**You can prevent most strokes by keeping your blood pressure at goal, not smoking, staying active, treating diabetes and high cholesterol, and taking any blood thinner prescribed for atrial fibrillation.**
High blood pressure is the single biggest controllable cause of stroke, so knowing your numbers and treating them matters more than any supplement or single food. Your plan changes with your history: atrial fibrillation, a prior stroke or TIA, sickle cell disease, or a carotid artery narrowing all call for specific treatment beyond general habits. Day to day, the habits that help are steady movement most days, less sodium and more vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, limited alcohol, treating sleep apnea, and taking prescribed medicines every day rather than only when you feel unwell. Aspirin is not right for everyone and can cause bleeding, so ask before you start it. A stroke or TIA in progress is an emergency: call 911 rather than waiting to see if symptoms pass.
How to lower your stroke risk
Common questions
how to prevent a stroke
Stroke prevention comes down to a few high-impact steps. Keep blood pressure at the target you and your clinician set, since high blood pressure is the leading controllable cause of stroke. Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke. Aim for about 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, eat more vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, cut back on sodium, and limit alcohol. Treat diabetes and high cholesterol as prescribed. If you have atrial fibrillation, take the anticoagulant you were prescribed, because it lowers stroke risk sharply. Ask before starting aspirin. Learn the F.A.S.T. warning signs and call 911 right away if they appear.