Stemming the tidal wave of strokes washing over our society is one of the biggest challenges facing scientists today. It is an urgent task, but one well within New Zealand’s reach.
That’s because existing evidence has laid bare a damning statistic: as many as 80% of strokes are preventable, with “adequate control of modifiable risk factors”. Associate Professor Rita Krishnamurthi, of Auckland University of Technology, explains.
As described in Stroke and CVD Prevention, Ageing Well funded Professor Valery Feigin and Associate Professor Krishnamurthi to undertake a trial examining the effectiveness of Health and Wellness Coaching. Trained coaches worked with groups particularly at risk of stroke, including Asians, Māori, and Pacific peoples.
As high blood pressure is the most significant modifiable risk factor for stroke, the study showed that implementing health and wellness coaching in primary healthcare has the potential to reduce the incidence of strokes.
The initial results were promising; Health and Wellness Coaching did appear to decrease levels of high blood pressure, one of the chief risk factors for stroke. But Associate Professor Krishnamurthi wanted to see if these gains were sustained over a 3-year period. She was awarded a grant co-funded by Ageing Well and Brain Research New Zealand to continue the investigation.
The outcome of her study suggests that Health and Wellness Coaching has the potential to improve lifestyle risk factors in those at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. As high blood pressure is the most significant modifiable risk factor for stroke, the study showed that implementing health and wellness coaching in primary healthcare has the potential to reduce the incidence of strokes.
By adopting a preventative approach to addressing risk factors for cardiovascular disease, Associate Professor Krishnamurthi’s research suggests that it can help to reduce the number of people affected by stroke incidents, as well as to reduce the stress on our healthcare system.
By adopting a preventative approach to addressing risk factors for cardiovascular disease, Associate Professor Krishnamurthi’s research suggests that it can help to reduce the number of people affected by stroke incidents (and by extension, those suffering permanent disability as a result of a stroke), as well as to reduce the stress on our healthcare system.
With Aotearoa New Zealand’s population over 65 years set to double by 2036, the effect that Health and Wellness Coaching could greatly improve the quality of life for those at risk of CVD as well as result in potentially sizable economic benefits for our healthcare and rehabilitation sectors.
Health and Wellness Coaching may not be a cure-all for cardiovascular disease, but early results indicate that we can make significant inroads in addressing cardiovascular disease before it leads to stroke.
*This research was jointly funded by Ageing Well and Brain Research New Zealand
{Bowl photo by Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash}
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