Prevention is always better than cure. Our group researches the causes of stroke and how to improve prevention. Our past research informs us that hypertensive patients with large fluctuations in blood pressure are at higher risk of stroke and have a poorer prognosis if stroke occurs.
We have shown that various diets, in particular the Mediterranean diet, as well as foods rich in isoflavones and garlic help protect against stroke.
Our group has also shown that diastolic blood pressure may be an under-estimated risk factor for occurrence of stroke and cognitive disorders at older age.
Compared with Caucasians, Chinese have a higher burden of cerebral small vessel disease (an important cause of stroke and dementia) and much of our current research focuses on understanding the reasons behind this observation as well as the treatment implications for cerebral small vessel disease.