Strokes, which typically occur when a blocked blood vessel cuts blood flow to the brain, are the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States. But up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable by leading a healthy lifestyle that includes not smoking, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in salt, exercising regularly, drinking moderately or not at all, and carefully managing chronic diseases like diabetes.
Deaths due to stroke have declined (it was once the third-leading cause of U.S. deaths), yet as the population ages the number of people having strokes is expected to rise. Don’t be one of those people.
1. Control blood pressure
High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for stroke, according to the National Stroke Association. When pressure is high, the heart pumps harder to move blood through your body, weakening vessel walls and organs. It is called the “silent killer” because symptoms of high blood pressure are not obvious. An optimal blood pressure reading for adults is 120/80. The first number is for systolic pressure, the force of blood against vessel walls when the heart is pumping. The second number is for diastolic pressure, the blood’s force on vessels when the heart is resting between beats. A high-sodium diet, drinking excessively, and being overweight all contribute to hypertension, health experts say.
