After Menopause: Healthy Diet Reduces Stroke Risk by Over 50%

In postmenopausal women, stroke risk can be significantly lowered through a healthy lifestyle. Following a balanced diet, reducing alcohol consumption, avoiding smoking, engaging in regular physical activity, and maintaining a Body Mass Index (BMI) below 25 kg/m² together reduce the risk of ischemic stroke by more than 50% in women in their 60s.

This finding comes from research conducted at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, investigating how various healthy lifestyle factors relate to stroke risk reduction after menopause. The results were published in the journal Neurology.

Hypertension Increases Stroke Risk

Stroke, a leading cause of disability and death worldwide, results from interrupted blood flow to the brain due to either blockage (ischemic stroke) or vessel rupture (hemorrhagic stroke). Because consequences are often severe and irreversible, primary prevention is critical. Hypertension is a key stroke risk factor. Diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, and obesity can influence blood pressure and thus stroke risk. However, few studies have examined how a healthy, low-risk lifestyle affects stroke incidence.

Healthy Living Helps Prevent Stroke

The Swedish study involved 31,696 postmenopausal women without cardiovascular disease or cancer, participating in the Swedish Mammography Cohort. They completed lifestyle and diet questionnaires. Stroke cases—1,554 total, including 1,155 ischemic strokes, 246 hemorrhagic strokes, and 153 unspecified—were identified via a national registry. Analysis revealed stroke risk steadily declined with an increasing number of low-risk lifestyle factors.

The combination of protective factors was linked to halving the risk of ischemic stroke and total stroke compared to absence of such factors. Specifically, physical activity alone reduced risk by 9%, not smoking by 17%, and other components by intermediate amounts. Women adhering to all five healthy lifestyle factors had a 62% lower stroke risk than those with unhealthy lifestyles. Additionally, maintaining a BMI below 25 kg/m² was the only factor associated with reduced hemorrhagic stroke risk.

An Innovative Study

According to the authors, the research confirms findings from larger population studies like the Nurses’ Health Study and Women’s Health Study, providing precise data on weight and interactions among protective factors. The data suggest that a healthy diet and lifestyle can substantially reduce the risk of cerebral infarction.

Source: Larsson SC, Akesson A, Wolk A. “Healthy diet and lifestyle and risk of stroke in a prospective cohort of women.” Published online before print October 8, 2014, doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000954. Neurology, November 4, 2014, vol. 83 no. 19, 1699-1704.