October 29th is World Stroke Day. Stroke, commonly known as "apoplexy," is an acute cerebrovascular disease. It refers to a group of conditions caused by sudden rupture of cerebral blood vessels or obstruction of blood vessels, leading to the inability of blood to flow into the brain and resulting in brain tissue damage. It is typically classified into two major types: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Stroke is characterized by the "five highs" of high incidence rate, high disability rate, high mortality rate, high recurrence rate, and high economic burden, making it a killer that endangers human health.
On October 27th, as the 20th World Stroke Day approached, the reporter visited Hainan Chengmei Hospital to conduct an exclusive interview with Professor Dai Wenxin, Director of the Multidisciplinary Diagnosis and Treatment Center for Geriatrics at the hospital. The purpose of the interview was to gain insights into stroke health knowledge, enhance health awareness, and ensure that strokes in daily work and life are no longer caught off guard.
From the perspective of Bigu (gain freedom from hunger by learning high-level health care knowledge), talking about stroke: do not blindly stop medication during light fasting
"Stroke has always been a cliché. Today, I'd like to elaborate on the interview topic by combining it with the real situation of a recent case of a patient who practices Bigu (a traditional Chinese health preservation method) around me. I hope it can help more people." When being interviewed, Professor Dai Wenxin came straight to the point.
Mr. Liu, a patient in his forties, recently went to Mount Wuyi in Fujian Province with many friends for a three-week fast from food and water. During this period, Mr. Liu exhibited some clinical manifestations of transient ischemic stroke, speaking in a slurred and unclear manner, but he quickly improved and did not pay much attention to it. About a week later, Mr. Liu once again experienced symptoms such as walking imbalance and disordered speech. In a panic, he called Professor Dai. Based on the patient's verbal description of symptoms, Professor Dai indicated a potential risk of extensive cerebral stroke and urgently advised him to take medication and seek medical attention as soon as possible. However, the patient stated that he could not take any medication during the fast, even if he had underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease! With Professor Dai's repeated suggestions and warnings, the patient was eventually sent to the nearest hospital for treatment by his teammates, avoiding a tragedy.
Dai Wenxin told reporters that the principle behind Bigu (a traditional Chinese health practice) is based on fasting therapy. Proper and short-term light fasting with a low-carbohydrate diet is beneficial for controlling blood sugar, losing weight, and managing conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia. However, it should not be overdone, as it may increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. A recent study has shown that prolonged fasting may increase the incidence rate of heart disease to over 80%. Therefore, Bigu enthusiasts with underlying conditions, especially those with severe liver and kidney dysfunction, must choose carefully. Secondly, essential medications cannot be discontinued during light fasting.
Ischemic stroke: The optimal rescue time is within 3 hours
"For stroke patients, time is life." It is crucial to race against time when treating stroke patients. The optimal rescue time for ischemic stroke is within 3 hours, and 4.5 hours is the effective rescue limit for stroke. Within this time frame, 42% of patients can recover their work and self-care abilities through thrombolytic therapy. If the treatment is delayed, especially after 6 hours, nerve cells in the patient will undergo necrosis, causing irreversible neurological damage. For hemorrhagic stroke, time is life. The earlier treatment is given, the higher the success rate and the better the outcome.
To stay away from stroke and reduce the incidence rate, it is necessary to manage lifestyle well.
Stroke poses a serious threat to human life and health. The treatment of stroke after its occurrence has always been a difficult problem in the medical field. Preventive treatment is the best method to deal with stroke, which means preventing it before it occurs. In terms of lifestyle habits, one should avoid high-salt, high-fat, high-sugar, and greasy diets, refrain from smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and increase physical exercise. Maintain a reasonable dietary structure, adopt healthy cooking methods, maintain a good psychological state, avoid excessive stress, and manage various physical indicators to prevent exceeding standards.
How to quickly identify if a family member has suffered a stroke? Dai Wenxin concisely summarized it in three easy-to-understand actions to perform upon waking up in the morning. First, greet and observe whether there is any difficulty in language expression. Second, offer a helping hand and observe the movement of the limbs. Third, accompany the person to walk and observe the coordination of walking posture. These three aspects can help quickly identify stroke. In daily life, as long as you are careful, even people without medical expertise can do it.
Lacunar cerebral infarction does not require secondary prevention before becoming asymptomatic
In recent years, the trend of younger patients suffering from stroke has become increasingly evident, and tragedies caused by sudden stroke without timely treatment are not uncommon. The risk factors for stroke are divided into two categories: uncontrollable risk factors, including age, race, genetic factors, etc.; and controllable risk factors, including the "six highs and one liver", namely hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia, hyperinsulinemia, high body weight, and fatty liver, as well as atrial fibrillation and unhealthy lifestyle habits.
Should secondary prevention be carried out for asymptomatic lacunar cerebral infarction? Dai Wenxin said that in fact, in 2017, many data on lacunar cerebral infarction had already indicated that administering oral medications to patients with asymptomatic lacunar cerebral infarction might increase the risk of bleeding and provide no benefits. The stroke guidelines published in 2018 specifically mentioned that drug prevention, especially anti-platelet aggregation therapy, should not be carried out for asymptomatic lacunar cerebral infarction.
In 2024, some experts advocated that secondary prevention is not necessary for cerebral lacunar infarction without symptoms. In the first half of 2025, the latest literature published in The Lancet indicated that aspirin is ineffective for non-emaciated individuals, but it is effective for emaciated individuals in terms of anti-vascular coagulation. This suggests that for this group of obese individuals, clopidogrel may be a better choice. Secondly, there is little significance in distinguishing genotypes or metabolotypes through anti-vascular coagulation gene testing. To reduce the burden on patients, there is no need for excessive expenditure.
The pursuit of scientific research is endless. After two years of studying at Zhengzhou University, the doctor chose to go abroad for further studies
"If it weren't for my mother's words, I might have continued working at the People's Hospital of Hainan Province until retirement." After joining the People's Hospital of Hainan Province as a talent introduction, Dai Wenxin quickly obtained a senior professional title and treated countless patients in the front line of clinical work, gaining a small reputation in the industry.
That year, when his mother was diagnosed with malignant tumor, Dai Wenxin confidently took on the role of her attending physician, repeatedly using his superb medical skills to pull her back from the brink of death. During this period, his mother was saved from danger seven times under his treatment. Unfortunately, when his mother fell ill for the eighth time, Dai Wenxin felt the regret of not having enough knowledge at his fingertips, and she could not be saved that time. Before her death, his mother instructed her son, "No matter how skilled you are, there is a limit. Keep learning and persisting in your studies to benefit more patients!"
His mother's words were like a sudden enlightenment, reviving Dai Wenxin's desire to continue his studies.
Dai Wenxin graduated from Xi'an Jiaotong University with a bachelor's degree, and obtained his master's and doctoral degrees from Central South University. He worked at Wuhan Tongji Hospital for 6 years. At this moment, facing the loss of his mother, he seemed to see more people like his mother who long for life and the desire to live.
In 2018, Dai Wenxin wiped away his tears and traveled to Chonbuk National University in South Korea to pursue a doctoral degree again. For him, who had already obtained a doctoral degree in China, this was tantamount to climbing another academic peak. But this time, Dai Wenxin was delving into a higher and more distant field of medicine, and his motivation was not solely driven by the pursuit of a degree.
In South Korea, Dai Wenxin firmly remembered his mentor's teaching that "medicine is a fusion" and obtained a PhD in Medical Engineering with a specialization in Biomedical Fusion. During his postdoctoral stage, he conducted research in the field of colon cancer, further enhancing his professional expertise.
Hainan Chengmei Hospital: a high-end international tertiary hospital
After returning from studying abroad, Dai Wenxin's medical perspective has broadened. In early March 2022, Dai Wenxin, a dual doctoral degree holder, joined Hainan Chengmei Hospital as the executive director of the Multidisciplinary Geriatrics Diagnosis and Treatment Center.
When it comes to Hainan Chengmei Hospital, Dai Wenxin said that what he feels most deeply is that the hospital has given him a bigger, better, and more relaxed stage. Hainan Chengmei Hospital is more advanced in medical equipment, more beautiful in medical environment, and more flexible in system. It truly puts patients at the center. Dai Wenxin admitted that as a doctor who is not good at socializing, he prefers to focus on professional matters, concentrate on knowledge, concentrate on clinical work, and interact more with patients. Secondly, Hainan Chengmei Hospital can truly empathize with patients' urgency and think what patients think. For example, for some rare drugs needed by patients, the hospital adopts a temporary procurement method according to the pharmaceutical procurement process, through formal centralized procurement platforms and other compliant channels, to try its best to meet patients' needs, and strictly implements the affordable prices stipulated by the state.
It is understood that Hainan Chengmei Hospital is adjacent to Hainan Cancer Hospital. The hospital covers a total construction area of 51,191 square meters, with a total investment of over 1 billion yuan, and is equipped with 198 sets of various high-end wards. The hospital adopts the international "3H" hospital service concept (HOSPITAL - professionalization of medical technology, HOTEL - standardization of service like a hotel, HOME - homeliness of environmental space), and is designed, constructed, and operated in accordance with international JCI standards. It gathers high-quality medical and expert resources from both domestic and overseas, and is committed to providing high-end, overseas individuals with one-stop, integrated, personalized, precise, minimally invasive, and high-quality medical and health management services.
Expert Introduction
Dai Wenxin, Chief Physician
Executive Director of the Multidisciplinary Geriatrics Diagnosis and Treatment Center
Professor, doctoral candidate
Postdoctoral researcher, master's supervisor
Medical expertise:
I. Diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other geriatric diseases
II. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases across multiple disciplines, including respiratory system, cardiovascular system, nervous system, and geriatric diseases
III. Genetic diagnosis, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, microenvironment analysis, and integrated precision treatment of tumors
IV. Genetic diagnosis and precision treatment of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, and hyperglycemia
V. New biomedical technologies such as stem cells and gene programming, as well as new technologies like insulin pumps and diabetes reversal
VI. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for treating benign and malignant tumors
VII. Microbial therapy of intestinal flora for chronic diseases and mental and psychological disorders
VIII. Diagnostic and therapeutic techniques under medical endoscopes such as bronchoscope, mediastinoscope, and thoracoscope
IX. Sleep medicine
X. Chronic disease management
Source: Consumption Daily