Strokes

After five years of the six-year Spanish study into diets, 288 study participants among the 7,500 older "at-risk" adults suffered a heart attack or stroke or died of a type of cardiovascular disease.

Those on both Mediterranean diets were 28 to 30 per cent less likely to develop such health problems those on the general low-fat diet, researchers from the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona found.

Of those suffering health problems:

• 96 were in the olive oil-heavy Mediterranean dietary group (3.4% of participants)
• 83 were in the nut-heavy Mediterranean dietary group (3.4% of participants)
• 109 were in the low-fat dietary group (4.4% of participants)

• Every year, over 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke, costing the country more than £8 billion
• More than half of the estimated 1.2 million stroke survivors in the UK suffer from disabilities affecting their daily lives

• A stroke causes damage to the brain, from blocked arteries or bleeding from blood vessels
• Up to 30 per cent of strokes are caused by Cardioembolic strokes, they are extremely severe, caused by a clot that originates in the heart and travels to the brain

The discovery of a mutant gene, could be the answer to reducing the risk of a stroke and preventing disability, scientists have said.

Scientists have discovered a new gene that could save lives and prevent disability from a stroke.

People with a mutant form of the ABO gene (which determines blood groups), are more likely to have certain types of stroke, they said.

Researchers identified differences within the gene, linked to blood clotting, one of the main causes of a stroke.

Eating oily fish has already been linked to other health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease.

The Food Standards Agency recommends that everyone should eat at least two 140g portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish.

Research suggests that eating two portions of oily fish a week could help prevent a stroke.

An international team of researchers, including academic Dr Rajiv Chowdhury, examined the association between oily fish, which are a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids, and the risk of strokes or mini-strokes.

They looked at 38 studies involving almost 800,000 people across 15 countries, and examined participants' fish and long chain omega 3 fatty acid consumption. During the studies, a total of 34,817 strokes and mini strokes were recorded.

After adjusting for several risk factors, participants eating two to four servings a week had a 6% lower risk of stroke compared with those who consumed one portion or less every week, the study found.

Eating two portions of oily fish a week could help ward off a stroke, research suggests.

Scientists have found that eating two helpings of oily fish - such as salmon, trout or mackerel - every week could moderately reduce risk of a stroke.

However, fish oil supplements do not have the same beneficial effect as oily fish such as kippers, sardines, fresh tuna or whitebait, the study found.

The audit of stroke care found there were considerable variations in performance amongst hospitals, partly because of patient awareness about services. It found patients received surgery more quickly in London than in all other regions.