Sweet! – Stroke prevention for men

Some good news for our sweet-toothed male readers.  According to a new study published in the journal Neurology, men who eat a moderate amount of chocolate each week have a lower risk of stroke.
Investigators from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden studied 37,103 men aged 49 to 75. They were given a food questionnaire that assessed how often they consumed various foods and drinks.  Researchers then identified stroke cases through a hospital discharge registry. Over the 10 years of study there were 1,995 cases of first stroke.

Men who ate the largest amount of chocolate had a lower risk of stroke compared to those who did not consume any chocolate. Those eating the highest amount of chocolate had a 17% lower risk of stroke compared to those who ate no chocolate.

“While other studies have looked at how chocolate may help cardiovascular health, this is the first of its kind study to find that chocolate, may be beneficial for reducing stroke in men,” said study author Susanna C. Larsson, PhD.

In a larger analysis of five studies that included 4,260 stroke cases, the risk of stroke for individuals in the highest category of chocolate consumption was 19% lower compared to non-chocolate consumers. For every 2 ounce increase in chocolate consumption per week the risk of stroke decreased by about 14 percent.

“The beneficial effect of chocolate consumption on stroke may be related to the flavonoids in chocolate. Flavonoids appear to be protective against cardiovascular disease through antioxidant, anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also possible that flavonoids in chocolate may decrease blood concentrations of bad cholesterol and reduce blood pressure,” said Larsson.

Interestingly, it wasn’t just dark chocolate that conferred the benefit.  Although dark chocolate has previously been associated with heart health, about 90% of the chocolate consumed during this study was milk chocolate.

While this means that some more guilt can be removed from the pleasure of chocolate eating, we’re not advocating a mass testosterone-fuelled rush to the candy store.  Before you embark on a bob-bon binge, SRxA’s Word on Health warns that the average amount of chocolate consumed in the study was only about two and a half ounces per week – that’s the meager equivalent of one-third of a cup of chocolate chips.

More than that could lead to weight gain, which puts a strain on the entire circulatory system. Obesity also leads to high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes – all of which can .increase the risk of stroke.

As always, everything in moderation!

Middle Age Spread Linked to Later Life Dementia

Need a new and compelling reason to lose weight?  Word on Health thinks we’ve found one of the best ones. 

According to a new study, published in Neurology, being overweight or obese during middle age may increase the risk of certain dementias such as Alzheimer’s Disease.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, studied information from the Swedish Twin Registry on 8,534 twins age 65 or older. Of those, 350 were diagnosed with dementia and 114 had possible dementia.

Information on participant’s height and weight had been taken 30 years earlier. Participants were classified as either underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese according to their body mass index (BMI). Nearly 30% (2,541) of the twins, were either overweight or obese during middle age. Researchers learned that this group had an 80% higher risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia in later life compared to people with normal BMI.

The results remained the same after considering other factors, such as education, diabetes and vascular disease. A total of 26% of those with no dementia had been overweight in midlife, compared to 36% of those with questionable dementia and 39% of those with diagnosed dementia.

Three percent of those with no dementia had been obese in midlife, compared to 5% of those with questionable dementia and 7% of those with diagnosed dementia.

In twin pairs where one twin had dementia and one twin did not, there was no significant relationship between weight and dementia in midlife suggesting that genetic and early life environmental factors may contribute to the link.

“Currently, 1.6 billion adults are overweight or obese worldwide and over 50% of adults in the United States and Europe fit into this category,” said study author Weili Xu, MD, PhD. “Our results contribute to the growing evidence that controlling body weight or losing weight in middle age could reduce your risk of dementia.”

For us – the diet really does start today, before we’re no longer able to remember our resolution.