Lowering Your Risk for Stroke
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demographic factors such as family history, age, sex, and
race/ethnicity can all play a role in an individual's stroke risk.
Regardless of your background, however, there are several things you can
do to lower your chances of having a stroke.
- Appropriate Aspirin therapy
- Ask your doctor if taking aspirin is right for you.
- Blood pressure control
- Keeping your blood pressure under control reduces your risk of
heart attack and stroke. More than half of the world's stroke deaths
are caused by elevated blood pressure levels.
- Cholesterol management
- Get your cholesterol checked regularly and manage it with diet and physical activity or with medication, if needed.
- Smoking cessation
- Get help at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat a healthy diet that's low in sodium.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Prevent or control diabetes.
- Limit your alcohol intake (fewer than two drinks per day for men, or one drink per day for women).
To learn more about recognizing the signs of a stroke, the side effects of a stroke, or access to podcasts and publications related to strokes, please view to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's highly informative
Stroke Awareness page.
