Take These 6 Steps to Reduce Your Stroke Risk

A stroke is caused by a partial or total interruption of the blood supply to your brain. Although a stroke happens in your brain, it can impair function in many parts of your body: It can cause brain damage, paralysis, an inability to speak, and it may even be fatal.

“A stroke may produce life-changing consequences. It may impair your ability to function so severely that you become incapable of caring for yourself, which is why stroke is a leading cause of nursing home admissions,” says Dana Leifer, MD, a neurologist at Weill Cornell Medicine. “That’s why it is very important to take preventive action by addressing any stroke risk factors you have. Control of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes can significantly reduce the risk of stroke. Proper treatment of atrial fibrillation is also very important And if you smoke, it is essential to stop smoking.”

Risk Factors

Common risk factors for stroke include:

• Eating an unhealthy diet
• Getting little or no exercise
• Having atrial fibrillation or any type of cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery or heart disease and peripheral artery disease
• Having high blood pressure
• Having high total and/or LDL cholesterol
• Having diabetes
• Being overweight Smoking tobacco.

Preventive Strategies

Making healthy lifestyle choices, addressing conditions that affect your cardiovascular health, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking will significantly lower your risk of stroke.

➊ Choose a healthy eating pattern.

A Mediterranean-style diet, which contains plenty of whole, plant-based foods such as legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts, has been shown to lower stroke risk. Another key feature of a Mediterranean-style diet is that olive oil is the primary fat used for cooking. The typical “Western” diet, which is high in red and processed meats, sweets, fried and fast foods, and highly processed foods, is linked with a higher stroke risk. For more details, see What You Can Do.

➋ Get and stay physically active.

Women who are sedentary (get no exercise) have a 25 to 30 percent higher risk of stroke than physically active women. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week. If you can’t get that much in, do whatever you can; even five or 10 minutes will provide some benefit.

Do activities that you enjoy; you’re much more likely to stick with an exercise regimen if you’re doing something you like. Any activity that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up will be beneficial. Aerobic activities include brisk walking, bicycling, jogging, dancing, swimming, rowing, and using an elliptical machine.

➌ Get treatment for atrial fibrillation (A-fib) and any other cardiovascular conditions.

Having A-fib, an irregular heart rhythm, can increase the risk of stroke by more than 400 percent. If you have A-fib, follow your cardiologist’s instructions. The same recommendation applies if you have any type of heart or vascular disease and/or you’ve previously had a heart attack or a transient ischemic attack (a mini-stroke). Even if you are taking medication, exercise, healthy eating, and quitting smoking if you smoke will be part of your treatment program.

➍ Control blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose.

Following a heart-healthy eating pattern and getting regular physical activity will help you lower your blood pressure, your total and LDL cholesterol, and your blood glucose level. Many people will also require medication to get their numbers to healthy levels.

If you are prescribed medication, take it exactly as recommended. If you have problematic side effects, report them to your doctor and discuss other possible options, but don’t just stop your medication. Also make sure to attend regular follow-up visits with your doctor so he or she can monitor your progress.

If you cannot afford your medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist; samples or coupons may be available. Some medications are provided free or at low cost by the pharmaceutical companies.

➎ Shed some pounds if you are overweight or obese.

If you’ve repeatedly tried and failed to lose weight on your own, ask your doctor for a referral to a registered dietitian nutritionist who specializes in weight loss. Medicare and some insurance companies now cover obesity treatment, which may include nutrition education, tools and strategies for changing the way you eat, and/or weight-loss medications.

➏ If you smoke, quit.

Even if you’ve been smoking for decades, quitting cigarettes now will still provide significant health benefits. Ask your doctor for a referral to a smoking cessation program, and go to https://smokefree.gov to access free programs that can help you quit. Taking these steps may be challenging, but it’s nothing compared to the difficulties a stroke will cause. When you’re ordering broiled fish instead of a T-bone, taking your medication, or putting on your walking shoes, remind yourself that you are reducing your chances of having long-term disabilities, and you may even be saving your own life.

Know the Symptoms of Stroke

Signs that indicate a possible stroke include sudden onset of weakness, tingling, or numbness on one side of the body; blurred or double vision or loss of vision in one or both eyes; slurred or garbled speech, or trouble understanding someone else’s speech; loss of balance or difficulty walking; drooping or numbness on one side of your face; or sudden severe headache or dizziness.

“If you have any of these symptoms, get to an emergency room as quickly as possible,” urges Dr. Leifer. Don’t drive yourself, and call 911 immediately; the faster you get treatment, the better your chances are of avoiding permanent loss of function.

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