Diet quality in patients with stroke

Objective A healthy diet is associated with reduced risk for stroke,myocardial infarction,cancer and death.We examined the prevalence of a healthy diet in patients with a recent stroke or transient ischaemic attack(TIA).Methods We recruited a convenience sample of 95 patients with a recent ischaemic stroke or TIA.Using information from a 125-item Food Frequency Questionnaire,we calculated dietary quality and the percentage of patients meeting recommended daily intake(RDI)for common macronutrients and elements.Results The mean age of patients was 66 years(SD:16)and 46%were women.39 patients(41%)were classified as having a healthy diet(35%of men and 48%of women).The majority of patients were within the RDI for carbohydrates(56.8%),total fat(61.1%),long-chain n-3 fats(68.4%),polyunsaturated fats(79.0%)and protein(96.8%).Very few patients consumed the recommended intake for sodium(25.3%),and even fewer consumed the RDI for potassium(4.2%),with the majority of patients consuming too much sodium and too little potassium.Conclusion We found that most patients with recent stroke or TIA were not following a healthy diet before their stroke event.For most patients,sodium intake was much above and potassium intake was much below RDI.