Strokes and Brain Hemorrhages About 20 years ago, Dr. Michal Kovac began to notice a pattern in the rates of strokes and brain hemorrhages in Nove Zamky, a small town in southwest Slovakia. After a few years of research he realized that more strokes were recorded during periods of solar flares when enormous bursts of gas from the sun disrupt radio waves on earth. What is it about solar flares that may prompt an uptick in strokes? "We don't know exactly what explains the connection," Dr. Kovac told Reuters Health. But he notes that other studies have confirmed that certain functions of the human body are affected by solar flares. Dr. Kovac's research, which recently appeared in the Bratislava Medical Journal, examined the medical records of more than 6,000 patients. His findings also show that fewer strokes and brain hemorrhages occur when the moon is at apogee (the farthest point from earth in the moon's elliptical orbit). Solar flares last peaked in 2000, and will begin to peak again around 2011. That means we have about four years to exercise and avoid junk food in order to help make our bodies stroke resistant. For a look at some of the nutrients that have been shown to help prevent stroke, see the e-Alert "Second Wind" (11/29/05). http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200511/ea20051129.html "Slovak Doctor Says Solar Flares Could Raise Strokes" Matt Reynolds, Reuters Health, 5/22/06, reutershealth.com | 
