What can I do to prevent a stroke?

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 05 Jan 2004 - 0:00 PST


Source - Canadian Health Network


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

RISK FACTORS YOU CAN'T CONTROL

Age -Your chances of having a stroke go up as you get older. Two thirds of strokes occur among people over 65.

Gender - Men have a slightly higher stroke risk than women. Yet more women than men die from stroke, because they tend to live longer than men.

Ethnic origin - Black Canadians have a higher risk of stroke, since they more often have high blood pressure. People of Asian descent are at higher risk of dying of stroke.

Family history - Your risk is higher if your immediate family members (grandparents, parents or siblings) have had a stroke before they were 65.

RISK FACTORS YOU CAN CONTROL

- High blood pressure (Hypertension)

High blood pressure is the single most important risk factor you can do something about. Here are some tips:

Have your blood pressure checked by your doctor. Write down your blood pressure numbers in case you need them in future.

Reduce the amount of salt in your diet.

Increase your level of physical activity.

Take any medication as your doctor prescribes.

- Smoking

Smokers have double the stroke risk of non-smokers. But if you quit now, your stroke risk will drop a great deal within two years. Within five years, your risk will be the same as someone who never smoked. Smoking is especially dangerous for women over 30 who also take birth control pills.

- High blood cholesterol

The link with stroke isn't as clear as it is with heart attacks. Still, researchers believe that high blood cholesterol can play a part in blocking the arteries leading to the brain. To control your blood cholesterol:

Have it checked as your doctor advises.

Lower the amount of fat in your diet.

Increase your physical activity.

- Diabetes

About 5 of every 100 people is affected by diabetes. People with diabetes have a higher risk of heart disease, but you can reduce this risk:

Use your insulin (or oral drug) to keep your blood sugar level under control.

Manage your diet carefully.

Be physically active regularly.

- Atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a form of rapid heartbeat. It can increase the risk of blood clots to the brain. If you are on medication, be sure to take it as prescribed to keep your heartbeat normal.

- Alcohol

Drinking in moderation doesn't appear to affect your risk of stroke. But drinking too much can, so control how much alcohol you drink.

Healthy adults should limit how much they drink to 2 drinks or less per day. Also, they shouldn't go over 14 standard size drinks per week for men, and 9 standard drinks per week for women.

A standard drink is roughly:

350 ml/12 oz of beer
150 ml/5 oz of wine
50 ml/1.5 oz of spirits

- Your weight

Losing excess fat will help control other stroke risk factors listed above. The best way is to combine healthy eating with regular, moderate physical activity.

- Eating habits

A healthy balanced diet will help control other stroke risk factors listed above. Aim for a high fibre, low fat diet with no more than 30% of your calories coming from fat (just under one third). This will also help prevent hardening of the arteries and high blood cholesterol.

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