Zerodha founder and CEO Nithin Kamath recently revealed he had a mild stroke nearly six weeks ago. He tweeted about “having a big droop in the face” while he suffered from the stroke.
“Around 6 weeks ago, I had a mild stroke out of the blue. Dad passing away, poor sleep, exhaustion, dehydration, and overworking out -any of these could be possible reasons,” he tweeted. “I've gone from having a big droop in the face and not being able to read or write to having a slight droop but being able to read and write more. From being absent-minded to more present-minded. So, 3 to 6 months for full recovery,” he wrote on the social media platform adding, “I wondered why a person who's fit and takes care of himself could be affected. The doctor said you need to know when you need to shift the gears down a bit.”
Kamath ended his tweet by saying, “Slightly broken, but still getting my treadmill count.”
But genuinely, this question arose in me as well. How can a fit person be affected by stroke? To clear the cloud of questions, OnlyMyHealth team connected with Dr Vipul Gupta,Chief - Neurointerventional Surgery & Co Chief Stroke Unit at Artemis Hospital Gurugram.
Answering this question, Dr Gupta said, “Certainly, even individuals who maintain a healthy lifestyle and prioritize fitness can be susceptible to stroke. While factors like age, family history, and genetics play significant roles in stroke risk, lifestyle-related factors and triggers can also contribute to this risk.”
Dr Gupta further said, “High blood pressure or hypertension is a major risk factor for stroke. Despite efforts to manage blood pressure through regular exercise and a healthy diet, genetic predispositions or other underlying health conditions can still lead to hypertension, thereby increasing the risk of stroke.”
Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption also add up to the risk of getting strokes.
Elaborating, Dr Gupta said, “Furthermore, certain underlying heart conditions like atrial fibrillation or patent foramen ovale (a hole in the heart) can increase the risk of blood clots traveling to the brain and causing a stroke, even in physically fit individuals.”
Adopting a healthy lifestyle definitely mitigates the risk of stroke but other factors such as genetics and underlying condition remain influential. It is advisable to go for regular medical check-ups to avoid any such situation.
