How You Can Reduce Your Risk of Stroke

Nearly 800,000 people have a stroke in the United States every year. Many of those people are left with permanent disability to one degree or another, making stroke the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States.

In addition, greater than 160,000 people die every year from stoke, making it the fifth-leading cause of death. Strokes can occur at any age, with 60 percent of all strokes occurring in people older than age 65.

A stroke is a brain attack. Somewhere in the blood vessels that feed our brains, blood flow is blocked and brain cells are starved of oxygen, sugar, and other factors they need to survive. Usually, the problem is from a blood clot or buildup of plaque in the vessels. Women are slightly more prone to strokes than men, and people of African-American descent have almost double the risk compared to Caucasians.

Ways to Reduce Stroke Risk

There are ways to reduce the risk of having a stroke. Approximately 87% of strokes are caused by the risk factors listed below. Many conditions can damage blood vessels on the inside, leading to more of the plaques that can block blood flow in those vessels.

• High blood pressure is a main contributor to stroke and is the most important risk factor. Is your blood pressure under control?
• High cholesterol and high blood sugar are also factors to an increased stroke risk. It’s important to control your cholesterol and your blood sugar to keep your brain healthy.
• Smoking narrows all blood vessels. A constricted blood vessel is more likely to form clots. Smoking also damages the lining of all blood vessels in the body and brain, leading to more plaques.
• Consuming too much alcohol contributes to risk. It’s recommended that men drink no more than two alcoholic drinks per day, and women limit their alcohol consumption to one per day. A drink is 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or a 1½ ounce shot of hard liquor.
• Obesity also damages blood vessels. Often, losing even 10 pounds can make a big difference. One important note on being overweight, people often equate exercise with weight control. Along with eating a healthy diet, exercise will almost certainly help you lose weight. However, even if you don't shed pounds, exercise will make you healthier, by improving your blood pressure and blood sugar. Exercise will also reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

What to Do When Stroke Happens

When a stroke occurs, as many as two million brain cells can die every minute. The more time from stroke to treatment, the more brain cells are lost. This is why it is so important to recognize the symptoms of a stroke, call 911, and get emergency medical attention as BE FAST as possible.

BE FAST is a simple reminder of the danger signs of a stroke:

• Balance. Is the person's balance suddenly off?
• Eyes. Are they experiencing blurry or double vision?
• Face. Ask them to smile. Do you notice that one side of the face droops?
• Arms. Ask them to raise both arms. Does one arm drift down?
• Speech. Ask them to repeat a simple phrase such as, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Is their speech slurred?
• Time. If you see any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. Do not drive the person to the hospital yourself. Emergency medical technicians can start assessment and treatment with proper medications and equipment.

Related Links

UH Cleveland Medical Center is the first hospital in Northeast Ohio to achieve The Joint Commission’s rigorous standards for Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification. This certification showcases our ability to treat the most complex stroke cases. Learn more about stroke diagnosis and treatment at University Hospitals.