President Kennedy's adviser Theodore C. Sorensen dies

Theodore C. Sorensen, who served as a close adviser and counselor to John F. Kennedy for 11 years, died Sunday in New York. He was 82.

Sorensen died reportedly from complications of a stroke he suffered a week ago, the New York Times cited Sorensen's wife, Gillian saying.

Sorensen suffered another stroke early in 2001, which took much of his eyesight, NYtimes reports.

A stroke is a cerebrovascular accident, which results in rapid loss of brain functions due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain, according to wikipedia.  

The disruption of blood supply can be caused by either vascular blockage (ischemic stroke or leakage of blood (hemorrhagic stroke). When a stroke occurs, brain cells begin to die within minutes.

Symptoms of stroke include sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech, sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, and sudden severe headache with no known cause, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Although it is inevitable for elderly people to have this or that type of disease or health condition like stroke, some dietary habits may help reduce the risk.  In 2010 alone, thousands of research papers on diet and stroke risk were published.

A study led by W.Y. Yau and Graeme J. Hankey at the University of Western Australia and published this year in Journal of Clinical Neuroscience found a couple of dietary and lifestyle behaviours may have a great impact on the risk of stroke.

The researchers compared 48 patients with acute stroke and 47 controls and found increased wast-to-hip ratio, periodontal disease and acute febrile illness were associated with 300 percent, 540 percent, and 1300 percent increased risk of ischemic stroke, respectively,  while Mediterranean diet and physical activity during leisure time were associated with 90 percent and 80 percent reduced risk respectively.