Prevent a stroke with these tips

Stroke is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease. According to experts, however, most cases could be avoided. Some behaviors are particularly important. We explain which 5 tips you can use to prevent a stroke.

According to the German Stroke Aid, around 270,000 people in Germany suffer a stroke every year. The term stroke is used to summarize different, rapidly onset circulatory disorders of the brain such as a cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage. Various risk factors can promote the development of the disease.

Stroke: These are the risk factors

According to experts, most of the stroke cases could be prevented. Although there are risk factors that cannot be influenced, such as genetic predisposition or increasing age, many of the risk factors can be avoided. These include, for example, high blood pressure, an unhealthy diet, smoking and alcohol consumption, obesity, hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis), high cholesterol levels , lack of exercise and stress. Some of the risk factors can also influence each other.

Interesting: Find out why men have different symptoms than women when they have a stroke >>

Prevent a stroke with these 7 tips

  1. Eat a healthy
    diet A balanced diet rich in vitamins and nutrients is essential for a healthy body. A healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables can help prevent cardiovascular disease, among other things. Unhealthy, heavily processed foods such as fast food or sweets should be avoided as they protect the blood vessels and prevent arteriosclerosis, which in turn increases the risk of a stroke. The same goes for being overweight. Studies have shown that the so-called Mediterranean diet in particular has a positive effect on the blood vessels. This is rich in fruit and vegetables, contains more fish than meat, high-quality oils such as olive oil and nuts.
  2. Avoid Stress
    Most people are aware that stress is bad for us and our bodies. But did you know that stress can also promote cardiovascular disease? Of course, a certain level of stress in everyday life and at work cannot be completely avoided, but it should be kept as low as possible to prevent a stroke. The reason? Chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure, which in turn is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. If you often feel stressed, relaxation exercises, yoga, or exercise can help.
  3. Lose
    weight A few extra pounds on the scales is usually not a problem. However, anyone who is severely overweight should definitely lose weight in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases such as a stroke. Obesity is a serious condition that can cause other complications. If you are overweight, you are more likely to have high blood pressure , which in turn can promote a stroke. In addition, severely overweight people are more likely to suffer from arteriosclerosis, which can also cause cardiovascular diseases such as a stroke . The risk of suffering a stroke increases by two to three times in overweight people.
  4. Avoid nicotine and alcohol
    Smoking and regularly drinking large amounts of alcohol can greatly increase your risk of stroke. Studies have shown that smoking increases this risk by two to four times. The nicotine can cause poor blood circulation in the vessels and cause an increase in blood pressure – this in turn can lead to hardening of the arteries. Alcohol can also cause a wide variety of damage to the body and cause diseases such as cancer or cirrhosis of the liver. The same applies to cardiovascular diseases – even the smallest amounts of alcohol increase the risk of cerebral hemorrhage.
  5. Exercising
    and exercising, along with a healthy diet, are among the most important measures to prevent most diseases – among other things, exercise protects against hardening of the arteries. Obesity is also prevented in this way. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends moving for half an hour five times a week. This movement can be a brisk walk  , but sports like jogging or cycling are even better. Build more exercise into your everyday life. This is especially true if you have a sedentary job.

Crystal Waston MD

Crystal Waston has a degree in Cross Media Production and Publishing. At vital.de she gives everyday tips and deals with topics related to women's health, sport, and nutrition.

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