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Dietary Interventions to Lower the Risk of Stroke

  • Stroke (HP Adams, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Stroke is a major cause of death and permanent disability in the USA; primary prevention and risk reduction are a critical health concern. A wealth of research investigated stroke risk factors, including primary hypertension, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation. Research has expanded to examine lifestyle factors, such as diet/dietary patterns, physical activity, cigarette smoking, and obesity distribution, as critical modifiable risk factors. Emerging evidence suggests diet/dietary patterns may lead to heightened risk of stroke. Despite a growing literature, research has yet to implement dietary interventions to explore this relationship within a US sample. This review discusses available clinical research findings reporting on the relationship among diet/dietary patterns, cardiovascular disease, and risk of stroke. We will assess challenges, limitations, and controversies, and address future research directions.

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Acknowledgment

Dr. Boden-Abala has multiple NIH/NINDS grants to conduct stroke clinical research to investigate demographic and behavioral risk factors and to improve recruitment and retention of racial-ethnic minorities in neurological clinical trials (P50NS049060, U10NS086531, U01U54NS057405, and U24MD006961).

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Conflict of Interest

Bernadette Boden-Albala, Lauren Southwick, and Heather Carman declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Correspondence to Bernadette Boden-Albala.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Stroke

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Boden-Albala, B., Southwick, L. & Carman, H. Dietary Interventions to Lower the Risk of Stroke. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 15, 15 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-015-0538-0

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