physicians Health Study involved 22,071 male doctors in the USA, 68% of whom supplied blood samples at the start of the study in 1982. A total of 15,000 did not have cardiovascular disease at the start of the study, and 297 of these developed an ischemic stroke during the studies 13 year follow up. It was found that having low levels of Alpha-Carotene, Beta-Carotene, and Lycopene increased the risk of ischemic stroke by 40%. The study is published in the early on line edition of Stroke, a journal of the American heart Association.

Calcium reduces the risk of stroke in major Japanese study

In a study of 110,792 Japanese men and women aged 40 to 79 without a history of stroke, coronary heart disease, or cancer started in 1988, it was found that there were 566 deaths due to stroke and 234 deaths due to coronary heart disease at studies end in 1999. The highest dairy Calcium intake reduced the risk of stroke in men by 47% compared to the lowest intake with a 54% decreased risk of bleeding stroke and a 47% decreased risk of ischemic stroke. In women the highest dairy Calcium intake (versus the lowest) decreased the risk of stroke by 43%, decreased the risk of bleeding stroke by 49% and decreased the risk of ischemic stroke by 50%. The study is published in the January 1st, 2006 issue of Stroke, a journal of the American heart Association.