Eek !....Naps, Mammograms May Predict Stroke Risk

[SoCalDem]

Daytime dozing 'stroke warning'
BBC News - 8 hours ago
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/8-1-0&fp=47be84bd46a2e273&ei=HqS-R_L7F42uqwO9nJiJCA&url=http%3A//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7257270.stm&cid=1135125335&sig2=wOpsDKA8GmkemyoU-iO3Ng
Regular unintentional daytime dozing may be an early warning sign of stroke in elderly people, say US researchers. For those who had a habit of nodding off, the risk of stroke was two to four times higher than for those who never fell asleep in the day, a study found. Speaking at the International Stroke Conference, the team advised doctors to check out older people who found they were dropping off in front of the TV.

The study asked 2,000 people how often they dozed off in different situations. These included while watching TV, sitting and talking to someone, sitting quietly after a lunch without alcohol and stopping briefly in traffic while driving. But the real question is: 'What are we doing to our bodies?'. Sleepiness obviously puts us at risk of stroke
Dr Bernadette Boden-Albala

The risk of stroke over the next two years was 2.6 times greater for people who reported "some dozing" compared to those with no dozing. Among those who reported "significant dozing" the risk was 4.5 times higher. The researchers also found the risk of heart attack or death from vascular disease was 1.6% higher for moderate dozers and 2.6% higher for significant dozers.

Study leader, Dr Bernadette Boden-Albala, assistant professor of neurology at Columbia University, New York, said: "Those are significant numbers. We were surprised that the impact was that high for such a short period of time."

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Naps, Mammograms May Predict Stroke Risk
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g5qmgR5ecNSR3F0pYOE0hbg2dKdQD8UV2NJ00
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE – 8 hours ago

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — What do mammograms, blood-sugar tests and daytime dozing have in common? All may offer clues that someone is headed for a stroke, new studies suggest. Higher stroke risk was seen in women with artery buildups accidentally revealed by mammograms, in non-diabetics starting to have insulin problems, and in older people who tend to nod off a lot.

People should not panic if they have one of these signs. But if grandma falls asleep in front of the TV all the time, it may be worth checking to see if she has a sleep disorder raising her risk of stroke, doctors say.Likewise, a test that rules out breast cancer may give a valuable clue to heart disease and stroke risks — if radiologists report the findings to women and their doctors for follow-up.

"You're getting information in two important areas," but people often focus on just the cancer risk, said Dr. Philip Gorelick, neurology chief at the University of Illinois in Chicago. He is chairman of the International Stroke Conference, a medical meeting in New Orleans where the studies were presented Thursday. Daytime drowsiness may be due to nighttime sleep apnea, a common condition where people briefly stop breathing, causing spikes in blood pressure as they startle awake. Snoring can be a sign, but doesn't always mean trouble — except for others trying to sleep.

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[varkam]

1. Well, obstructive sleep apnea is something that causes daytime sleepiness *and*....

increases ones risk for strokes. Or hell, I don't know, maybe it's really just the napping :D

[liberal N proud]

2. Most elderly sleep in their chairs often

[SoCalDem]

3. and I fall asleep when a commercial comes on

but it may not be "napping" since I only ever sleep in 45 minute intervals..here and there, so ANY sleep I get is welcomed..

[UTUSN]

4. So this pre-stroke condition accounts for my erratic posting!1 n/t