Reduce Your Risk of Stroke

Protect your brain and heart with knowledge, preventive care and healthy habits.

A stroke can cause long-term brain damage, disability and even death. It’s a serious and dangerous medical condition affecting hundreds of thousands of Americans every year.

However, many strokes can be prevented. Health issues causing strokes can be controlled or treated, and there are straightforward lifestyle changes to reduce risk. Lorena Layrisse Landaeta, MD, a Torrance Memorial Physician Network primary care and geriatric specialist, tells seniors to reduce their risks by understanding and caring for their overall health.

Understand Your Risks

Some risk factors for strokes are modifiable and some are not, Dr. Landaeta says. Individuals need to be aware of the risk factors they can’t change, including age, race, ethnicity, gender and genetics. For instance, strokes are the third highest cause of death for women. Black, Latino and Native American communities also have a greater risk of developing stroke.

Once underlying risk is understood, controlling treatable risk factors is important for the prevention of strokes. “Major modifiable risk factors include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, atrial fibrillation, alcohol and substance use, obesity and physical inactivity,” she says.

Get Preventive Care

Regular medical checkups are important for all ages, and they are crucial for seniors with a higher risk of stroke. Weight management, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar monitoring, and medicine adjustments help monitor and control medical conditions that lead to stroke and cardiovascular disease.

“Your doctor should check your blood pressure at every visit, and ideally your cholesterol should be measured once a year,” Dr. Landaeta says. “In addition, let your primary care doctor know if your blood pressure is not controlled with your medication, and be compliant with cholesterol and blood pressure medications.”

It is essential to control these risk factors to prevent strokes. A few important numbers to remember:

Blood Pressure

• Normal blood pressure is 120/80
• Elevated blood pressure is greater than 129/80
• Stage 1 hypertension is greater than 130/89
• Stage 2 hypertension is equal to or greater than 140/90

Cholesterol

• Elevated bad cholesterol (LDL) in patients with no history of cardiovascular disease is equal to 190 mg/dL
• Elevated bad cholesterol for patients with history of stroke or myocardial infarction (MI) is less than 55 mg/dL

Blood Sugar

• Hemoglobin a1c of 5.7–6.5 indicates prediabetes
• Hemoglobin a1c of > 6.5 indicates diabetes

Maintain Your Weight with a Healthy Diet and Regular Exercise

Most people know diet and exercise are basic aspects of good health. Still, it can be very challenging to change these habits. Dr. Landaeta recommends trying a weight loss program, seeing a nutritionist or working with a personal trainer. A “healthy lifestyle” is one where nutritious foods and physical activity become normal patterns, and outside support might be needed to find the best approach.

“Exercise, exercise, exercise and follow a healthy diet involving a high intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fish. Limit animal protein and substitute it with fish or lean poultry,” she says. “Try to do moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for 30 minutes, five days a week.”

Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption. For diabetics, talk to your doctor about specific medications to promote weight loss.

Be Aware of the Warning Signs

“In the health care world, we like to say ‘time is brain.’ If you wait too long to seek medical attention, it may be too late for treatment,” Dr. Landaeta says.

B.E.F.A.S.T is the American Stroke Association’s plan for spotting the warning signs of stroke. Immediate treatment is key to reducing damage and increasing survival.

B: Loss of Balance – Unsteady balance, dizziness.

E: Eyesight Changes – Blurred or double vision.

F: Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?

A: Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S: Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred?

T: Time to call 911 – Every minute counts. Call 911 immediately and note time when any symptoms first appeared.

South Bay residents have another important safeguard in place for stroke risks. Torrance Memorial is a certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, prepared to the highest level for stroke-related medical problems and treatment of serious stroke events.

The hospital has also received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for its dedication to providing stroke patients with the best treatment based on nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.