Heart Disease Lower, Stroke Risk Higher for Vegans and Vegetarians

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Emergency medicine physician Zachary Lutsky, MD, has served as an attending physician in the emergency department at such institutions as Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Santa Clara Valley Medical. Through these roles, Dr. Zachary Lutsky has become familiar with such things as stroke prevention and recognition.

According to research from the University of Oxford, the risk of heart disease in people who have a vegan or vegetarian diet is about 22 percent lower than people who eat meat. This benefit is also seen in pescatarians, who eat only fish, though at a reduced incidence of a 13 percent lower risk of heart disease.

Unfortunately, this benefit could come at a cost. Both vegans and vegetarians were about 20 percent more likely to experience a stroke than people who ate meat. Specifically, they had a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke, a specific type of stroke associated with greater amounts of damage than ischemic strokes. Not only that, but hemorrhagic strokes were more deadly.

To get these results, researchers examined nearly 48,200 individuals with no history of stroke or heart disease. Of these, 16,254 people were vegans or vegetarians, 24,428 ate meat, and 7,506 only consumed fish. Each group was followed for 18 years, and the researchers tracked the number of stroke and ischemic heart disease that occurred during that time.

At the end of the follow-up period, there were 2,280 cases of heart disease and 1,072 cases of stroke. Based on the results, about 10 more meat eaters out of 1,000 people develop heart disease over 10 years. Meanwhile, about three more vegans and vegetarians out of 1,000 subjects experienced stroke over the same period. While more research is needed, it’s believed that the increased risk of stroke is linked to a lack of essential nutrients in vegans and vegetarians.

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When a Swollen Ankle Requires Medical Attention

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Emergency medicine practitioner Dr. Zachary Lutsky has served as a staff physician and an attending physician at high-traffic emergency departments in California, including Cedars-Sinai and the UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Zachary Lutsky possesses more than 20 years of experience treating patients with severe and acute symptoms.

Swollen ankles, like many other sudden onset symptoms, can signal an underlying medical emergency. A trip to the emergency room is in order if a swollen ankle indicates any of the following:

– Blood clot. If swelling is restricted to one leg and is accompanied by a mild fever or pain, a blood clot may be the reason. Blood clots that originate in the legs can travel through the bloodstream and cause a potentially fatal embolism.

– Kidney failure. Under-functioning kidneys can cause the body to retain fluid and trigger swelling in the ankles, feet, and legs. Other indications of kidney problems including weight gain and appetite changes.

– Infection. If the ankle swells after an injury, the swelling could be the result of a bacterial infection. Elderly patients may also be at risk of contracting septic arthritis, an internal infection, in the ankle joint. Tell-tale signs include tenderness, fever, and odor.

When a Burn Is an Emergency

For more than two decades, Dr. Zachary Lutsky has practiced emergency medicine as an attending physician. Dr. Zachary Lutsky has delivered timely care to patients suffering from acute traumatic injuries, including severe burns.

Burns caused by heat, chemicals, or the sun vary in degrees of severity. First-degree burns affect the outermost layer of the skin and can be treated with first aid. However, when first-degree burns cover a large portion of the body, such as an intense sunburn, a trip to urgent care may be helpful.

Second- and third-degree burns are far more serious and always require medical attention. In a second-degree burn, a deeper layer of skin is burned, leaving large, weeping blisters. Second-degree burns are especially dangerous if they cover more than 10 percent of the body or if they appear in sensitive areas, such as the face, groin, and hands.

A third-degree burn of any size, due to the extensive tissue damage, should be treated as an emergency. Third-degree burns can make the skin appear brown or charred and are often painless because of nerve damage.

How Common Are Heart Attacks?

As attending physician, Dr. Zachary Lutsky cares for people in need of emergent medical attention through several Emergency Departments in Los Angeles. Emergency physicians like Dr. Zachary Lutsky often save patients facing common life or death cardiac events.

A heart attack occurs when the body is no longer able to provide the heart muscle adequate blood to sustain its function. When deprived of blood, muscle cells begin to die, and if too many die, then the heart can no longer pump blood throughout the body, leading to death.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States heart attacks occur frequently, about once every 40 seconds. In a 12-month period, there are nearly 800,000 heart attack victims in America. Of those attacks, 580,000 happen in patients who have not had a heart attack before, and about 200,000 happen to people who’ve suffered a heart attack in the past.

Not all heart attacks are deadly. In fact, of the people who have a heart attack each year, only about 14 percent pass away as a result. It’s important if a person exhibits heart attack symptoms that emergency services are called immediately, as prompt medical intervention can save the person’s life.

Heart attacks manifest classic symptoms like pain radiating from the chest into the back, jaw, and neck. During a heart attack, people may also experience shortness of breath and nausea, among other symptoms.