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There is a great deal you can do to reduce your risk of having a stroke. In particular, you should take a close look at your diet, exercise and lifestyle. Some risk factors are within your control. These are lifestyle factors such as:
Making healthy choices in your everyday life reduces your risk of a stroke. It needn't be difficult if you set yourself realistic goals. Once you've got into the swing of it, you'll probably find you feel much healthier for it.
Improving your diet
A diet rich in fruit and vegetables (which contain antioxidants to help protect the blood vessels against atherosclerosis), unsaturated fats (found in nuts, seeds and oily fish) and fibre can help lower the risk of a stroke. It has been estimated that consuming one to two servings more of fruit and vegetables a day, combined with a normal body mass index (BMI), can reduce the risk by up to 40 per cent.
Too much salt (sodium) and saturated fats (found in animal fats such as red meat, cheese and butter) increase your risk of a stroke.
Top
Diet checklist
Take steps to improve your diet and reduce you risk of a stroke and generally feel healthier.
Do:
Don't:
It has been estimated that consuming one to two servings more of fruit and vegetables a day can reduce the risk of stroke by up to 40 per cent.
Diet checklist
Do:
Don't:
Top
Diagnosing a stroke
Tests to establish whether people are at risk of, or have suffered a stroke can involve chemicals being injected into the body - (invasive) - or readings taken externally only - (non-invasive).
Non-invasive
Invasive
- Smoking - smokers are twice at risk.
- Inactivity - people who are physically inactive are at twice the risk than those who are moderately active.
- Alcohol - binge-drinking and regular heavy alcohol intake increase the risk of stroke.
- Diet
- Losing weight –this can reduce substantially the chances of developing diabetes and high blood pressure, two major risk factors for stroke.
Making healthy choices in your everyday life reduces your risk of a stroke. It needn't be difficult if you set yourself realistic goals. Once you've got into the swing of it, you'll probably find you feel much healthier for it.
Improving your diet
A diet rich in fruit and vegetables (which contain antioxidants to help protect the blood vessels against atherosclerosis), unsaturated fats (found in nuts, seeds and oily fish) and fibre can help lower the risk of a stroke. It has been estimated that consuming one to two servings more of fruit and vegetables a day, combined with a normal body mass index (BMI), can reduce the risk by up to 40 per cent.
Too much salt (sodium) and saturated fats (found in animal fats such as red meat, cheese and butter) increase your risk of a stroke.
Top
Diet checklist
Take steps to improve your diet and reduce you risk of a stroke and generally feel healthier.
Do:
- Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
- Base your diet around starchy foods, such as potatoes, wholegrains (such as brown rice), couscous, pasta, yams and sweet potatoes.
- Choose low-fat meat and poultry, such as chicken, turkey, rabbit and game.
- Include oily fish, a good source of omega-3 fats, which help protect blood vessels.
- Have skimmed milk and low-fat yoghurts and cheese, such as cottage cheese.
- Save fatty, sugary foods for occasional treats.
Don't:
- Consume too many fats, especially saturated fats and transfatty acids found in some margarines.
- Fry - grilling, steaming, baking or microwaving are healthier.
- Eat too many processed foods and snacks, which are usually high in salt (as well as sugar and saturated fat).
- Consume more than the recommended amount of alcohol – 21 units a week for men and 14 units a week for women.
It has been estimated that consuming one to two servings more of fruit and vegetables a day can reduce the risk of stroke by up to 40 per cent.
Diet checklist
Do:
- Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
- Base your diet around starchy foods, such as potatoes, wholegrains (such as brown rice), couscous, pasta, yams and sweet potatoes.
- Choose low-fat meat and poultry, such as chicken, turkey, rabbit and game.
- Include oily fish, a good source of omega-3 fats, which help protect blood vessels.
- Have skimmed milk and low-fat yoghurts and cheese, such as cottage cheese.
- Save fatty, sugary foods for occasional treats.
Don't:
- Consume too many fats, especially saturated fats and transfatty acids found in some margarines.
- Fry - grilling, steaming, baking or microwaving are healthier.
- Eat too many processed foods and snacks, which are usually high in salt (as well as sugar and saturated fat).
Top
Diagnosing a stroke
Tests to establish whether people are at risk of, or have suffered a stroke can involve chemicals being injected into the body - (invasive) - or readings taken externally only - (non-invasive).
Non-invasive
- Blood pressure measurement
- (Blood sampling)
- (X-rays)
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) to assess the heart's rhythm
- Echocardiogram, to look at the heart's structure and ability to function
- Carotid ultrasound scanning or transcranial doppler ultrasonography (a type of ultrasound scan) to assess blood flow to the brain
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI scan) produces detailed pictures of internal organs, including the heart and brain to measure the flow of blood and help define the location of abnormal blood vessels.(and extent of brain injury in stroke patients). Patients lie in a short tunnel-like machine which contains a cylindrical magnet. Short bursts of magnetic fields and radio waves create images of parts of the body as required.
- CT or CAT scan: High resolution images of the brain and blood vessels are given by X-ray computed tomography (CT) or computerised axial tomographic (CAT) scans. In stroke patients, it gives valuable information about the location and extent of brain injury.
Invasive
- Cerebral arteriography is used to show the extent and location of hardening of the arteries in the brain in order to diagnose patients at risk of stroke. The test takes between 20 minutes and an hour and is often done as day case, though some patients may have a short stay in hospital. There is a very small risk - one in 700 - that the test will cause a heart attack.