How Artery Widening (Not Just Narrowing) Can Also Cause Strokes
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We’ve written about stroke before; most centrally, our “how to” article, Reduce Your Stroke Risk ← so definitely do check this one out and do those things!
All that remains valid, but a new risk factor has been identified, and, paradoxically, it’s the widening of arteries:
Too wide!
Researchers (Dr. Joanna Wardlaw et al.) have done a study whose results challenge the long-standing idea that lacunar ischemic stroke (a common small vessel stroke) is mainly caused by fatty plaque narrowing in larger arteries; instead, Dr. Wardlaw and her team found that widened, enlarged brain arteries (arterial dolichoectasia) were much more strongly linked to lacunar stroke and cerebral small vessel disease (with 4x greater risk thereof).
As to how this problem arises when logically a wider blood vessel should mean better blood flow, the paper (that we’ll link shortly) discusses how “nonatheromatous intrinsic microvascular pathology” is to blame, which translating from sciences, means the structural disorganization of small brain arterioles, rather than the cholesterol plaque buildup in larger vessels.
In other words, imagine if your house were built quite a bit larger but with only the same building materials; you see how it’d have problems? Same deal for your blood vessels.
This means that antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin mainly target clotting and atherosclerotic plaque-related events, but if lacunar stroke is primarily driven by intrinsic small vessel structural damage rather than plaque blockage, then antiplatelet approaches are not likely to be a lot of help in this case!
Important note: this does not mean that arterial narrowing (let alone blockage) is fine. It’s not. It just causes different strokes for different folks, so to speak. And, by consequence, this also doesn’t mean cholesterol, plaque, or antiplatelet therapy are unimportant for all stroke types (indeed, atherosclerosis remains a major cause of many other strokes) but simply that lacunar stroke will require other approaches:
❝This study provides strong evidence that lacunar stroke is not caused by fatty blockage of larger arteries, but by disease of the small vessels within the brain itself.
Recognizing this distinction is crucial, because it explains why conventional treatments like antiplatelet drugs are not as effective for this type of stroke and highlights the urgent need to develop new therapies that target the underlying microvascular damage❞
~ Dr. Joanna Wardlaw
So, research in this regard will now be focusing on protecting or restoring small vessel integrity rather than just on (the also worthy goal of) preventing clot formation; the same team’s LACI-3 trial is already testing whether drugs such as cilostazol and isosorbide mononitrate will better target these mechanisms.
You can read the paper in full, here: Implications of Cranial Arterial Stenosis and Dolichoectasia for Cerebral Small-Vessel Disease Etiopathogenesis: Findings From a Prospective Mild Stroke Cohort
But what if you do have a stroke?
All is not necessarily lost; there are options! For example: What To Do If Having A Stroke Alone? ← with the caveat that, if you have a stroke, there’s a good chance you’ll forget all this. However, this is good to know anyway, in case someone else is having a stroke (and if you don’t live alone, it can be good for whoever is with you to know this too).
There are also such resources as: Reverse Stroke Damage (Within A 6-Hour Window) ← there is a drug that does this now, but time is of the essence
Want to learn more?
Everyone even vaguely health-conscious knows that prevention is better than cure, but many still don’t think about a lot of things until they’re too late, and stroke definitely falls all-too-often into that category:
❝Each year in the US, over half a million people have a first stroke; however, up to 80% of strokes may be preventable.❞
~ American Stroke Association
Source: New guideline: Preventing a first stroke may be possible with screening, lifestyle changes
To be ahead of that curve, check out:
Don’t Get Caught Out By These “Nontraditional” Stroke Risk Factors
And, for that matter,
6 Signs Of Stroke (One Month In Advance)
Take care!
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Senior Meetup Groups Combating Loneliness
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It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!
Have a question or a request? You can always hit “reply” to any of our emails, or use the feedback widget at the bottom!
In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!
As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!
So, no question/request too big or small
“I would like to read more on loneliness, meetup group’s for seniors. Thank you”
Well, 10almonds is an international newsletter, so it’s hard for us to advise about (necessarily: local) meetup groups!
But a very popular resource for connecting to your local community is Nextdoor, which operates throughout the US, Canada, Australia, and large parts of Europe including the UK.
In their own words:
Get the most out of your neighborhood with Nextdoor
It’s where communities come together to greet newcomers, exchange recommendations, and read the latest local news. Where neighbors support local businesses and get updates from public agencies. Where neighbors borrow tools and sell couches. It’s how to get the most out of everything nearby. Welcome, neighbor.
Curious? Click here to check it out and see if it’s of interest to you
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Feta Cheese vs Mozzarella – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing feta to mozzarella, we picked the mozzarella.
Why?
There are possible arguments for both, but there are a couple of factors that we think tip the balance.
In terms of macronutrients, feta has more fat, of which, more saturated fat, and more cholesterol. Meanwhile, mozzarella has about twice the protein, which is substantial for a cheese. So this section’s a fair win for mozzarella.
In the category of vitamins, however, feta wins with more of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, D, & E. In contrast, mozzarella boasts only a little more vitamin A and choline. An easy win for feta in this section.
When it comes to minerals, the matter is decided, we say. Mozzarella has more calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, while feta has more copper, iron, and (which counts against it) sodium. A win for mozzarella.
About that sodium… A cup of mozzarella contains about 3% of the RDA of sodium, while a cup of feta contains about 120% of the RDA of sodium. You see the problem? So, while mozzarella was already winning based on adding up the previous categories, the sodium content alone is a reason to choose mozzarella for your salad rather than feta.
That settles it, but just before we close, we’ll mention that they do both have great gut-healthy properties, containing healthy probiotics.
In short: if it weren’t for the difference in sodium content, this would be a narrow win for mozzarella. As it is, however, it’s a clear win.
Want to learn more?
You might like to read:
- Making Friends With Your Gut (You Can Thank Us Later)
- Is Dairy Scary? ← the answer is “it can be, but it depends on the product, and some are healthy; the key is in knowing which”
- How Too Much Salt May Lead To Organ Failure
Take care!
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Intermittent Fasting, Intermittently?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!
Have a question or a request? We love to hear from you!
In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!
As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!
So, no question/request too big or small 😎
❝Have you come across any research on alternate-day intermittent fasting—specifically switching between one day of 16:8 fasting and the next day of regular eating patterns? I’m curious if there are any benefits or drawbacks to this alternating approach, or if the benefits mainly come from consistent intermittent fasting?❞
Short and unhelpful answer: no
Longer and hopefully more helpful answer:
As you probably know, usually people going for approaches based on the above terms either
- practise 16:8 fasting (fast for 16 hours each day, eat during an 8-hour window) or
- practise alternate-day fasting (fast for 24 hours, eat whenever for 24 hours, repeat)
…which latter scored the best results in this large meta-analysis of studies:
There is also the (popular) less extreme version of alternate-day fasting, sometimes called “eat stop eat”, which is not a very helpful description because that describes almost any kind of eating/fasting, but it usually refers to “once per week, take a day off from eating”.
You can read more about each of these (and some other variants), here:
Intermittent Fasting: What’s The Truth?
What you are describing (doing 16:8 fasting on alternate days, eating whenever on the other days) is essentially: intermittent fasting, just with one 16-hour fast per 48 hours instead of per the usual 24 hours.
See also: International consensus on fasting terminology ← the section on the terms “STF & PF” covers why this gets nudged back under the regular IF umbrella
Good news: this means there is a lot of literature into the acute (i.e., occurring the same day, not long-term)* benefits of 16:8 IF, and that means that you will be getting those benefits, every second day.
You remember that meta-analysis we posted above? While it isn’t mentioned in the conclusion (which only praised complete alternate-day fasting producing the best outcomes overall), sifting through the results data discovers that time-restricted eating (which is what you are doing, by these classifications) was the only fasting method to significantly reduce fasting blood glucose levels.
(However, no significant differences were observed between any IF form and the reference (continuous energy restriction, CER, i.e. calorie-controlled) diets in fasting insulin and HbA1c levels)
*This is still good news in the long-term though, because getting those benefits every second day is better than getting those benefits on no days, and this will have a long-term impact on your healthy longevity, just like how it is better to exercise every second day than it is to exercise no days, or better to abstain from alcohol every second day than it is to abstain on no days, etc.
In short, by doing IF every second day, you are still giving your organs a break sometimes, and that’s good.
All the same, if it would be convenient and practical for you, we would encourage you to consider either the complete alternate-day fasting (which, according to a lot of data, gives the best results overall),or time-restricted eating (TRE) every day (which, according to a lot of data, gives the best fasting blood sugar levels).
You could also improve the TRE days by shifting to 20:4 (i.e., 20 hours fasting and 4 hours eating), this giving your organs a longer break on those days.
Want to learn more?
For a much more comprehensive discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to intermitted fasting, check out:
Enjoy!
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Metformin vs Cancer/Aging
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…and other items from this week’s health science news:
Metabolic health is more than most people think
Researchers (Dr. Emilie Lavallée et al.) found that ATP5I is a direct molecular target of metformin. This may not mean much to most readers, so: ATP5I is part of the enzyme complex that produces ATP, the primary “energy currency” of cells. Specifically it seems to help organize and assemble the ATP synthase machinery, rather than directly carrying out ATP production itself.
In other words: it helps your cellular energy mechanisms work better
As for why you should care about cellular energy mechanisms: you are made of cells, and the energy they have is the energy you have*.
*unless we want to get pedantic, in which case yes, you also have some gravitational potential energy due to your mass, including non-cellular mass, and its relationship to gravity. But that won’t help you get through your day, for the most part.
Usefully, this also highlights a likely reason why people who take metformin have a lower risk of many cancers, bearing in mind that while things like diabetes and heart disease are thought of as metabolic disorders (and they are), so are cancer and aging:
Read in full: Why metformin matters beyond diabetes: New target could reshape aging and cancer research
Related: How Metformin Reduces Long COVID Risk By 63%
Kidney disease is fast becoming epidemic
Bad news: early chronic kidney disease (CKD) often causes no noticeable symptoms, allowing kidney damage to progress for years before being detected.
Worse news: CKD has entered the world’s top 10 causes of death, with approximately 1.5 million deaths in the US attributed directly to the disease in 2023 (yes, science typically lags with numbers like that, because of peer review, here we are in 2026 at time of writing, reading stats from 2023, but it’s better to have correct stats from a couple of years ago than guess at more recent ones without appropriate scientific rigor).
Further, impaired kidney function contributed to about 12% of global cardiovascular deaths, making all-too-clear the strong connection between kidney disease and heart disease.
Underdiagnosis remains a major problem too: many people are never tested, so the true prevalence may be higher than current estimates suggest; researchers emphasized greater use of urine testing and kidney function screening in at-risk individuals.
Good news: treatment options are improving! Newer medications, including SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1–based therapies, and nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, can help protect kidney function and reduce cardiovascular risk in appropriate patients.
However, prevention definitely remains much better than treatment, so it’s as well to get ahead of things and check out our “related” link below to learn now:
Read in full: A silent kidney crisis is spreading far faster than experts expected
Related: Are your Kidneys Ok? Detect Early To Protect Kidney Health (Here’s How)
When industry has beef with scientists
Researchers (Dr. Katherine Sievert et al.) researchers reviewed 500 nutrition studies published between 2014 and 2023 that examined links between meat consumption and health outcomes, then compared study conclusions with declared funding sources, author affiliations, and conflicts of interest.
In few words: a lot of those 500 studies had some form of meat-industry involvement (i.e: the meat industry paid for those studies, in part or in full), and these studies were 16x more likely to conclude that meat was harmless, beneficial, or health-promoting than studies without such ties to the meat industry.
So, in other words: when encountering headlines claiming that meat is healthy, it is worth checking who funded the study, whether authors disclosed financial relationships, and whether the findings align with the broader body of independent evidence.
Read in full: How ‘big meat’ shapes science to give steak a healthy glow up
Related: What Health Difference Does Pasture-Raised Beef Actually Make?
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
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Do You Know These 10 Common Ovarian Cancer Symptoms?
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It’s better to know in advance:
Things you may need to know
The symptoms listed in the video are:
- Abdominal bloating: persistent bloating due to fluid buildup, often mistaken for overeating or weight gain.
- Pelvic or abdominal pain: continuous pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis, unrelated to menstruation.
- Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly: loss of appetite or feeling full after eating only a small amount.
- Urgent or frequent urination: increased need to urinate due to tumor pressure on the bladder.
- Unexplained weight loss: sudden weight loss without changes in diet or exercise (this goes for cancer in general, of course).
- Fatigue: extreme tiredness that doesn’t improve with rest, possibly linked to anemia.
- Back pain: persistent lower back pain due to tumor pressure or fluid buildup.
- Changes in bowel habits: unexplained constipation, diarrhea, or a feeling of incomplete bowel movements.
- Menstrual changes: irregular, heavier, lighter, or missed periods in premenopausal women.
- Pain during intercourse: discomfort or deep pelvic pain during or after vaginal sex—often overlooked!
Of course, some of those things can be caused by many things, but it’s worth getting it checked out, especially if you have a cluster of them together. Even if it’s not ovarian cancer (and hopefully it won’t be), having multiple things from this list certainly means that “something wrong is not right” in any case.
For those who remember better from videos than what you read, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like to read:
Take care
Don’t Forget…
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Give Your Adrenal Glands A Chance
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The Hats Of Wrath
Your adrenal glands are two little hat-shaped glands that sit on top of your kidneys (like your kidneys are wearing them as hats, in fact).
They produce adrenaline, as you might have guessed, and also cortisol and aldosterone, which you might or might not have known, as well as some miscellaneous corticosteroids that are beyond the scope of today’s article.
Fun fact! For a long time, doctors thought adrenal glands were much larger than they usually are, because of learning anatomy from corpses that were dissected, but invariably the corpses were those of poor people, especially criminals, whose adrenal glands were almost always overworked and swollen.
You don’t want yours to be like that.
What goes wrong
Assuming you don’t have a rare disorder like Addison’s disease (in which the adrenal glands don’t produce enough of the hormones they’re supposed to), your adrenal glands will usually not have trouble producing enough adrenaline et al.
However, as we learned from the Victorian vagabonds, they can also have no problems producing too much—much like any organ that gets overworked, however, this has consequences.
Hopefully you’re not living a life of stressful crime on the streets, but maybe you have other reasons your adrenal glands are working overtime, such as any source of chronic stress, bad sleep (can’t recharge without this downtime), overuse of stimulants (including caffeine and/or nicotine), and, counterintuitively, alcohol. All these things can tax the adrenal glands considerably.
When this happens, in the extreme we can get Cushing’s syndrome, characterized by the symptoms: hypertension, cortisol-based fat distribution i.e. especially face and abdomen, weakness, fragile easily irritable skin, hair loss and/or hirsutism, paradoxically, and of course general fatigue.
In the non-extreme, we get all the same symptoms just to a lower level, and experience what the medical profession is begging us not to call “Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome” because that’s not an official diagnosis, whereas if it gets a name then they’ll be expected to treat it.
What keeps things going right
Obviously, the opposite of the above, for a start. Which means:
Manage chronic stress; see: How To Manage Chronic Stress
Get good sleep; see: Why You Probably Need More Sleep
Go easy on the caffeine; see: Caffeine Mythbusting
Skip the nicotine; see: Nicotine Benefits (That We Don’t Recommend)!
Avoid alcohol; see: How To Reduce Or Quit Alcohol
There are specific vitamins and minerals that support adrenal health too; they are: vitamins B5, B6, B12, C, & D, and also magnesium and zinc.
Good dietary sources of the above include green leafy things, cruciferous vegetables*, nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oil, and if you eat fish, then also fatty fish.
In contrast, it is good to cut down (or avoid entirely) red meat and unfermented dairy.
*Unsure how to get cruciferous vegetables in more often? Try today’s featured recipe, superfood broccoli pesto
Want to know more?
A large part of adrenal health is about keeping cortisol levels down generally (except: for most of us, we can have a little hormesis, as a treat), so for the rest of that you might like to read:
Lower Your Cortisol! (Here’s Why & How)
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!
Learn to Age Gracefully
Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:
