In today's society, with the acceleration of the pace of life and the change of lifestyle, cerebral infarction, which was originally regarded as a common disease of middle-aged and elderly people, is quietly invading more and more young people. Recently, the experience of a fourth-year intern in medical school named Liang Xiaomei at the entrance of the neurology building has aroused widespread attention from all walks of life to this issue.

Liang Xiaomei stood at the entrance of the building, holding a test sheet tightly in her hand, and her mood was extremely heavy. Her cousin, a young man in his early thirties, was rushed to the ICU with a cerebral infarction and has not yet fully recovered. Liang Xiaomei's heart was full of doubts and puzzles, she always thought that cerebral infarction was the patent of the elderly, but she didn't expect it to happen to her peers.

Cerebral infarction is no longer exclusive to the elderly

According to the latest data released by the National Health Commission, the incidence of cerebral infarction among young people aged 35 to 0 has increased by 0.0% in recent years, with the most significant increase in the age group of 0 to 0 years. This data shows that cerebral infarction is no longer an exclusive disease for the elderly, but is gradually spreading to young and middle-aged people.

Imagine that a young man who thought he could squander his youth wantonly was unknowingly targeted by the invisible killer of cerebral infarction. They may not have underlying diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, but because of poor eating habits, they are on the verge of danger step by step.

The relationship between dietary habits and cerebral infarction

In modern society, many young people are becoming more and more unhealthy in their eating habits. Barbecue, hot pot and other foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar have become frequent guests on their tables. These foods, while delicious, hide huge health risks.

Imagine those fried foods that have been reheated repeatedly, such as fried chicken, fried dough sticks, etc., which contain a lot of oxidized lipid substances. These substances produce harmful oxidation products at high temperatures that induce an inflammatory response in vascular endothelial cells. An experiment by the Clinical Nutrition Laboratory of Fudan University showed that vegetable oil heated at high temperatures several times would cause a significant increase in inflammatory factors in the blood of experimental animals, and a decrease in the endothelial integrity of the microvascular bed by up to 23%.

This may seem like a trivial change, but it can cause great damage to the microvasculature in the brain. The brain has a large number of microvessels, especially in the basal ganglia, and once the blood supply is insufficient, it is very easy to form a small infarction. In other words, long-term consumption of these seemingly delicious foods is actually quietly destroying the microvessels in our brain.

除了油炸食品，加工肉類也是腦梗的隱形殺手之一。香腸、臘肉、培根等加工肉類食品中含有大量的亞硝酸鹽和高鈉成分。這些成分在進入人體后，會直接影響血壓調控系統。美國耶魯大學的一項研究發現，每周攝入超過300克的加工肉製品，十年內發生腦梗的風險比對照組高出42%，其中一半人並沒有基礎病史。

Imagine the nitrites and high sodium in these processed meats like time bombs that could blow up our blood vessels at any moment. Not only do they increase blood pressure, but they also interfere with the normal function of blood vessels, making the blood supply system to the brain extremely unstable.

In addition, excessively sweet beverages are also a potential threat of cerebral infarction. Many young people like to drink carbonated drinks or milk tea with added high fructose syrup, which contain a lot of fructose despite their sweet taste. Fructose is not regulated by insulin, but is metabolized directly into the liver, which initiates a cascade of pro-inflammatory responses and induces the liver to produce more superoxide.

Imagine that these superoxides are like a bunch of disruptive molecules that damage the walls of blood vessels, causing endothelial cells to malfunction and increasing the stiffness of blood vessels. A long-term data from Harvard Medical School showed that adults who consumed more than one bottle of fructose-containing beverage per day had a 28% higher carotid arteriosclerosis index than those who did not drink it, and this indicator is strongly associated with the incidence of cerebral infarction.

Finally, high-purine hot pot ingredients are also one of the invisible killers of cerebral infarction. Ingredients such as animal offal, soup bases, and seafood platters contain high levels of purines, and uric acid formed after metabolism can cause endothelial dysfunction at high concentrations. Although uric acid itself does not directly block blood vessels, it stimulates the endothelium to release endothelin-1, triggering a vasoconstriction response that reduces local blood flow velocity.

Imagine those young people gathering at a hot pot restaurant, who may not realize that the delicious wontons they are enjoying are actually quietly destroying their own blood vessels. Especially for those who like to drink beer while eating hot pot, the damage to blood vessels is twofold for this combination.

How to prevent cerebral infarction

In the face of the invisible killer of cerebral infarction, how should we deal with it? First of all, we need to change our poor eating habits. Reduce your intake of fried foods, processed meats, overly sweetened beverages and high-purine foods and choose healthier foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Secondly, it is also very important to have regular medical check-ups. Although traditional physical examinations may not be able to fully detect the hidden dangers of cerebrovascular diseases, we can evaluate the health of blood vessels through some specific examinations. For example, the measurement of carotid artery intimal thickness and the detection of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein can help us detect potential risks early.

In addition, maintaining good lifestyle habits is also the key to preventing cerebral infarction. Getting enough sleep, exercising, and having a positive mindset all help maintain the health of your blood vessels. Imagine a person who is full of energy and has a positive mindset, and his blood vessels will also be healthier.

Finally, we need to raise public awareness about cerebral infarction. Through media publicity and popular science education, more people can understand the dangers of cerebral infarction and how to prevent it. Only when everyone is aware of this problem can we act together to reduce the incidence of cerebral infarction.

The early age of onset of cerebral infarction reminds us that we must re-examine our eating habits and lifestyle. By changing poor eating habits, regular medical check-ups, maintaining good lifestyle habits, and raising public awareness, we can effectively prevent the occurrence of cerebral infarction. Let's take action together to protect our health!

Proofread by Zhuang Wu