Every year, nearly 700,000 people in the U.S. suffer an ischemic stroke ““ the kind caused by a blood clot or clogged artery. More than a quarter of those patients ““ nearly 180,000 people ““ have suffered a previous stroke.
It’s an unfortunate fact that having one stroke significantly increases your risk of having a second “brain attack,” according to the American Stroke Association ““ the risk goes up by about three percent within a month of the original stroke and keeps climbing to about 16 percent within five years of the original stroke.
Improved prevention and stroke treatment have reduced the total number of people who have strokes as well as the number of people who die from them; in 2014, federal health officials announced that stroke is now the fourth-leading cause of death. During a 10-year period, the number of deaths per 100 strokes recorded fell by eight. While fewer people are having strokes or dying from them, stroke remains the leading cause of disability in the U.S.
Ischemic strokes make up about 90 percent of all strokes in the U.S. High cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking are all leading risk factors for ischemic stroke.
The American Stroke Association recommends three strategies to help people who’ve already suffered one stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA, or “mini-stroke’) prevent a second:
- Get your blood pressure under control
About 70 percent of stroke survivors have high blood pressure, and high blood pressure damages blood vessels. You have approximately 100,000 blood vessels in your brain, so keeping them healthy goes a long way toward cutting your risk, according to the American Stroke Association. - Get your cholesterol under control
Work with your healthcare provider to tailor the best program of diet, exercise and medication to get your numbers to healthy levels. New guidelines don’t recommend niacin or fibrate drugs for reducing the risk of repeat strokes caused by hardening of the arteries, so talk to your doctor about other options. - Move
If you’re able, aim for three to four sessions of moderate physical activity a week ““ think brisk walking, swimming or bike riding. If that’s more than you can manage, talk to your doctor about how to gently work your way up to healthy activity levels.
Other strategies for reducing the risk of repeat stroke include screening for, and if necessary, treating Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and heart arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation.
