Prevention is the Best Medicine

Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. Oregon now has one of the highest death rates from stroke in the country. Therefore, prevention is essential.

The American Heart Association recommends the following to lower your stroke risk:

• Control your blood pressure.
• Quit smoking.
• Eat healthfully. Limit saturated fat, cholesterol and trans-fatty acids, and consume less than six grams of salt a day.
• Take a low-dose aspirin if you’re at high risk and your doctor says it’s safe.
• Control your cholesterol.
• Exercise for 30 minutes on most days— once you’ve cleared it with your doctor.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Manage your diabetes.
• Limit alcohol to one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men.

• Salem Hospital’s online encyclopedia, HealthSource, www.salemhospital.org/healthsource. In the Adult Health Library, select “Cardiovascular Disease.”
• National Library of Medicine: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/stroke.html
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: www.ninds.nih.gov
• American Heart Association’s Circulation journal: circ.ahajournals.org