How to prevent a stroke

How can I keep from having another stroke? — If you had an ischemic stroke—a stroke caused by a blocked artery in the brain—there are many things you can do to lower the chances of having another stroke.

If you had a transient ischemic attack, sometimes called a “mini-stroke” or TIA, you can also lower the chances that you will have a full-blown stroke.

To lower your risk of stroke, you should:

• Lower your blood pressure, if it is high
• Keep your blood sugar as close to normal as possible, if you have diabetes
• Lower your cholesterol, if it is high
• Stop smoking, if you smoke
• Do something active for at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week
• Lose weight, if you are overweight
• Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, and low in meats, sweets, and refined grains (such as white bread or white rice)
• Eat less salt (sodium)
• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink

• If you are a woman, do not drink more than 1 drink a day
• If you are a man, do not drink more than 2 drinks a day

Medicines and lifestyle changes work together to give the most benefit. It’s very important that you take all the medicines your doctor prescribes. It’s just as important to make the lifestyle changes your doctor recommends.

Take your medicines every day — If you had a stroke or TIA, your doctor or nurse will prescribe medicines to lower your risk of having another stroke. Some of these medicines work by “lowering your risk factors.” That means that they help lower blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. Other medicines help by keeping blood clots from forming, which is what causes many strokes. 

Whatever medicines your doctor prescribes, make sure you take them every day as directed. If you cannot afford your medicines or if they cause side effects, talk to your doctor or nurse. There are often ways to deal with these problems.

Lifestyle changes — Lifestyle changes can do a lot to lower your risk of stroke. That’s partly because the right lifestyle choices can help control risk factors such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. To reduce your risk of stroke, make these lifestyle changes:

• Stop smoking, if you smoke (this is discussed in more detail below)
• Do something active for at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week
• Lose weight, if you are overweight
• Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, and low in meats, sweets, and refined grains (such as white bread or white rice)
• Eat less salt (sodium)
• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink

• If you are a woman, do not drink more than 1 drink a day
• If you are a man, do not drink more than 2 drinks a day

Stop smoking — If you smoke, ask your doctor or nurse about how to quit. There are strategies and medicines that can improve your chances of success. Studies show that people are most successful at quitting if they take medicines to help them quit and work with a counselor. You might also have a better chance at success if you combine nicotine replacement with one of the prescription medicines that help people quit.

You can also get help from a free phone line (1-800-QUIT-NOW) or online at www.smokefree.gov.