Steps To Reduce Stroke Risk

Did you know that over 80% of strokes are preventable? 

While there are some risk factors you can’t control, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk. Regular health checkups can help identify and manage important risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, helping you to make changes that lower your chances of having a stroke.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is the single most important treatable risk factor for stroke. Preventing, diagnosing, and controlling it through lifestyle changes and medicine is critical to reducing strokes. Constant high blood pressure can strain the heart and damage blood vessels, the tubes that carry blood around your body.  

Talk to your doctor, get your blood pressure measured regularly, and check it at home, if possible. If you have uncontrolled hypertension, experts can help determine the source of the problem.

“While there are many medications available and lifestyle modifications one can make, it’s also possible that an undiagnosed medical condition such as sleep apnea or a hormonal disorder may be contributing to the rise in blood pressure,” commented Jennifer Cluett, MD, Clinical Director of the BIDMC Hypertension Center and the Complex Hypertension Clinic.

Diabetes

Over time, consistently high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control one’s heart. Excess blood sugar can make blood vessels hard and cause them to narrow, reducing the supply of blood and oxygen to your body. 

For adults living with diabetes, it’s possible to manage the condition and have a healthy heart. Lifestyle changes are also key in managing diabetes effectively, including:

• Stopping the use of all tobacco products
• Eating a heart-healthy diet
• Managing stress & exercising regularly

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a wax substance made by the liver and found in certain foods. If we eat more cholesterol than the body can use, the excess can build up, making it hard for blood to flow through the arteries. When an artery gets blocked, it can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

“The first step to managing cholesterol is to get tested and know your numbers. The next step is to talk with your physician to design a strategy to help you reach your personal cholesterol goals,” said Mark D. Benson, MD, PhD, Director of the Lipid Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Clinic at BIDMC.

Everyday Impacts

It can be challenging to make lifestyle changes, especially when it’s unclear how surviving a stroke might impact your life. “Stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain is damaged, causing problems depending on which part of the brain is affected. While some effects are well known, such as one-sided weakness or speech difficulties, others, such as swallowing difficulties, are less well known. Some patients express frustration at missing out on mealtime experiences,” said BIDMC Neurologist Anusha Nallaparaju, MD.

Recovery from a stroke can be a long process, but neurologists can help plan a comprehensive rehabilitation program that may include physical, occupational, and speech therapy. “After a stroke, we assess for individual risk factors, and often patients are eager to make changes to prevent another stroke – but we also want to help patients before they get to us in the first place,” added Dr. Nallaparaju.

Learn more about the Comprehensive Stroke Center at BIDMC.