As a woman, you probably know your weight, your height, your chest measurement, but do you know your blood pressure? This is the question raised by Professor Pierre Amarenco, neurologist at Bichat hospital in Paris, during a press conference to launch the #Act campaign, from the Women and Stroke collective. Blood pressure is one of the 3 numbers to know in order to prevent the risk of stroke, which is also the leading cause of death in women. In France, 50 women die every day from a stroke; and yet 8 out of 10 strokes could be avoided by adopting simple daily actions and knowing yourself better.
Know and control your numbers to better prevent strokes
In order to prevent the occurrence of a stroke, it is important to know 3 essential indicators that govern our body. The first of them is L’hypertensionmajor medical risk factor for stroke. And for good reason, by being subjected to high pressure, blood vessels can become fragile and damaged, which can lead to a dangerous rupture. As a reminder, blood pressure is considered normal when its value is between 115/75 and 120/80 mm Hg. However, these values can vary depending on age and sex, as Current wife explained it to you in a dedicated article.
The second number to know and remember is your cholesterol level in your blood. More precisely, there are two types of cholesterol: HDL cholesterol (also called “good cholesterol”) which must be greater than 0.4 g/l, and LDL cholesterol (nicknamed “bad cholesterol”) which must be less than 1 .6 g/l. If the latter increases, it can promote the formation of deposits on the walls of the arteries, which can gradually reduce their elasticity and diameter.
Diabetes as a risk factor for stroke
Finally, prevention of stroke also involves knowledge of blood sugar, in other words the measurement of glucose in the blood. And for good reason, the lasting excess concentration of glucose in the blood, also called hyperglycemia, represents a significant risk factor for developing a stroke. Here again, prolonged hyperglycemia can weaken the arteries and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques on their walls, eventually blocking them. The most common form of hyperglycemia is type 2 diabetes, with more than nine out of ten cases. As a reminder, the normal fasting glucose level is between 0.70 g/l and 1.10 g/l of blood. Another related measurement, postprandial blood sugar corresponds to blood sugar 2 hours after a meal. It reflects the body’s ability to assimilate glucose in the blood and thus makes it possible to detect a possible metabolic abnormality.
Knowing your blood pressure as well as your cholesterol and glucose levels is a fundamental practice to protect yourself from stroke, as is monitoring the regularity of your pulse, stopping smoking and walking briskly for 30 minutes a day. Habits to adopt that can save the lives of some of the 18,000 women who die of stroke each year. So, the next time you go to your doctor, don’t hesitate to discuss it with him.
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Read also :
⋙ These very simple everyday reflexes that would reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack
⋙ After a stroke: what precautions should you take and what are the after-effects?
⋙ Stroke: are you at risk? 10 questions to ask yourself