According to the stroke prevention guide published in 2011 by theAmerican Heart Association, people with a healthy lifestyle reduce their risk of having a first stroke by 80% compared to those who neglect risk factors¹.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle

• No smoking;
• Avoid excess alcohol;
• Find a way to integrate physical activity in his daily life;
• Maintain a healthy weight. To calculate your body mass index (BMI), take our test;
• Make good food choices: supply affects several risk factors for stroke.

  Researchers reviewed 375 studies published between 1979 and 2004 to identify the type of diet that best helps prevent stroke³. According to their analyzes, a diet low in salt (less than 1 mg per day) and rich in potassium and magnesium lowers blood pressure and, therefore, helps prevent stroke. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables generally provides adequate amounts of potassium. Whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and dark green leafy vegetables are good sources of potassium. Studies show that people who eat about 150 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, who prefer whole-grain cereals, and who eat 10 to 1 servings of fatty fish per week have a lower risk of stroke.

  In terms of diets, it has been shown that DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and the Mediterranean Diet help prevent hypertension effectively³. For more information on the DASH diet, see the Hypertension sheet;

• Learn to cope better with stress;
• Change contraceptive method if necessary. Women over 35 who are taking contraceptive pill and who are considered to be at risk (because they smoke or because they have high blood pressure…) should opt for another contraceptive method, such as an intrauterine device or a pill that contains only progesterone.

Undergo medical examinations and treatment

• Consult your doctor at the frequency recommended by the latter. When a patient is at high risk of having a stroke, the doctor may listen to the sound of their carotid arteries through a stethoscope. If he suspects an artery is affected by atherosclerosis, he recommends a Doppler ultrasound of the carotid artery. This examination allows to know the degree of narrowing of the artery;
• Regularly monitor his blood pressure and, if you have hypertension, treat it, even if it is asymptomatic. This is the most important risk factor to control. Eating a healthy diet (avoiding very salty foods, among other things), physical exercise, moderate alcohol consumption and quitting smoking are some of the measures that help lower your pressure. blood. Medication such as diuretics or beta blockers is sometimes necessary. Consult the Hypertension sheet for more information.

  Frequency. Blood pressure should be taken by the doctor at the time of the periodic medical examination;

• Carry out a regular blood lipid assessment. Take the necessary measures to correct the anomalies. Consult our Hypercholesterolemia sheet.

  Frequency. In Canada, routine screening every 5 years is recommended for men over 40 and postmenopausal women over 50.⁹. People at risk (those with diabetes, hypertension, smoking, abdominal obesity, family history of cardiovascular disease, etc.) should undergo more frequent screening;

• Check or have it checked regularly glucose with the aim of preventing diabetes. In addition, control your blood sugar if you have diabetes.

  Frequency. At the time of the periodic medical examination, if the doctor considers it necessary, he may order a fasting blood glucose test;

• Consult your doctor without delay in case of heartbeat unusually fast or irregular;
• Treat heart disease.

Take anticoagulant medication. It is recommended that people who have had a previous transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke), or a stroke caused by thrombosis or cerebral embolism, take a medicine daily that will reduce the risk of developing a stroke. blood clot. It may be an anticoagulant such as warfarin (Coumadin®) or dabigatran (Pradax®) or an antiplatelet such as aspirin or dipyridamole (Aggrenox®). People for whom aspirin is contraindicated may take clopidogrel bisulfate (Plavix®) or ticlopidine hydrochloride (Ticlid®).