Stroke

Physical exercise and stroke
Marr, who is making a good recovery, said his advice would be to be wary of rowing machines, or at least of being too enthusiastic on them.
 
According to Dr Mike Loosemore, an expert in sports medicine at University College Hospital, London, "Intensive physical activity after work doesn't compensate for long periods sitting still in an office during the day (sedentary behavior). Lack of physical activity and sedentary behavior are two seperate risk factors. That's like saying drinking less alcohol can compensate for smoking and it can't".

 
In the first interview given after his stroke, Andrew Marr mentioned that he discovered that he had had a couple of mini strokes the previous year. A mini-stroke, or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), is similar to a stroke but the symptoms only last a few minutes. Due to the short duration of symptoms, many people are unaware they have had a stroke, as was the case with Marr. While not as serious as a stroke, a TIA is an important warning sign that you need to make substantial changes to your lifestyle or start taking medication and usually both.
 
Risk factors and prevention
The main risk factor for a haemorrhagic stroke is high blood pressure as the excess pressure can weaken the arteries in the brain and make them prone to splitting or rupturing. You cannot control some stroke risk factors, such as heredity, age, gender and ethnicity. Some medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, overweight or obesity and previous stroke or TIA, can also raise your stroke risk. However, avoiding smoking and drinking too much alcohol, eating a balanced diet and increasing your activity are all choices you can make to reduce your risk of stroke.
 
According to Dr Loosemore, "The best way of preventing a stroke is to eat a healthy diet, engage in regular activity, avoid drinking too much alcohol and stop smoking. I'd stress activity rather than exercise because activity can be done anywhere at any time. Increasing your activity at work is probably better for you than intensive work-outs in a gym after work. For example, at work you can stand instead of sitting and take the stairs instead of the elevator.It's never too late to increase your activity, eat more healthily, stop smoking or cut down on alcohol".

Symptoms and aftercare
The symptoms of a stroke include, (i) sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg-especially on one side of the body, (ii) sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, (iii) sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, (iv) sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination and (v) sudden severe headache with no known cause.
 
Andrew Marr mentioned that the stroke had fortunately not impaired his voice or memory, but had affected, "the whole left hand side of my body, which is why I'm still not able to walk fluently". Stroke does not only cause physical damage, it also incurs psychological and emotional damage on survivors and their families. These effects, which include depression and aphasia (problems with language and speaking), are often profound, last a lifetime and are inadequately supported.
 
eHealth and managing stroke survivors
A stroke both debilitates and isolates a person. More than half of all stroke survivors are left dependent upon others for everyday activities. To give more control to patients medical professionals are increasingly using eHealth strategies to manage the aftercare of stroke patients.   
 
Standard behavioural therapies used to rehabilitate stroke patients, translate well into eHealth strategies and onto apps for smart phones and tablets. These include telemedicine, social media forums and apps to enhance impaired cognition and movement. Increasingly, stroke units throughout the country are using telemedicine, which enable doctors to check patients in their homes. This saves money and increases the quality of care. The introduction of eHealth devices means that stroke survivors can take greater control of their treatments from their homes and, as a consequence, feel more independent and less isolated.
 
Investment in research
Investment in stroke research is critical to the reduction and management of the disease. The majority of stroke research in the UK is supported by the Stroke Association, a charity. Each year the charity disburses about £30 million on research, which is small compared to the annual UK research expenditures on cancer and heart disease.
  
Does austerity promote health benefits?
According to an American public health organisation, 75% of healthcare costs are spent on treating sick people with preventable conditions, but only 3% on preventing people from getting sick in the first place.
 
To help reduce and manage the escalation of stroke, more  might be spent on preventive strategies.
 
Interestingly, following the Cuban Missile Crisis, the incidence of strokes, heart attacks and cancer fell significantly among Cuban citizens as their enforced isolation and austerity obliged them to adopt healthier diets and lifestyles. Could austerity trigger something similar in the UK?