Maybe you want to reduce your stroke risk this way.
Don't listen to me, I'm not medically trained. Is your doctor?
Like maybe a 307% stroke risk reduction from these 11 possibilities?
11 dangerous things that science has linked to a higher risk of having a stroke
But according to the National Stroke Association, 80% of strokes are preventable.(So, blaming the victim, so YOU don't have to solve stroke. Do you feel good about that?)That means there's a lot you can do to reduce your risk. What's more, the steps people can take to avoid strokes are some of the best ways to keep your body and brain healthy as you age overall.Here are 11 straightforward things that science has linked to a higher risk of a debilitating or deadly stroke.
Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to lower your blood pressure, like exercising regularly, eating healthy food, and breathing clean air.
The National Stroke Association recommends "no more than two drinks a day for men, and one drink a day for women."
When a smoker inhales, the action triggers an immediate blood-pressure spike, and smokers can develop long-lasting problems in their blood vessels over time.
"Smoking increases clot formation, thickens blood, and increases the amount of plaque buildup in the arteries," according to the National Stroke Association.
Around the globe, bad air — which can include household air pollution from cook-stoves and wood fires — accounts for almost a third of stroke-related disabilities.
Studies show that even about 25 minutes of moderate activity each day helps decrease a person's stroke risk. No need to run a marathon.
One study of more than 61,000 California teachers (all women) showed that those who got at least 150 minutes of exercise each week were 30% less likely to have an ischemic stroke than those who were less active. That translates to just 21 minutes per day.
Evidence also suggests that the simple act of going for a walk every day can make a stroke milder if a person does have one. A 2018 study of Norwegian people in their 70s found that those who walked and swam on a regular basis had less severe strokes than Norwegians who don't move around much.
In addition to keeping our blood vessels pumping swiftly, exercise can create more oxygen-rich blood and prompt our muscles to grow more blood vessels. Conversely, not moving around can put people at risk for developing chronic conditions like high blood pressure, which in turn can make strokes more likely.
For women, researchers have noticed that those who adhere to a Mediterranean diet — which includes plenty of olive oil, whole grains, beans, chicken, and fresh vegetables — are far less likely to suffer strokes than other women. A recent 17-year study of women over 40 years old in the UK found that those who followed a Mediterranean diet (according to their 7-day food diaries) had 22% fewer strokes.
This was true even for people who were already at risk for heart disease.
People with diabetes have a hard
time making insulin in their pancreas. Insulin is the key hormone that
turns glucose from the foods we eat into energy our body can use.
When the body doesn't produce enough insulin and glucose builds up in the blood, it can lead to dangerous fatty deposits and clots in a person's blood vessels. Over time, those clots may cut off the blood supply to a person's neck and brain, prompting a stroke.
Strokes are two to four times more common in people with diabetes.
When the body doesn't produce enough insulin and glucose builds up in the blood, it can lead to dangerous fatty deposits and clots in a person's blood vessels. Over time, those clots may cut off the blood supply to a person's neck and brain, prompting a stroke.
Strokes are two to four times more common in people with diabetes.
Sometimes, the things you can do
to prevent strokes only go so far. Scientists have lots of evidence that
our genes contribute to stroke risk in big ways.
In a recent study of 306,473 white British men and women, people who had genomes associated with higher genetic stroke risk were 35% more likely to have a stroke than people with some of the lowest genetic risks. That was true no matter what their lifestyle looked like.
Still our actions are often more powerful than our genes when it comes to preventing strokes: lifestyle factors like smoking, unhealthy eating, and lack of exercise were associated with a 66% increase in stroke risk in that study, no matter what people's genes were like.
In a recent study of 306,473 white British men and women, people who had genomes associated with higher genetic stroke risk were 35% more likely to have a stroke than people with some of the lowest genetic risks. That was true no matter what their lifestyle looked like.
Still our actions are often more powerful than our genes when it comes to preventing strokes: lifestyle factors like smoking, unhealthy eating, and lack of exercise were associated with a 66% increase in stroke risk in that study, no matter what people's genes were like.
This is part of the reason why women have more strokes than men: they tend to live longer.
One study of Swedish men over 50 suggests that sleeping less than five hours a night is as bad for you as smoking when it comes to stroke risk
But new evidence suggests that regularly taking a short daytime nap can help your body stay stroke-free, too.
In research announced at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology in March, scientists found that people who opt for a mid-day snooze maintain lower blood-pressure levels. Researchers think this naptime routine may help lower blood pressure just as well as other remedies, like cutting out alcohol or taking a low-dose medication. More research is needed to know for sure whether it's really the naps that cause the blood pressure benefit, though.
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