Reduce Your Risk of Stroke Now

117452793

In the U.S., one person dies from stroke every four minutes and it is the 5th leading cause of death.(1) Nearly 800,000 Americans have had a stroke.(2) That means that you probably know someone who has had one. As you start to think about those you know who have been affected, start thinking about yourself. Am I at risk? How do I decrease my risk of stroke? Do I even know how to the warning signs to detect a stroke? The truth is, there is a chance you are at risk and don’t even know it. Despite what seems like having the deck stacked against you, there is good news: Up to 80% of strokes can be prevented. (2)

What is a stroke?

Let’s begin to reduce our risk by first understanding what a stroke actually is. In a few words a stroke is a brain attack that occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. There are many different types of stroke: Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), Emobolic and Thrombotic Ischemic Strokes, Hemorrhagic Stroke, Intracerebral Hemorrhage and Subarchnoid Hemorrhage.

What are the warning signs of a stroke?

The key is to Act FAST. This acronym used by the National Stroke Association helps you remember the most common signs of stroke.

Face. Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

Arms. Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Speech. Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?

Time. If you observe any of these signs, call 911 immediately.

How do I know if I’m at risk?

First, let’s look at the risk factors. Some can’t be changed and those include:

Heredity: If you have a parent, grandparent or sibling that has had a stroke, your chances increase

Age: After 55, your chances double each decade

Race: African- Americans are at higher risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, increasing their chances of stroke

Gender: Nearly 55,000 more women than men have strokes because women live longer and therefore risks increase as they age

Here are some risk factors that may be changed by managing or treating these conditions:

High Blood Pressure: This is the number 1 cause of stroke and is the most important factor to control.

What is blood pressure? Blood is carried from the heart to the rest of your body in vessels called arteries. Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries and reads using two numbers- systole and diastole. A blood pressure reading below 120/80 is normal and blood pressure reading of 140/90 or above is considered high, also called hypertension.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases a person’s stroke risk by 4 to 6 times (3)

Heart Disease: Conditions like atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease can cause blood clots that can block vessels in or leading to the brain

High Cholesterol: Too much cholesterol can clog arteries

Now that we know our risks, we can look closer at how we might be able to reduce some of them. There are many ways to decrease your risk of stroke, most importantly by improving your cardiovascular health. Here are a four ways to reduce your risk of stroke.

Exercise: Physical activity can help you lose weight which can in turn help lower blood pressure, control diabetes and help lower cholesterol. You can improve your overall health by trying to be active for 30 minutes per day on most days of the week. You can do something that increases your heart rate for a block of 30 minutes or if your schedule doesn’t permit that, trying to blocks of 15 minutes or 3 blocks of 10.

Eat well: Eat fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. Eat foods high in fiber and limit salt. Cholesterol is a fatty substance in blood that is made in the body but also found in food. Watch your saturated and trans fat- these fats block arteries with their plaque.

Stop smoking: Smoking accelerates clot formation, thickens blood and increases the amount of plaque buildup in the arteries.

Limit alcohol intake: Drinking too much can increase your blood pressure, therefore increasing your risk of stroke.

It can be very daunting to make changes so small steps are encouraged. Maybe you try one change at a time so that it becomes habit. So, how can we help? Do you know what a healthy weight is for you? How do you get there? Do you know what exercises are best? Let us help you be successful at helping to reduce your risk of stroke.