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Medical Video: Top Tips to Avoid a Stroke
Many conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, or diabetes, can increase the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Take action starting today to reduce your risk.
- Light exercise every day
Moderate exercise can reduce the risk of heart attack by 30% to 50%. Do 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 5 days a week. On another 2 days, strengthen physical exercise. If it's too much, divide it into small parts, and add your time. Try to walk 15 minutes in the morning and again before lunch.
- Set clear goals for losing weight
If you have excess weight or obesity, you do not need to be thin to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Losing 5% to 10% of your weight can increase cholesterol and lower blood pressure and blood sugar.
- Take your heart medicine
One study found that 130,000 Americans die every year because they don't take heart medicine according to the doctor's instructions. Find out what causes you not to take your medication, such as side effects, costs, or often forget, and ask your doctor for help with the solution.
- Eat well
Try to follow a healthy diet and you can reduce your risk of heart disease by 25%. Fill your plate with various fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and meat.
- Limit alcohol
If you are a drinker, the good news is that any type of alcohol can help your heart. However, too much alcohol can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and symptoms of atrial fibrillation. To get benefits without the risk, limit alcohol, just drink a glass if you are a woman and two glasses if you are a man.
- Eat a little chocolate
Some studies show that people who eat chocolate more than once a week can reduce their risk of heart disease by almost 40%, diabetes by around 30% and strokes by 30%. Because researchers have not determined the amount of chocolate that can be consumed to reduce risk, keep only a small portion so that your weight does not rise and make your heart work harder.
- Do not smoke
Smoking will dramatically increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Let alone a smoker, every year, around 46,000 people die from heart disease associated with exposure to cigarette smoke even if only as passive smokers.
- Visit a dentist
Cleaning your teeth every 6 months might reduce your risk of heart attack by 24% and stroke by 13%. A dentist may also see signs of heart disease - such as swollen gums or tooth loss - before you or your doctor is aware of other symptoms, and this allows you to get early treatment.
- Pay attention to the symptoms that occur, and tell the doctor
Don't just hope your symptoms will disappear. See a doctor if there are unusual symptoms - such as shortness of breath, changes in heart rhythm, or fatigue. There are many things doctors can do to treat heart problems, if you ask for help.
