For the first time in 10 years, the American Stroke Association has updated its guidelines for stroke prevention. The “2024 Guideline for the Primary Prevention of Stroke,” published in the journal Stroke, empowers people to take precautions to reduce their risk of stroke, which is the No. 5 cause of death in the U.S., according to the CDC.
Most strokes happen in older adults, but the rate of strokes in Americans ages 18 to 65 rose by about 15% between 2011 and 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While numerous factors—both uncontrollable and lifestyle-dependent—leave people more susceptible to strokes, there are simple changes you can make to help lower your risk.
How to lower your stroke risk
Unfortunately, there are some stroke risk factors that you can’t control, especially for women. These include:
- Having had preeclampsia (high blood pressure) during pregnancy
- Other pregnancy complications including premature birth
- Endometriosis
- Premature ovarian failure (before 40)
- Early-onset menopause (before 45)
- Having severe vasomotor symptoms (such as hot flashes) in menopause
But there are key health behaviors that everyone should pay attention to. The Stroke Association calls them Life’s Essential 8 cardiovascular health metrics that are known stroke risks. They are:
- Having poor nutrition
- Using tobacco
- Being sedentary
- Being overweight
- Poor sleep
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
The new guidelines advise the following lifestyle behaviors to help offset stroke risk factors—even those out of your control.
- Eat a Mediterranean diet—consisting largely of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil, and minimal amounts of dairy, eggs, fish, and poultry.
- Get at least 150 minutes weekly of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes weekly of vigorous aerobic activity—or a combo of both—spread throughout the week.
- Get enough sleep.
- Do not smoke.
- Monitor your cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels and keep them within healthy ranges.
What are symptoms of stroke?
It’s also important to recognize the warning signs of a stroke so you can get help quickly. The the American Stroke Association’s acronym F.A.S.T.:
- F = Face drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?
- A = Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb?
- S = Speech difficulty: Is speech slurred?
- T = Time to call 911: Stroke is an emergency. Call 911 immediately.
Other signs of stroke can include:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Confusion; trouble speaking or understanding speech
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Trouble walking; dizziness; loss of balance or coordination
- Severe headache with no known cause
More on stroke and heart health:
- Will you have a stroke? These 17 factors can be predictors
- Climbing stairs could help you live longer—and experts say it only takes a few flights a day
- Sleeping in on weekends could cut your risk of heart disease by up to 20%, new study shows
- Trouble sleeping can increase your chance of stroke by more than 50%, a new study found. These 4 questions can help gauge your risk
