Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Sadly, many of those deaths may have been preventable. While there are some risk factors for stroke that we just can’t control, more than half of the risk factors we can. Also, of the risk factors we can control, half of them are diet and nutrition related. So just by making some healthier diet choices, you can easily start reducing your risk of stroke.
What are the risk factors you can control?
- Hypertension (high blood pressure) *
- Atrial Fibrillation
- High cholesterol*
- Diabetes*
- Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)*
- Circulation Problems
- Tobacco Use
- Alcohol Use*
- Physical Inactivity
Of these risk factors, almost all of them are related to diet and nutrition. We’ve put a star next to the risk factors that are diet and nutrition related. Over the next few weeks, we will sharing tips for how small changes in your diet can lead to big outcomes in reducing your risk factors.
Join Us on October 27 for the MUSC Stroke Awareness Fair
Join us at the MUSC Stroke Awareness Health Fair on Thursday, October 27th from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. to learn more about stroke and what you can do to prevent one.
Guest Author: Thanks to our guest author Stacy R. Renouf, RD, LD for this article. Stacy is the general outpatient dietitian here at the Medical University of South Carolina. She provides individual nutrition counseling on a variety of topics and diseases including diabetes, weight loss, kidney failure, and general healthy eating? For more information visit our nutritional services Web page.
