According to the CDC, stroke was recorded as being the fourth leading cause of death in America last year. In fact, more than 500,000 people suffer from a stroke every year in the States. Yet, according to new stroke prevention guidelines, up to 80% of all strokes can be prevented with exercise, risk factor identification, and better nutrition. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to an area of the brain is cut off or when a brain blood vessel bursts. This deprives the brain of oxygen, which may lead to brain damage, resulting in difficulties with thinking, talking, and walking, as well as potentially dying.
The New Stroke Prevention Guidelines
These are the first new stroke prevention guidelines released by the American Stroke Association in 10 years! These new guidelines are recommended for people and doctors alike and they reflect our ever-growing understanding of the condition, such as who gets strokes and why they get them. Unsurprisingly, the guidelines for stroke risk reduction are typically the same recommendations for dealing with a large range of health issues. These include regularly exercising, not smoking, and eating healthily. Unfortunately, modern society is full of pitfalls and distractions that keep many people sedentary and eating unhealthily.
How Healthy Eating Reduces Your Stroke Risk
According to Stroke.org, eating well may assist with controlling many factors that increase your risk of having a stroke. These include high blood sugar levels, high cholesterol, and obesity. The association suggests foods from the popular Mediterranean diet, like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and olive oil, to help lower your cholesterol levels. It recommends minimizing the consumption of red meat and other types of saturated fat. Rather obtain your protein from nuts, beans, chicken, fish, and seafood. You should also try to limit your intake of highly processed foods, as well as foods and beverages high in added sugar. This additionally helps you maintain a healthy weight by lowering your calorie intake.
Exercise and Stroke Prevention
Walking for no less than 10 minutes every day can drastically minimize your stroke risk. Among the numerous advantages of walking regularly is that it helps lower blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for stroke. While ten minutes of walking may do wonders, when it comes to exercise, more is better! The American Heart Association advises getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic or 75 minutes of strenuous activity per week, or a combination of both. Specialists say it is unimportant how you do it: you could go to the gym, go for a walk, or even use a treadmill.
Reducing Obesity is Among the Stroke Prevention Guidelines
Exercise and diet can help regulate weight, which is another major risk factor for strokes. However, the government has granted approval for a new class of medications that can significantly reduce weight. This provides more ways to minimize stroke risk since the last time the recommendations were updated. The stroke prevention guidelines now advise doctors to consider providing these medications to individuals with obesity or diabetes, such as those sold under the trade names Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. However, while these medications can be beneficial, people still need to exercise and eat well.
Helping Doctors Identify Individuals with Higher Stroke Risk
For the first time, the new recommendations urge that doctors test patients for other characteristics that may raise stroke risk, such as gender and sec, as well as non-medical issues including access to health care, economic stability, prejudice, and racism. According to the CDC, Black individuals in the United States have almost twice the chance of experiencing their first stroke as white individuals.
Impacting Your Ability to Prevent Stroke
One of the individuals who created the new guidelines, Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, stated, “If somebody doesn’t have insurance or they can’t get to a doctor’s office because of transportation issues or they can’t get off work to get health care … these are all things that can impact the ability to prevent stroke”. Doctors could also direct you towards options for low-cost health care or food. They can also provide you with tips for staying active without spending a fortune on a gym membership. The stroke prevention guidelines now propose that doctors examine for illnesses that may raise a woman’s risk of stroke, such as high blood pressure during early menopause or pregnancy.
What To Do If You Are Having A Stroke
Three of the most prevalent stroke symptoms are arm weakness, facial weakness, and trouble communicating. Don’t forget that time is of the essence because brain damage can occur fast and can be minimized if a stroke is treated immediately. Stroke specialists created an acronym to help you remember: FAST. The letters F stand for face, A for arm, S for speech, and T for time. If you suspect you or a loved one is experiencing a stroke, contact 911 immediately.
Read More: Strokes Are On The Rise In Young People, And These Are The Reasons Why