Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Stroke

What is a stroke?

• A stroke happens when blood cannot reach your brain or when a blood vessel in your brain bursts.
• Blood brings oxygen and nutrients that your brain needs.
• When a stroke happens, it can affect the parts of the brain that control your body.
• Things like high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes can hurt your blood vessels and make a stroke more likely.
• The good news is that there are things you can do to help prevent a stroke.

How to stay healthy and avoid a stroke

To lower your risk of having a stroke, you should make some changes to how you live. Here are some simple steps you can take:

• Don’t smoke or vape, and avoid being around other people who smoke.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Limit alcohol. Women should have no more than one drink a day, men no more than two.
• Take your medicine exactly as your doctor tells you.
• Check your blood pressure often. High blood pressure can cause strokes. The best blood pressure is below 120/80.
• Reduce stress. Stress can make it more difficult to maintain good health.
• See your doctor regularly for checkups.
• Get enough sleep. Adults should sleep 7 to 9 hours each night.

Eating healthier

• Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Try baking or boiling food instead of frying it.

Being more active

• Get at least 150 minutes of easy exercise (like brisk walking) or 75 minutes of harder exercise (like running) each week.
• Do muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days a week.
• If you’re busy, you can split your exercise into smaller parts during the day.