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Scientists Say Fatty Diet Not Linked to Stroke Risk


LONDON (Reuters) - Eating a diet high in fat does not seem to raise the odds of having a stroke, researchers in the United States said on Friday.


High blood pressure is the most important risk factor for stroke but unlike heart disease, a high fat disease does not have an impact on stroke. "In our study we did not find any association between dietary fat and stroke," said Dr. Ka He of Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.


Although further research is needed to confirm their findings, He and his colleagues said blood cholesterol is probably not an important predictor of stroke.


The scientists, who reported their findings in The British Medical Journal, stressed that eating a healthy well balanced diet is vital to prevent heart disease and other ailments.


Lowering blood pressure, regular exercise, not smoking, moderate alcohol intake and a normal weight are important for preventing stroke.


Their results are based on a study of 43,732 healthy middle-aged men who were studied for 14 years. More than 800 men suffered a stroke. The researchers looked at total fat intake, specific types of fat and cholesterol and the risk of stroke.


"There is no association between total fat, types of fat and stroke," He, who conducted the study while at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, added.

Stroke is caused by an interrupted blow flow to the brain or when a blood vessel bursts or leaks. About two-thirds of stroke patients are over 65 years old. Each year an estimated 700,000 Americans have a stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.


Signs of stroke include sudden numbness on one side of the body, confusion, difficulty speaking, dizziness and severe headache.