A stroke can significantly impact your life, leaving you with paralysis or disability, and it’s the 5th leading cause of death in the U.S. What’s more alarming is that up to 80% of strokes are preventable. The existing health system is focused on treating symptoms rather than preventing diseases. However, neurologist Dr. Mark Fisher highlights the importance of stroke prevention measures in an era of increasingly effective stroke treatments.
Using a prevention scale developed for a study, Dr. Fisher and his colleagues discovered that 76% of acute stroke patients exhibited some degree of stroke preventability, while 26% exhibited high preventability. The study shows the importance of stroke prevention as part of overall patient care.
Understanding Stroke Risk Factors
The first step in preventive measures is identifying factors that increase your risk of stroke. Pre-existing medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes are significant risk factors. Other factors include lifestyle habits, such as smoking, consuming excessive salt, sugar, fat, and alcohol.
Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Stroke
Making lifestyle changes can be challenging, but adopting a low-sodium, anti-inflammatory diet can provide significant protection against strokes and cardiovascular disease. Focus on consuming vegetables, healthy fats, and high-quality proteins, such as sprouted legumes, seeds, grains, free-range meats, and eggs.
In addition to dietary changes, consider the following behavioral changes to reduce your risk of stroke:
- Reduce and manage stress: Prolonged stress increases your stroke risk by 59%.
- Address depression: Feeling depressed raises your stroke risk by 86%.
- Manage hostility: Prolonged hostility doubles your chance of stroke, resulting in a 100% increase.
Supplements and Vitamins
Supplements and herbs can also help reduce your stroke risk. Consider trying recommendations from Dr. Eliaz, which you can find here. Vitamin C, in particular, has been proven effective in reducing the risk of stroke.
Many conventional doctors may not prioritize preventive measures over more lucrative treatment options. However, by focusing on stroke prevention and making healthy lifestyle changes, you can significantly reduce your risk of a life-changing stroke.
