10 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Having a Stroke
Controlling blood pressure and losing weight can make a difference
That's great, you say until you look at the list. Most of us know
that stopping smoking and losing weight are no-brainers for improving
your health, and many of us would have done these things years ago if we
knew how to go about it strategically. Learning how important lifestyle
changes are for reducing stroke risk can be motivational.
Major health improvements can be made if the goals are specific,
measurable, attainable, realistic and time-based, also known as
S.M.A.R.T. goals for lifestyle change.
Here are the top 10 ways to cut your risk of stroke by almost 90 percent.
1. Control Your Blood Pressure
While there are medications to control hypertension (high blood
pressure), lifestyle change is a key component of keeping blood pressure
down. Following the DASH Diet and avoiding salt can help.
2. Stop Smoking
Smoking not only increases the risk of stroke, it is estimated to
subtract 10 years from one's lifespan. Getting tips, strategies,
stories, and encouragement from people who have successfully quit
smoking can be inspirational. And if that doesn't help, consider how smoking results in premature aging.
3. Lose Weight, Especially Around Your Abdomen
You might be surprised at how easy it is to incorporate easy weight
loss methods into your life. Not only can you find yourself dropping
pounds, but by slowing down and being more mindful of your food, you may
also find yourself enjoying meals much more.
4. Manage Your Diabetes
People with diabetes are at a higher risk of stroke than
the general population. This risk is much higher when the diabetes is
poorly-managed and blood glucose levels are elevated over long periods.
It is important to take your diabetes seriously (even if you don't feel
"bad" from high blood sugar), which involves sticking to your treatment
strategies, among other things. This will not only go a long way in
reducing your risk of stroke but also will help bring down the
likelihood of other complications.
5. Get Active
We know we should be exercising, but many of us simply don't like it
and when you don't like to do something, it is very easy to find lots of
excuses not to do it. Instead of starting from a place of trying to do
something you simply hate to do, why don't you wipe the slate clean and
look at exercise from a new perspective? Learn to like, even love,
exercise, and it will be much easier to commit to an exercise habit.
6. Improve Your Diet
There are many opinions about what exactly constitutes a healthy
diet, which often leaves the average person confused to the point that
they give up. However, there are some things that are pretty universal
here — more vegetables, less trans fats, fewer trips through fast food
restaurants. Add fruit to increase your longevity and adopt an overall longevity diet plan.
7. Limit Alcohol, Avoid Binge Drinking
Clearly, drinking heavily is bad for your health, but much research shows that two or fewer drinks per day can be good for you, especially red wine.
Any more than that starts working against you and harming your health.
Heavy drinking also increases stroke risk by 45 percent and there is a
link between alcohol and brain aging.
8. Improve Your Good Cholesterol
The idea here is to improve your HDL (good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol)
ratio more HDL and less LDL is the idea. The goal is to have your
HDL/LDL ratio above 0.3, with the ideal being above 0.4. Of course,
there are medications, such as statins, that can help you do this, but
there are some lifestyle changes to be made as well, even fun ones, such
as eating more dark chocolate or fish.
9. Manage Heart Disease
As we age, our hearts have to adapt to our changing bodies our
arteries lose flexibility, our heart walls thicken and it becomes harder
for our hearts to keep up with increased demand. All of these things
(and others) are made worse when we have heart disease,
such as coronary artery disease, angina or other problems that can lead
to heart attacks. There are several approaches to managing heart
disease, which involves medications, diet, and exercise many of the same
things that will also reduce the risk of stroke.
10. Avoid Stress, Treat Depression
We know that we feel worse when we are "stressed," but there is also
significant evidence that stress impacts the frequency of negative
health events, like a stroke. Depression also has serious physical
consequences and can lead to victims neglecting their health.
Bottom Line
By taking steps to improve in these areas, you will no doubt feel
better along the way. In addition to reducing your risk for stroke, you
will also reduce your risk of heart attacks..verywellhealth.com
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