Cut blood fats to prevent strokes

People with high levels of the blood fats called triglycerides are more vulnerable to ischemic stoke, which happens when a clot blocks a brain blood vessel. Several studies in the past have linked high triglyceride levels with an increased risk of heart attack. A number of factors such as pregnancy, obesity and diabetes can cause triglyceride to rise. To look into the association of high triglyceride levels with the risk of stroke, researchers from Denmark studied 13,956 men and women aged between 20 and 90 years. The researchers monitored nonfasting triglycerides levels, cholesterol count and prevalence of ischemic stroke among the participants. The researchers did not test triglycerides levels after 8 to 12 hours of fasting but specifically took blood readings at any time, regardless of when the last meal had been eaten. This was because the researchers believed that non-fasting readings are better at defining people at higher risk of stroke and heart attack.After a follow-up of 30 years, it was found that those with the highest levels of triglycerides - above 443 milligrams per decilitre of blood, had a three-to-four-fold higher risk of ischemic stroke, compared to those with the lowest levels, less than 89 milligrams per decilitre.The above findings indicate a definite association between triglyceride levels and increased risk of ischemic stroke and that regularly getting your blood fat levels checked would aid you in cutting the risk of strokes.

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