BBC Dr Xand warns common drink could put you at risk for stroke
A resident BBC doctor has shared that there are common habits that put many of us at risk of a stroke - and a common drink which many of us have daily is one of them.
Talking on BBC Morning Live today (October 1), Dr Xand van Tulleken said that the statistics of those having one is rising with age being a big factor. However, it's not just age that puts people at risk. Explaining what the life-threatening medical emergency is, the NHS explains: "A stroke is when blood stops flowing to a part of your brain. It can affect things like speech and movement, and take a long time to recover."
The BBC doctor says that "how fragile your arteries are, how irritable they are affects the chances of clots forming" and the risk factors that damage your arteries vary.
The risk factors include:
Smoking
Alcohol
Blood Pressure
Diabetes
High Cholesterol
Increased intake of ultra-processed food
Fizzy drinks
Lack of exercise
Summarising the risk factors above, he says that "all of those things are associated with life in the modern UK and as those things go up, so does our risk of a stroke" adding that "particularly fizzy drinks are associated with a high risk".
One viewer wrote in to say that her husband, who suffered from a stroke, did not have the typical symptoms with Dr Xand stating it was an "important point" to make stressing that people should remember FACE. This stands for Face, Arms, Speech, Time, however these signs and symptoms only "captures 85 per cent of strokes but strokes can affect any part of the brain", he warns. He further explains "all strokes are different".
This is because it could affect any part of your body and your symptoms will all depend on what blood vessels are blocked in your brain. Stressing one message he wants people to take away with them, he warns: "The key point is if you think there is something wrong with your brain, talk to your doctor. It is a medical emergency."