Stroke, emergency care

How to reduce your risk of a stroke

Every year, 700,000 Americans have a stroke.

Source:
American Heart Association.
Heart disease and stroke statistics: 2007 update.
Circulation. 2007; 115: 69-171. Also available at http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.179918 (accessed on 13 August 2008).

¹ But the good news is that there are many things you can do to reduce your chance of having a stroke, or having another stroke if you've had one before.

Here's a checklist of things you can do to help yourself.

Source:
Tegos TJ, Kalodiki E, Daskalopoulou SS, et al.
Stroke: epidemiology, clinical picture, and risk factors (part I of III).
Angiology. 2000; 51: 793-808.

Source:
Goldstein LB, Adams R, Becker K, et al.
Primary prevention of ischemic stroke: a statement for healthcare professionals from the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association.
Circulation. 2001; 103: 163-182.

Source:
American Stroke Association.
Fact sheet: Let's talk about risk factors for stroke.
Available at http://www.americanheart.org (accessed 15 August 2008).

⁴ These guidelines are especially important if members of your family have had a stroke, because this can increase your risk of having one.

Have regular blood pressure checks

Get your

blood pressure
Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted by the blood on the walls of the vessels that carry it. You can think of it like the water pressure in your home: the more pressure you have, the faster and more forcefully the water flows out of the shower. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (written as mm Hg). When your blood pressure is taken, the measurement is given as two numbers, for example 120/80 mm Hg. The first, higher, number is called the systolic pressure, and the second, lower, number is the diastolic pressure. The systolic number is the highest pressure that occurs while the heart is pushing blood into the arteries. The diastolic number is the lowest pressure that happens when the heart is relaxing and is not pushing the blood.

blood pressure checked regularly, especially as you get older. Keeping an eye on your blood pressure reduces your risk of having a stroke.

High blood pressure damages blood vessels and makes you more prone to hardening of the arteries (

atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is also called "hardening of the arteries." It happens when fatty material attaches to the inner wall of the arteries. Over time, cholesterol, fats and other blood components stick to the same area and the artery wall becomes thick and narrow, making it progressively more difficult for blood to flow through the affected vessels.

atherosclerosis). When you have atherosclerosis, fatty deposits build up in your blood vessels, providing the right conditions for clots to develop and for you to have an ischemic stroke (when a blood clot stops blood from reaching your brain).

To learn more, see our information on High blood pressure.

Don't smoke

Don't smoke. Smoking damages your blood vessels and makes a stroke more likely.

If you take the birth-control pill, it's especially important that you don't smoke, because this combination can increase your blood pressure and make your blood more likely to clot. This increases your risk of a stroke.

Watch your cholesterol levels

Keep the levels of fat in your blood under control. Fat-like substances in your blood are called lipids. Two common lipids are

cholesterol
Cholesterol is made by your liver or absorbed from food. It is used by your body to make bile acids (which help your intestines absorb nutrients) and steroid hormones (like testosterone or estrogen). Cholesterol is also an important part of cell membranes, which are the structures that surround cells. "Good cholesterol" is called HDL; "bad cholesterol" is LDL.

cholesterol and triglycerides. High levels of these fats increase your risk of having an ischemic stroke because the extra fat builds up in your blood vessels, making it easier for clots to form.

But if you can reduce your lipid levels, even if they are already normal, you can reduce your risk of having a stroke. This can be done by changing your diet. If you have high levels of cholesterol, you may need to take cholesterol lowering drugs. To learn more, see our information on High cholesterol.

Watch your weight

Being overweight can push your blood pressure up. Your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body and can become strained. Try to keep your weight in the range that's recommended for your height. To find out if you are overweight, you can work out your body mass index (BMI). If you are a healthy weight, your BMI should be between 18 and 25. You can use our calculator to work out your own BMI.

Keep active

Exercising can help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. Both are risk factors for a stroke. Exercise helps by making your heart stronger and fitter. Don't forget that your heart is a muscle; when it's in good shape it can pump more blood around your body with each beat and cope with any extra stress.

Watch what you eat

A diet that is low in fat and contains five servings of fruit and vegetables per day can help keep harmful cholesterol under control.

Drink only moderate amounts of alcohol

Drinking more than two drinks per day for men and more than one drink per day for women raises blood pressure. One drink means a 12-ounce glass of beer, a five-ounce glass of wine or one-and-a-half ounces of spirits (such as whiskey or gin).

Source:
American Stroke Association.
Fact sheet: Let's talk about risk factors for stroke.
Available at http://www.americanheart.org (accessed 15 August 2008).

⁴

Sources for the information on this page:

American Heart Association.Heart disease and stroke statistics: 2007 update.Circulation. 2007; 115: 69-171. Also available at http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.179918 (accessed on 13 August 2008).

Tegos TJ, Kalodiki E, Daskalopoulou SS, et al.Stroke: epidemiology, clinical picture, and risk factors (part I of III).Angiology. 2000; 51: 793-808.

Goldstein LB, Adams R, Becker K, et al.Primary prevention of ischemic stroke: a statement for healthcare professionals from the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2001; 103: 163-182.

American Stroke Association.Fact sheet: Let's talk about risk factors for stroke.Available at http://www.americanheart.org (accessed 15 August 2008).

This information was last updated on Sep 01, 2008

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