Author: Sarah Barber
Maintaining your health can be a difficult task, but this is something you do not have to do alone. Remember to always consult your doctor and express any concerns you may have.
According to the CDC, someone in the United States dies of a stroke every 3.5 minutes, and it is the leading cause of long-term disability worldwide. As scary as that sounds, 80% of strokes are preventable. While there are factors we cannot control, there are several modifiable risk factors you can change to lower the risk of stroke. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking cigarettes, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and irregular heartbeat.
“If you’ve been diagnosed with any of these risk factors, or need help quitting smoking, talking to your primary care provider is a great place to start lowering your risk of a stroke,” said David Pohl, DO, a primary care physician at McLaren Medical Group.
High blood pressure is called “the silent killer” because of its lack of symptoms. Therefore, it is vital for everyone to get their blood pressure checked regularly. To maintain normal blood pressure, American Stroke Association recommends that everyone:
- Eat a healthy diet
- Reduce salt intake
- Engage in regular physical activity and maintain a healthy weight
- Manage stress
- Avoid smoking, vaping, and tobacco use
- Limit your alcohol consumption
- Take your medications as prescribed
“To lower your risk of high blood pressure and stroke, I suggest eating mostly vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains—the less processed the better. You want your plate to be about half vegetables, a quarter protein, and a quarter grains,” said Dr. Pohl. “If you are unsure of what that might look like, the Mediterranean diet is a healthy-eating plan that emphasizes fresh vegetables, lean meats, and healthy fats.” Dr. Pohl also shared a great tip to help when grocery shopping: “Avoid the middle aisles as much as possible.”
Regular exercise is important, but the meaning of that term can vary from person to person. Dr. Pohl explained that regular exercise is simply an exercise routine that you are able to adhere to more frequently than not, and a routine that fits into your schedule.
A study has reaffirmed that getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week lowers your risk of not only stroke, but also heart attack and certain forms of cancer.
“You are engaging in moderately intense activities when you are doing something that raises your heart rate and maybe has you a little sweaty or short of breath by the end of it—like a brisk walk or a bike ride,” said Dr. Pohl. “There is no ‘right’ exercise for everyone, but everyone should be able to find some form of exercise that they like and can build into their routine.”
Maintaining your health can be a difficult task, but this is something you do not have to do alone. Remember to always consult your doctor and express any concerns you may have. To schedule a new patient appointment with Dr. Pohl, click here. To view a list of primary care physicians accepting new patients, click here.
The American Heart Association has awarded McLaren Greater Lansing the Stroke Gold Plus achievement for its continued success in utilizing the 2022 Get With the Guidelines for stroke patient management program. For more information about McLaren Greater Lansing’s Stroke Center, click here.