Preventing Stroke: Healthy Habits and Controlling Medical Conditions

Many strokes can be prevented through healthy habits and by working with your health care team to control the conditions that raise your risk.

Healthy habits

• Eat well. Choose healthy meals and snacks with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol and high in fibre help prevent high cholesterol, and cutting down on salt (sodium) can lower blood pressure; high cholesterol and high blood pressure both raise the risk of stroke. More on nutrition.
• Keep a healthy weight. Overweight and obesity raise the risk of stroke. Doctors often use your body mass index (BMI), which you can work out with CDC's calculator, and sometimes waist and hip measurements.
• Be active. Activity helps keep weight, cholesterol and blood pressure down. The Surgeon General recommends that adults get 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, every week, and that children and teenagers get 1 hour of activity every day.
• Don't smoke. Smoking greatly raises the risk of stroke, and quitting lowers it; your doctor can suggest ways to quit. More on tobacco.
• Limit alcohol, which can raise blood pressure: no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women. More on alcohol.

Two campaigns offer ideas: Start Small. Live Big., for adults 55 and older getting back on track with small steps such as booking check-ups, moving more and eating well; and Live to the Beat, which encourages Black adults to live heart-healthy lives in their own way, with tips on getting active and finding the right doctor.

Control your medical conditions

If you have heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, you can lower your risk of stroke:

• Cholesterol. Your doctor should test your cholesterol at least once every 5 years. If it is high, medicine and lifestyle changes can help.
• Blood pressure. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, so have it checked regularly, at home, at a doctor's office or at a pharmacy. Treatment may mean medicine, lifestyle changes or eating less sodium.
• Diabetes. If your doctor suspects diabetes, get tested; if you have it, check your blood sugar regularly and ask about treatment, such as more activity and healthier food.
• Heart disease. Conditions such as coronary artery disease or atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) may need medicine or surgery; treating them helps prevent stroke.
• Medicines. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully, ask when something is unclear, and never stop a medicine without first talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

Go over your treatment plan with your health care team regularly and bring questions to appointments. If you have already had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), your team will work with you to prevent another, with medicine or surgery and lifestyle changes.

More

• CDC: WISEWOMAN; Million Hearts: ABCS of heart health
• Food and Drug Administration: why you need to take your medicines as prescribed
• Department of Agriculture: dietary guidance

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Preventing Stroke." https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/prevention/index.html
• A stock photograph is not reproduced here.