Where you live matters almost as much as how you live when it comes to reducing your risk of a stroke.
People who live close to some green space are 16 percent less likely to suffer an ischaemic stroke, the most common type that happens when a blood clot blocks an artery in the brain.
Living within 300 metres (984 feet) of green space reduces air pollutants that have been linked to stroke and heart disease, say researchers from the Hospital de Mar Medical Research Institute in Spain.
The biggest threat comes from pollutants from car exhausts, even if levels are within safety limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union. “The danger is still present and many more measures need to be taken”, said Carla Avellaneda, one of the researchers.
(Source: Environment International, 2022; 161: 107147)
