Stroke

People with diabetes are twice as likely to have a stroke compared to those without diabetes. To reduce this risk, blood glucose control is critical, including nutrition, normal blood pressure, eliminating obesity, and developing a regular exercise routine with your doctor based on your medical condition(s). Elimination of smoking is critical because smoking narrows blood vessels and makes the vessels more prone to blockages. Furthermore, scientific and medical studies have shown that smoking significantly increases the risk of amputation.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into the spaces surrounding brain cells. Brain cells die when they no longer receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood or there is sudden bleeding into or around the brain. The symptoms of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble with walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination; or sudden severe headache with no known cause. There are two forms of stroke: ischemic—blockage of a blood vessel supplying the brain, and hemorrhagic—bleeding into or around the brain.