(Continued from Reduce Your Risk of Stroke — 6 Tips)
7. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
These foods seem to be protective against high blood pressure and stroke. They are high in antioxidants (especially vitamin C and beta carotene), folic acid, and potassium. In a 20-year follow-up of middle-aged men in the Framingham Heart Study, those participants who had a high intake of fruits and vegetables had a 45 percent lower risk of deaths from strokes. That's a remarkable difference!
In the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, subjects who ate six or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day had a 39 percent lower risk of stroke. Each additional serving of fruit or vegetables reduced their risk of stroke by about six percent. Individual foods found most protective against stroke included vegetables in the cabbage family (such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts), green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, and foods high in vitamin C.
8. Practice healthy dietary practices.
- Eat high-fiber foods including whole grains and legumes (peas, beans, garbanzos, and lentils), as well as more fruits and vegetables. In the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, those participants with high blood pressure but who ate the most dietary fiber (the top 20 percent of all persons in fiber intake) had 40 percent less risk of stroke.
- Use salt moderately (limit sodium to less than 2,000 mg per day if your blood pressure is high, and to less than 2,400 mg/day if your blood pressure is normal).
- Choose nonfat or low-fat milk and dairy products (calcium might help lower blood pressure).
- Limit saturated (animal and solid) fats, fatty meats, and fried foods.
- Drink at least six and as many as eight glasses of water per day (adequate hydration improves circulation).
- Eat foods that are high in magnesium. In the Health Professionals Follow-up Study of 43,738 men, participants with a higher intake of magnesium lowered their stroke risk by 30 percent. Good dietary sources of magnesium include whole-grain breads and cereals (including oatmeal and bran), nuts, sunflower seeds, soybeans, tofu, and other legumes.
- Eat adequate calcium. The Nurses' Health Study found that women who got at least 600 mg of calcium from dairy and other foods daily, or took at least 400 mg of calcium in supplement form, were less likely to have a stroke than were those with lower calcium intakes.
9. Maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
The American Heart Association recommends that you keep your total cholesterol levels under 200 mg/dL. High cholesterol levels damage the arteries and increase the risk of stroke. You can lower your cholesterol by eating foods low in animal fat, saturated fats, and trans fats (found in partially hydrogenated oils), and by using non-hydrogenated vegetable oils such as olive, soybean, and canola oils in your diet. Foods that are high in dietary fiber can also help lower your cholesterol. In trials where doctors gave heart patients statin drugs to lower their cholesterol, the number of deaths from stroke fell as well. In a review of 16 clinical trials using statin drugs to lower cholesterol, the risk of a stroke dropped 29 percent.
10. Keep your life in good balance.
A moderate lifestyle helps maintain overall health and aids in prevention of most health problems including blood pressure and healthy arteries.
- Avoid excessive stress and self-imposed pressures. Take time to relax and have fun daily.
- Watch your temper and negative attitudes. Anger and hostility seem to be especially hard on the arteries.
- Develop strong social ties and frequent contact with family and friends. Social support is an important factor for good physical and mental health. Belonging to a faith group or other support group is also helpful.
11. Get regular health checkups.
See your doctor as recommended. Monitor your weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels to prevent problems from developing. If you already have a history of heart disease, stroke, diabetes or other health problems, be sure to follow your doctor's guidance very closely.
In some cases of heart problems such as nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm defect), it is important to take a blood anticoagulant or thinner (such as warfarin) to prevent blood clots from forming. Stroke occurs in about 35 percent of persons with atrial fibrillation.
Should you ever have any of the following stroke symptoms, seek immediate medical attention:
- Sudden blurred or decreased vision in one or both eyes
- Sudden weakness or numbness of your face, arm, or leg (especially if it's all on one side of your body)
- Difficulty speaking or understanding simple statements
- Dizziness, loss of balance, or loss of coordination, especially when combined with another symptom, such as slurred speech, double vision, numbness, or weakness
- Sudden, unexplained, and intensely painful headache
If you have experienced any of these symptoms in the past, you might have had a mini-stroke. Talk to your physician about it. Your doctor might have suggestions for reducing your future risk of having a stroke. |
