“Is stroke preventable?”
I have a family history of strokes. Is stroke preventable?
2 Answers
Think about stroke prevention as risk factors vs protective factors. Risk factors increase risk of stroke and protective factors decrease risk. There are several protective factors (things you can do) to decrease your risk for stroke including quit/don't smoke, maintain normal cholesterol levels and normal blood pressure levels, exercise daily, avoid a sedentary lifestyle (meaning do not sit for prolonged periods of time throughout the day), consume a healthy diet (ask your doctor about the MIND diet and avoid large amounts of red meat/pork,), and manage cardiac problems like Afib. These are general recommendations, so you should talk to your doctor about your personal risk factors and how to best manage/reduce them. I also recommend attending annual physicals with your primary care physician so they can track your health over time.
Yes maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and blood pressure control reduce the risk of a stroke
