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Risk Factor Management for Stroke Prevention

Most risk factors for stroke are modifiable. Secondary stroke prevention strategies should include treatment of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and high cholesterol with medications and lifestyle modification. Lifestyle modification after stroke includes adherence to medications, smoking cessation, limiting alcohol intake, maintaining a normal weight, adhering to a healthy diet, and engaging in regular physical activity. These interventions taken together can have a significant effect on reducing recurrent stroke risk.

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Featured

 Saunas May Reduce Stroke Risk

Although the researchers found a strong effect independent of other variables, the study was observational and cannot prove causality. Still, there are plausible reasons saunas might be protective.

 Walking Just 35 Minutes A Day Could Lessen The Severity Of Strokes

Compared to people who don’t exercise much at all, those who engage in light to moderate physical activity, such as walking at least four hours a week or swimming two to three hours a week, may have less severe strokes, based on the findings of a new study.

Articles of Interest

A National Goal: Prevent a Million Heart Attacks and Strokes by 2022

There is already a well-established path to countering cardiovascular disease. All it really requires is the will of individuals and society to follow it.

Preparing the Brain for a Stroke Before It Occurs

With further research, it’s at least possible that doctors could one day use such a treatment on high-risk patients so that their brains are primed with new vessels in case something worse happens down the line.

A New Focus on Aspirin in Preventing Strokes

The drug may play a more important role than previously thought.

A Simple Way To Reduce Stroke Risk: Take Your Pulse

Doctors test for atrial fibrillation by hooking people up to an electrocardiogram machine at the office, or having them wear a Holter monitor for a day or a week. There are also implantable monitors to check for afib, but they aren't widely used. Learning to take your own pulse may be as effective and a lot simpler, according to German researchers.

African American And High-Risk? 4 Ways To Prevent A Deadly Stroke

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S., striking every 40 seconds and claiming a life every four minutes. Contrary to public opinion, strokes are not just an elderly problem, and they certainly are not strictly a male problem. In fact, strokes skew toward women, claiming twice as many lives as breast cancer. One in five women will have a stroke in her lifetime. A closer look at the stroke demographics uncovers even more disconcerting facts about the disease. Regardless of age or gender, strokes impact African Americans more than any other racial population in the U.S. Why?

Brain Basics: Preventing Stroke

Many risk factors for stroke can be managed, some very successfully. Although risk is never zero at any age, by starting early and controlling your risk factors you can lower your risk of death or disability from stroke. With good control, the risk of stroke in most age groups can be kept below that for accidental injury or death.

Can Chocolate Decrease Your Risk Of Stroke?

Maybe life in Sweden is a bit sweeter--and tastes better too. In a recently published study in the journal, Neurology, a cohort of Swedish men (ages 49-75) eating higher amounts of chocolate had a significantly decreased risk of having a stroke, after accounting for other lifestyle variables. The study found that those men who ate the most chocolate had the lowest risk of developing a stroke over the 10 year study period.

Diet for stroke prevention

Diet is an important part of stroke prevention. Reducing sodium intake, avoiding egg yolks, limiting the intake of animal flesh (particularly red meat), and increasing the intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lentils would contribute importantly to reversing the trend to increased cardiovascular risk in China.

Fibrinogen, your stroke predictor

Today's lab "reference" range (which I call "the dead and dying range") for fibrinogen is between 193-423. Most functional or optimal levels are being reported between 200 and 300. Most studies indicate that levels over 300 indicate a higher risk of myocardial infarction, stroke or vascular disease.

How to Prevent a Stroke

Here are some things everyone can do to lower their chances of having a stroke–these things will also lower your risk of having a heart attack...

Primary Prevention of Ischemic Stroke

This guideline provides an overview of the evidence on various established and potential stroke risk factors and provides recommendations for the reduction of stroke risk.

Strategies to Prevent Another Stroke

It is easy to revert back to your old habits and continue to put yourself at a high risk for another stroke or heart attack. Take a few moments, meet with your doctor and start changing the way you live -- it just may save your life.

Stroke - Can We Turn It Around?

Not only is stroke incidence increasing but there is usually no effective treatment. In the meantime controlling the risk factors of high blood pressure, diabetes and weight may help decrease your risk

Want to calculate your risk of heart attack or stroke? This new online tool will help

Ottawa researchers say their new online calculator can give an idea of a person's chance of having a stroke or a heart attack within the next five years.

What can I do to prevent a stroke?

The risk factors for a stroke can be divided into two categories - ones you can't change and ones you can.

Resources

10 Natural Ways to Prevent a Stroke

If you’re like most Americans, you plan your future. When you take a job, you examine its benefit plan. When you buy a home, you consider its location and condition so that your investment is safe. Today, more and more Americans are protecting their most important asset—their brain. Are you?

6 Ways to Lower Your Stroke Risk

Research finds that key lifestyle steps can help prevent this devastating event.

7 things you can do to prevent a stroke

What can you do to prevent stroke? Age makes us more susceptible to having a stroke, as does having a mother, father, or other close relative who has had a stroke. You can't reverse the years or change your family history, but there are many other stroke risk factors that you can control—provided that you're aware of them.

The World Stroke Campaign

We work to improve public awareness and understanding of stroke with a focus on stroke prevention, symptom awareness and the needs of stroke survivors.

CDC

To prevent stroke, focus on improving these four areas...