A sudden stroke which paralyses a man is even more distressing than arthritis, both to the victim and to his family. Most strokes occur in people who have high blood pressure, and most can be avoided by appropriate medications. So, too, can the increasing risk of heart attacks by attention to exercise and diet. But you have to be realistic. As you grow older, your arteries become less flexible and more rigid, and a heart attack or a stroke can result.
Another condition, probably due to changes in your arteries, may also affect you, especially if you are aged 75 or older. This is a sudden unexpected black-out. One moment you are standing or walking, the next your legs give way and you collapse on the ground. You do not faint but have a clear memory of falling. In a moment or two your legs become useful again, and you are able to resume what you were doing, but you may feel anxious or worried. These attacks occur because the blood supplied to parts of your brain is reduced momentarily, and the brain cells cease to operate. The condition, often called a ‘drop attack’, is not dangerous, it is not a warning of an impending stroke. It just happens, and the worst thing you can do is to worry about the next one.
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