Stroke Awareness: 5 Ways to Reduce Your Stroke Risk

February is Stroke Awareness Month and Above & Beyond is focusing on how to reduce your stroke risk.

We’ve focused on The Mediterranean Diet, an excellent lifestyle based on a diet that’s been in the news for the positive effects it has on an aging brain. Proactive changes in your life can make a big difference in reducing your stroke risk.

What is a Stroke

Many people are confused; thinking that a stroke occurs in the heart.

Definition: Do you truly know what a stroke is? According to this definition by the NSA it’s not a “heart attack,” it’s a “brain attack”. A stroke occurs when the brain is unable to get enough blood to the brain or a part of the brain.

Results of a Stroke: The results of a stroke can differ each time. The facts below help put having a stroke into perspective.

Stroke Facts

• 1 in 19 deaths in the U.S. are caused by a stroke
• Someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds
• There are 795,000 people who suffer a stroke each year
• Approximately 610,000 of the above referenced people are first time stroke victims
• Over 68% of adults (> 20 yrs old) are overweight or obese (weight plays a large factor in stroke risk)
• Every 4 minutes someone in America dies from a stroke
• Health conditions that increase your risk of having a stroke include diabetes, heart disease, bad cholesterol levels, and hypertension
• Strokes can occur at any age (Read this article on a 20 year old who suffered from a stroke & had no idea)
• Your risk of a stroke increases with age

5 Ways to Reduce Your Stroke Risk

The basic idea of a healthy lifestyle is a solid base for a healthier life. We all know that eating a healthy diet and being active are the basics for being as healthy as possible as we move through our lives.

However, these tips can help give you a little extra advantage to help reduce your risk of stroke.

1. Quit Smoking – Smoking greatly increases your risk of a stroke for a number of reasons. Read more about smoking and the increased risk of stroke in this free PDF.
2. Improve Your Brain Health – This article talks about the connection between brain health and reducing your risk of a stroke. A healthy brain is especially important as you age because brain shrinkage is a normal part of aging. However, you can reduce how quickly your brain shrinks by living a healthier lifestyle.
3. Reduce Stress – Stress plays a very big role in our life and how our body feels. Stress can not only increase your blood pressure (a known risk factor for stroke) but it can actually affect the arteries, your brain, and many other aspects of your overall health. These stress reduction tips can help.
4. Sleep – The association between sleep and strokes may surprise you. The recommended amount of sleep for a person is 7 hours a night; while 10 hours a night can actually increase your risk of a stroke by 63%.
5. Drink Water – A recent article from ABC, drinking water throughout the day is a natural blood thinner. A study by LLU showed that those who drank at least five 8oz. glasses of water helped decrease their stroke risk by 53%.

Above & Beyond Wants You To Take Action

We offer a number of ways to help you get healthier and reduce your risk of many health problems. From caregiving to therapy services and more; Above & Beyond wants to make a difference

Stroke awareness is important. Taking the proactive steps to reduce your stroke risk is smart.

Photo by capt.taco

Stroke Diagram by ConstructionDealMkting