Preventing Stroke with a Plant-Based Diete

Current known modifiable risk factors for stroke together account for more than 90% of population attributable risk. A plant-based diet has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke by 28-48%, and to significantly reduce the biggest risk factors -hypertension, coronary heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Vegetarians have been found to have a 34-44% lower risk of developing hypertension, and a 40% reduced risk of ischemic heart disease. Vegans have a 78% lower risk of type 2 diabetes and a 75% reduced risk of hypertension compared to meat eaters with an otherwise healthy lifestyle. In addition, plant-based diets may reduce the likelihood of other risk factors that are associated with stroke, such as atrial fibrillation and heart failure. One of the main goals in stroke risk reduction is to control vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and smoking cessation. Changes in lifestyle such as a healthy diet and aerobic exercise are recommended strategies for all of these. Patient compliance on plant-based diets has been good in almost all studies, with the degree of compliance often very high. The patient should be informed that while a plant-based diet reduces the risk of stroke, it will also reduce the risk of a number of other diseases.