Eighty percent of all strokes are preventable, according to the National Stroke Association. And when it comes to preventing a stroke, the necessary steps are probably healthy lifestyle suggestions you’ve heard before.
Let’s take a closer look at exactly how making just five changes can help you. By knowing exactly how your efforts can protect you from strokes – which affect 700,000 Americans each year – you may be more inspired to take action.
1. Don’t smoke. If you smoke, quitting is one of the most important things you can do to decrease your chances of a stroke. Puffing on tobacco sets the stage for a stroke in many ways. It’s linked to accumulation of plaque in your carotid arteries, which supply blood to your brain – and blockage in these arteries is the leading cause of stroke. The nicotine in the tobacco raises your blood pressure. The carbon monoxide from smoking lowers the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry to your brain. And smoking makes your blood more likely to clot, and blood clots in an artery that supplies blood to your brain can trigger a stroke.
If you smoke, talk to your doctor about medications and programs that can help you stop.
2. Trim down. Being overweight is associated with many factors that raise your risk of a stroke. You’re more likely to have high blood pressure (see the sidebar on this page for more info). You’re more likely to have high cholesterol, which is an ingredient in plaque in your arteries. And you’re more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Doctors typically determine whether patients are too heavy by their body mass index (BMI), which uses a formula combining your height and weight. Ideally, your BMI should be less than 25. You can easily calculate your BMI online by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/index.htm.
3. Get moving. If you don’t do much physical activity, you also have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Even if you’re at a healthy weight, it’s still important to exercise regularly. If you’re overweight, more activity will help you shed the extra pounds.
Go for at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days. If you can’t do it all at once, it’s OK to break up your activity into smaller chunks.
4. Prevent or control diabetes. Diabetes can damage the blood vessels in your brain and elsewhere in your body; most people with diabetes die of some form of cardiovascular disease. If you already have diabetes, maintaining good blood sugar control through weight loss, physical activity, and possibly taking medications can help reduce your risk of stroke.
If you don’t have diabetes, regular physical activity and keeping a healthy weight will help you avoid it.
5. Eat a good diet. Loading up your plate with fruits, vegetables and grains, and cutting down on foods high in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat, is also an important component in a stroke-preventing lifestyle. Sources of fat to avoid include fatty meats, full-fat dairy, and baked snack foods containing partially hydrogenated oils. Keep your consumption of sodium below 2,400 milligrams a day, which is equal to about one teaspoon of salt. This daily amount includes all salt and sodium in your foods, not just salt you add.
This type of diet will help you maintain a healthier blood pressure and lower cholesterol.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Stroke Association, National Stroke Association, National Institutes of Health
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