May is American Stroke Month, Prevention is key.

Risk Factors and Preventive Care for Strokes

 

May is American Stroke Month, with strokes affecting nearly 800,000 people per year, They are the number one cause of serious long-term disability in the U.S. While nearly 3/4 of stroke victims are aged 65 or older, strokes will affect nearly 200,000 people under the age of 65 with effects ranging from minimal to serious disability and even death.

Medical Risk Factors for Stroke

Sometimes you just have to play the hand you’re dealt. There are risk factors for stroke that put some people at greater risk than others. Things like family history, genetics and race can all increase your risk for having a stroke. That’s not to say that there isn’t anything you can do minimize the risks. Here’s a list of medical risk factors for stroke and what you can do about them.

Family history – Families tend to share genes, lifestyles, behaviors and environments. If you have a history of strokes in your family, you maybe at higher risk.

What you can do – Inform your doctor of your family history. Go for regular check-ups and blood work.

 

Blood pressure – Untreated high blood pressure is a serious risk factor for stroke. High blood pressure damages and weakens the arterial walls. When a arterial wall in the brain ruptures the result is a Hemorrhagic Stroke. Without medical treatment, these can be exceedingly dangerous as blood fills the skull and pressure on the brain builds.

What you can do – Monitor your blood pressure regularly. Even slightly elevated blood pressure can increase your risk for stroke. Report any changes to your doctor immediately. If you are on blood pressure medicine, take it as prescribed. Talk to your doctor about any side effects from your medicine as compliance is important and there are a lot of alternatives available.

 

Atrial fibrillation – Also known as Afib, is a quivering or irregular heartbeat that can cause blood clots. If a clot forms and travels to the brain it can block blood flow starving the brain of oxygen, the result is an Ischemic Stroke.

What you can do – Follow your doctors advice, sometimes Afib can be controlled with medication, other times it will require surgery. Maintain a healthy cholesterol level. When cholesterol builds up in the arteries, it causes the arteries to narrow, cutting off blood supplies to the brain. Follow proper diet, exercise, and use cholesterol lowering drugs if prescribed.

 

Age – Your risk of having a stroke increases with age. In fact your chance of a stroke doubles every 10 years after the age of 55.

What you can do – Minimize your risk by making healthy lifestyle choices.

 

Sex – Strokes are more common in women than men, women are also more likely to die from a stroke than men.

What you can do – Talk to your doctor about risk factors, including birth control.

 

Race and Ethnicity – Strokes are more common in the African American and Hispanic populations than in Whites and Asians.

What you can do – Get regular check-ups and follow your doctors advice.

 

Diabetes – People who are diabetic are 2-4 times more likely to suffer a stroke that non-diabetics. As anyone with diabetes knows, it affects circulation and damages the arterial walls. This means that diabetics are much more prone to both stroke and heart disease.

What you can do – Monitor your blood sugar levels closely. Keep your diabetes under control to avoid arterial damage.

 

Sleep apnea – Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition where a person stops breathing several times per night. They often wake themselves up gasping for air. Sleep apnea can damage the heart resulting in Afib. It also causes the release of stress hormones contributing to high blood pressure.

What you can do – Talk to your doctor about getting a sleep study done. If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, the doctor will prescribe a CPAP machine for you to use while you sleep.

 

Lifestyle Risk Factors for Stroke

While medical risk factors are more biologically based, lifestyle risk factors are things we have control over. While technically we have virtually complete control over these risk factors. The truth is that they can be extremely difficult to change and some people will find one or more almost impossible to change. Keep in mind that even if you can only make a few lifestyle changes it will help reduce your risk of stroke. Always strive for progress, not perfection.

Weight – Being overweight has significant health consequences including an increased risk of stroke. Fatty deposits in the blood build up and start narrowing the arteries restricting blood flow. These narrow arteries are also at high risk of becoming blocked by blood clots causing a stroke or heart attack.

What you can do – Maintain a healthy body weight through diet and exercise. It is recommended that the average female consume no more than 2,000 calories per day and the average male no more than 2,500 calories per day. Keep in mind that everyone is different and your needs maybe higher or lower than the average.

 

Diet – Most strokes are caused by blood clots that block arteries to the brain. Maintaining a diet that keeps the arteries open is the first line of defense in the prevention of strokes. Generally your diet should consist of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and lean proteins.

What you should eat:

Vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, tomatoes, squash, Leafy green vegetables, Beans and Peas.

Protein – Chicken, Fish, Turkey, Pork Chops(fat trimmed), Lamb, Eggs, Nuts.

Dairy – All low fat – Cheese, Yogurt, Milk.

Things to avoid:

Fried foods – Chicken, Potatoes, Pork

Foods high in sodium – Canned soups, Potato chips, French fries, Cold cuts and cured meats, Bacon, frankfurters, and sausages.

Foods high in saturated fats – Lard, Butter, Cream. Mayonnaise, Marbled meats.

Foods high in sugar and starches – Cakes, Candy, Breads, Pasta, Cookies.

 

Inactivity – Being physical activity strengthens the heart, lungs and circulatory system preventing many chronic diseases including heart disease and stroke. Before starting any new exercise program, always check with your doctor to make sure that the exercise is appropriate for you.

What you can do – Start an exercise program that is right for you. Make sure to pick something you enjoy doing to make it easier to stick with, walking, biking, water aerobics are all good options. Recruit a friend to go with you, sharing the experience with someone will motivate you and you can hold each other accountable. Start slowly and work your way up to 30 minutes per day, five days per week. If you can’t fit 30 minutes in your schedule all at once, do 3 ten minute sessions. However you do it, getting and staying physically active will help you live a longer, happier and healthier life.

 

Snoring – Studies have shown that snoring is linked to many health conditions including heat disease and stroke. Snoring is caused by a blockage of the airways during sleep. Your body reacts to this blockage by releasing a stress hormone forcing your body to breath. The release of these hormones causes an increase in blood pressure damaging the arterial walls.

What you can do – If you are overweight, losing excess pounds can significantly improve or even eliminate snoring. For others, using a good anti-snoring device will open the airways and provide a restful nights sleep.

 

Alcohol and Tobacco use

Smoking doubles your risk of stroke (and a number of other diseases) compared to non-smokers. Smoking causes the arteries to narrow, restricting blood flow to all of your organs. It also causes the platelets in your blood to stick together forming clots. This double whammy of narrow arteries and blood clots is the perfect recipe for producing a stroke.

Alcohol use is fine in moderation. Moderation is defined as one drink per day for females and two drinks per day for males (and no, you can’t save them all up for the weekend!). Please note, that one drink is considered to be 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine or 1 1/2 oz of liquor. Heavy drinkers are at a much higher risk of several diseases including stroke. Heavy drinking will increase blood pressure, this increase in pressure weakens blood vessels. It also interferes with your blood’s ability to clot. Putting the heavy drinker at high risk for a Hemorrhagic Stroke.

What you can do – Quitting smoking will not only reduce your risk of stroke, but it will significantly reduce your risk of many other chronic diseases as well. Ask your doctor about the new medications to help you stop smoking, many of them work quite well. But quitting is hard, it may take several attempts before you succeed, so don’t give up.

Don’t drink to excess, no ones saying that you can never have more that one or two drinks, just don’t make a habit of it. Take note if you are drinking to deal with stress, anxiety or depression, this is considered “self medicating” and can lead to problems. If you do have a drinking problem, please talk to your doctor. Don’t quit on your own, alcohol withdrawal can be fatal without medical supervision. Your physician will be able to monitor you and keeping you as comfortable as possible during the process. As with smoking, quitting alcohol is hard and it may take you more than one try before you are successful. Don’t get discouraged and don’t give up.

 

Strokes are the number one cause of serious long term disability in the U.S. Often the damage done is devastating to both the patient and their family. Robing the victim of the ability to speak, walk, or even think clearly, it can be a lifelong struggle to perform even the most mundane tasks. If you or a loved one has had a stroke, it’s important to know that you are at high risk of having another one. Following these tips and your doctor’s advice can greatly improve both the quality and quantity of your life.

If you are the partner of a stroke victim, you can find advice and tips about care giving at

Stroke Recovery: Tips for the Caregiver.

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