Neurologist's response to 35-year-old man wanting him to 'prescribe aspirin to prevent stroke' after father's paralysis

As per the prescription he shared, Dr Sudhir Kumar advised the man to give up alcohol as part of his stroke prevention plan, which included a total of 6 steps.

Dr Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist, took to X on Jun 10, 2023, to share his prescription for a patient 'who wanted advice regarding starting an aspirin pill,as his father had suffered from a stroke (recently) at age 60'. In the accompanying tweet, Dr Kumar shared details of the man's case and what he actually prescribed him instead of aspirin.

'Instead of one pill, I prescribed '6 pills'

He said, “A 35-year-old consulted me today, as he wanted me to prescribe an aspirin pill to prevent a stroke. His father, aged 60, had recently suffered from stroke (paralysis), and he was concerned about his higher risk of getting a stroke in future. Instead of one pill (aspirin), I prescribed '6 pills' (mentioned in the recommendations section of my prescription).”

So what did Dr Kumar actually prescribe to the man, who at the time, 'weighed 80 kg, had a BMI (body mass index) of 26.2 with mildly elevated total and LDL cholesterol, normal homocysteine and cardiac evaluation'?

7-8 hours of sleep to 9-10K steps a day

As per the prescription he shared on X, Dr Kumar advised the man to follow these habits and come back for a 'review after three months':

1. Regular sleep: 7-8 hours a night.

2. Brisk walking or running: 30-40 minutes a day. Aim for 9-10K steps per day.

3. Healthy diet: Avoid soft drinks, sugar, and ultra-processed packaged foods. Reduce carb intake and increase fruits (within limits), vegetables, and nuts (a handful/day), poultry, fish, and eggs.

4. Reduce working hours: from current 13-14 hours to 8-9 hours.

5. Reduce stress.

6. Complete abstinence from alcohol.

Can aspirin prevent a stroke?

Aspirin is in a group of medications called salicylates. It works by stopping the production of certain natural substances that cause fever, pain, swelling, and blood clots. Sharing details of daily aspirin therapy, Mayo Clinic said that taking an aspirin a day can be a lifesaving option and may lower the risk of heart attack and stroke, but it's not for everyone.

Per Mayo Clinic, daily aspirin therapy may be used in two ways:

⦿ Primary prevention

This means that you've never had a heart attack or stroke. You've never had coronary bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty with stent placement. You've never had blocked arteries in your neck, legs or other parts of the body. But you take a daily aspirin to prevent such heart events. The benefit of aspirin for this use has been debated.

⦿ Secondary prevention

This means that you had a heart attack or stroke, or you have known heart or blood vessel disease. You're taking a daily aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke. The benefit of daily aspirin therapy in this situation is well established.

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This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.