
10 Ways to Lower Your Risk of and Prevent Stroke
Managing controllable risk factors such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol can significantly lower your chances of having a stroke.
Lifestyle changes like quitting smoking (if you smoke), maintaining a moderate weight, exercising regularly, and limiting alcohol consumption are crucial steps in stroke prevention.
Addressing sleep issues and getting treatment for atrial fibrillation (Afib) can further reduce stroke risk, highlighting the importance of comprehensive healthcare and proactive management.
Medical researchers have examined the main types of stroke to better understand who they impact, why, and what can be done to prevent them.
In this article, we'll examine 10 important stroke prevention steps and how each strategy may help lower your stroke risk.
Stroke is an emergency
Symptoms of a stroke typically appear suddenly and include:
speech difficulty
face drooping or numbness
weakness/paralysis on one side of the body
difficulty seeing or walking
confusion
a severe headache (hemorrhagic stroke)
If you or someone you're with experiences these symptoms call 911 immediately. Swift action during a stroke can prevent long-term disability and even death.
What steps can you take to lower your risk of stroke?
The risk factors for stroke fall into two categories: those you can manage and those you can't.
Risk factors you can't change include:
genetic factors, such as a family history of certain diseases or conditions that increase the risk of stroke
sex
older age
ethnicity
Many other risk factors for stroke can be managed or influenced to reduce your risk.
Let's look at these changes in more detail.
1. Manage blood pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major risk factor for stroke. High blood pressure significantly contributes to 90% of all strokes. The higher your blood pressure, the greater the risk.
Normal blood pressure is defined as 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Blood pressure measurements even slightly above that have an increased risk of stroke.
Managing blood pressure doesn't get easier with age, and by age 65, 2/3 of people have hypertension.
You may be able to better manage your blood pressure by:
maintaining a moderate weight
getting regular exercise
following a heart-healthy eating plan, such as the Mediterranean diet or DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet
reducing your sodium intake
medications
Some people may also need to take prescription medications to help lower their blood pressure and reduce stress on their blood vessels.
Good blood pressure management may prevent about 40% of strokes.
2. Manage blood sugar
Diabetes is a significant risk factor for stroke. Stroke accounts for approximately 20% of deaths in people with diabetes, and people with prediabetes have a higher stroke risk, too.
Diabetes is also closely linked to other conditions that increase the risk of stroke, including:
high blood pressure
obesity
high blood cholesterol
Managing diabetes with lifestyle changes, such as exercise and diet changes, can help reduce the risk of stroke. Some people may also need medications to help keep their blood sugar within a healthy range.
3. Improve blood cholesterol
Good blood cholesterol management isn't just about lowering bad cholesterol (LDL). Boosting good cholesterol (HDL) numbers is also important.
People with high LDL cholesterol levels may have a greater risk of an ischemic stroke, but people with low HDL cholesterol levels may have a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
A healthy diet of good fats and proteins may help balance these numbers. This can include:
olive oil
avocados
fish
nuts
Some people may need statins or other medications to reduce cholesterol and lower the risk of plaque buildup in the arteries. Plaque can form into a full blockage or break off and become a clot.
4. Quit smoking, if you smoke
People who smoke have a 2 to 4 times greater risk of ischemic stroke than people who do not smoke. Smoking is a factor in nearly 15% of all stroke deaths in the United States each year.
The good news is that once you quit smoking, the benefits start right away and continue over time. Within 2 to 4 years of quitting, your smoke-related risk of stroke will have nearly reached zero.
5. Consider drinking habits
While people who drink light to moderate amounts of some types of alcohol may have a lower risk of heart disease than those who don't, the American Heart Association (AHA) notes that there may be other factors aside from alcohol consumption that provide the benefit. The AHA also notes that other behaviors, like exercising more and eating antioxidant-rich fruits, may lower your stroke risk better.
You may want to reevaluate your drinking habits if you engage in heavy alcohol use or misuse, which can significantly increase your risk of stroke. In part, that's because drinking a lot of alcohol can increase your blood pressure.
If you drink, it's best to stick to light to moderate alcohol consumption, which the AHA defines as up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. If you don't already drink, they say, don't start.
If you have difficulty limiting or stopping drinking, there are ways to get help. Behavioral therapy is a good place to start. Community support groups can help, too.
6. Aim for a healthy weight
Overweight and obesity are leading risk factors for stroke. They're also closely linked to other conditions or diseases that increase your risk for stroke, including high blood pressure and diabetes.
The risk of stroke in someone who has overweight is 22% higher than a person at a moderate weight. For people with obesity, the risk is 64% higher.
Weight management techniques can include getting regular exercise and taking in fewer calories.
But for some people, those changes may not be enough to lower the risk. A doctor may prescribe medications or procedures that can help you lose weight.
It's best to talk with your doctor about the right target weight for you.
7. Exercise regularly
Exercise can have a positive impact on some of the leading risk factors for stroke. It can help you:
lower blood pressure
lower blood sugar levels
lose weight or maintain a moderate weight
Exercise can support your heart health and reduce your risk of stroke. People who exercise regularly have a lower risk of stroke, and those who do have a stroke are less likely to die than people who aren't active.
Aim for moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week, even if you're not looking to lose weight. This exercise doesn't have to come from endless walking on a treadmill. Consider alternative ideas, like:
8. Take sleep seriously
Research increasingly makes it clear that poor sleep quality may increase your risk of stroke.
Poor sleep is known to cause issues like fatigue, poor memory, and even anxiety and depression.
Sleep issues linked to stroke include:
insomnia
excessive daytime sleepiness
sleep apnea
hypersomnia, or sleeping more than 9 hours a night
Doctors recommend finding a healthy balance of 7 to 8 hours of sleep. But if you can't do that alone, you can talk with your doctor about medications, techniques, and sleep aids that may help.
Having a stroke can also worsen existing sleep issues, which can increase your risk for a recurrent stroke.
9. Get treatment for atrial fibrillation (Afib)
Atrial fibrillation (AF or Afib) is a type of heart arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat. If you have Afib, you have a higher risk of stroke and blood clots.
Afib is linked to 1.9% of strokes per year. And while that may not seem like a lot, if Afib is coupled with other risk factors, the likelihood of a stroke increases.
Afib must be properly diagnosed and treated by a doctor. For many people, treatment will include medications that prevent blood clotting.
10. Focus on diet
Eating a nutritious and balanced diet can help you lose weight and positively impact other issues that can contribute to stroke risk. For instance:
Reducing sodium consumption may help lower your blood pressure.
Eating more healthy fats, like fish and heart-healthy oils, may improve your cholesterol levels.
Limiting added sugar and refined carbs can make managing your blood sugar levels easier.
You don't have to focus on counting calories. Instead, focus on eating more nutritious foods, like:
fresh fruits
vegetables
legumes
whole grains
fish
poultry
You can also help reduce your risk by skipping or limiting certain foods, such as:
refined sugars
red meat
ultra-processed foods
Making subtle changes to what you put on your plate can have a significant impact on your health.
Learn more about how diet can influence stroke risk.
The bottom line
If you have an increased risk of a stroke, you can work closely with your doctor to understand how to reduce your risk factors as much as you can.
Many of the strategies for stroke prevention can also support your overall health and may even reduce your risk of other health conditions.
But preventing stroke is not a one-size-fits-all plan. Combining these strategies to meet your individual risk factors can ultimately have a positive long-term impact on your health.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Perfuze Presents Preliminary Results from MARRS Pivotal Trial at SNIS, Highlighting Millipede88 Performance in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Millipede88 Demonstrates High Revascularization and First Pass Effect Rates in 180 patient multicenter study GALWAY, Ireland, July 16, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Perfuze, a medical device company developing catheter technology for interventional stroke care, today announced positive preliminary results from its pivotal IDE clinical trial, MARRS (Millipede Aspiration for Revascularization in Stroke Study). These preliminary results were presented at the Society for NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The trial is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the Millipede System for revascularization in acute ischemic stroke. Conducted across a network of leading stroke centers in the U.S. and Europe, the study included patients with occlusions in the ICA, M1, M2 and basilar, or vertebral arteries. The Millipede System includes the Millipede88 aspiration catheter, Perfuze's flagship Superbore aspiration catheter. The MARRS trial enrolled 180 evaluable subjects, with first pass direct aspiration being performed with the Millipede88 in 101 of these patients. The preliminary analysis shows a high rate of First Pass Effect (FPE), defined as complete or near-complete revascularization (mTICI 2c) following a single device pass. For patients treated with Millipede88, an FPE rate of 61% was observed across all target vessels in the Per Protocol (PP) population. Specifically, for M1 artery occlusions treated with Millipede88 in the PP population, an FPE rate of 77% was achieved. "The MARRS data are truly exceptional. Achieving 77% First Pass Effect for M1 occlusions in a pivotal study is a major advance for stroke care. The ability to reliably achieve rapid, complete reperfusion with a single aspiration pass is exactly what we need to improve efficacy. This technology is a powerful tool that simplifies thrombectomy and delivers outstanding performance," said Dr. Raul G. Nogueira, Principal Investigator of the MARRS Study and Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Across the 180 patients enrolled, delivery success of the Millipede System was 99%, and the median number of passes was 1. Preliminary safety analysis showed a symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) rate of 1.7%. Perforation was reported at 0% and the rate of intracranial dissection was 1.1%, indicating a promising safety profile. "The MARRS study represents several years of work by the Perfuze team and our clinical partners," said Wayne Allen, CEO and Co-Founder of Perfuze. "We designed the Millipede88 to navigate seamlessly to the clot face, enabling a superbore catheter that improves the likelihood of achieving First Pass Effect. This early data reflects that intent, and we're encouraged by the physician feedback we've received to date." The MARRS trial completed enrollment earlier this year, executed ahead of schedule, reflecting strong engagement from stroke centers and interest in next-generation aspiration technology. These clinical results follow several successful milestones for Perfuze, including FDA 510(k) clearance for its Zipline™ Access Catheters and a €22 million funding round to support commercial expansion and operational scale-up. With these preliminary MARRS data, Perfuze is preparing for FDA submission. "This is a significant inflection point for the company," said Perfuze Chairperson, Hooman Hakami. "Preliminary MARRS results support the Millipede88 catheter's safety and effectiveness and underpin our vision to advance stroke intervention." About the Millipede System and MARRS Trial Millipede88 is a superbore aspiration catheter developed to support effective clot retrieval while maintaining navigability through challenging cerebrovascular anatomy. The MARRS trial is a prospective, multicenter, single-arm pivotal IDE study designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Millipede System in patients with large vessel occlusion stroke. Revascularization outcomes were adjudicated by an independent core laboratory. About Perfuze Perfuze is a privately held medical device company based in Galway, Ireland. The company is dedicated to developing advanced catheter technologies that simplify stroke procedures and aim to improve outcomes for patients suffering from acute ischemic stroke. For more information, visit Follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). Disclaimer: United States: CAUTION – Investigational device. Limited by Federal law to investigational use. Europe: Exclusively for use in a clinical investigation. These are preliminary results from an ongoing clinical investigation. The Clinical Study Report has not yet been approved or reviewed by regulatory authorities. Data may be subject to change and may not fully reflect the contents of the Clinical Study Report. View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Dr. Freskida GoniCommunications Consultant, Perfuzecomms@ +44 7473678178 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UBS Raises Regeneron (REGN) Price Target, Maintains Neutral Rating
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN) is one of the Best Non-Mega Cap NASDAQ Stocks to Buy Right Now. UBS analyst Trung Huynh raised the price target on Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN) to $584 from $560 while maintaining a rating ahead of the company's second-quarter earnings report. A pharmacist in a lab coat carefully analyzing a vial of medicine for its quality. The move reflects slightly more optimistic expectations for Regeneron's financial performance, particularly driven by the continued strength of its flagship eye treatment, Eylea. The franchise has shown resilience amid increased competition in the ophthalmology space, and investor attention is likely to focus on how well Regeneron has defended its market share. Despite the upward revision, UBS remains cautious on the stock, pointing to a balance of risks and rewards in the near term. While the company has a robust pipeline and strong positioning in its core therapeutic areas, the firm believes the current share price already reflects much of the near-term optimism. The note also signals that while the broader biotech sector has experienced renewed investor interest, Regeneron's valuation leaves limited room for upside unless new catalysts emerge. The stock has performed steadily in recent months, and the upcoming earnings release may serve as a key moment for reassessing momentum into the second half of the year. While we acknowledge the potential of REGN as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: Top 10 Healthcare AI Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds and 10 Consumer Defensive Stocks to Buy Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.


Medscape
12 minutes ago
- Medscape
Fact or Fiction: Endometrial Cancer
Recent research emphasizes the importance of recognizing subclinical and early-stage endometrial cancer and the risks associated with delayed diagnosis, particularly among patients with metabolic syndrome, obesity, or other chronic health conditions. Improvements in diagnostic techniques and treatment modalities allow for a patient-centered, personalized approach, focusing not only on tumor eradication but also on overall health, quality of life, and long-term well-being. Although hormonal imbalance, particularly excess estrogen without sufficient progesterone, contributes significantly to the development of endometrial cancer, numerous other factors play critical roles. Specifically, women with Lynch syndrome have the highest risk for endometrial cancer (40%-60% lifetime risk), and research has shown that obesity and insulin resistance also drive its pathogenesis. Lifestyle factors, such as alcohol consumption and tobacco use, and psychological factors can further influence pathogenesis and prognosis. Learn more about the etiology of endometrial cancer. Total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is the standard surgery for endometrial cancer, except in candidates for fertility-sparing options. Decisions regarding the addition of chemotherapy, radiation, or both depend on factors such as tumor stage, histologic subtype, grade, lymphovascular invasion, and molecular classification (eg, POLE mutations, p53 status, or mismatch repair deficiency). This individualized approach ensures that patients with low-risk disease are not overtreated while those with high-risk or advanced disease receive more aggressive and effective multimodal therapy. Learn more about treatment of endometrial cancer. Although hysterectomy is a key component of treatment, especially when performed with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, endometrial cancer can still recur. Up to 20% of patients will experience recurrence after hysterectomy, with most cases occurring within 2-3 years. Further, relapses can be local or include distant extrauterine manifestations. Therefore, ongoing surveillance through regular follow-up appointments, and imaging when necessary, is part of comprehensive care in both American and European recommendations. Learn more about the workup for endometrial cancer. Approximately 90% of patients with endometrial cancer will present with abnormal vaginal bleeding, with most cases occurring post-menopause. This has led to a belief that endometrial cancer is highly treatable because most patients with abnormal bleeding causes seek care when the cancer is still in early stages. However, mortality due to uterine cancer, of which endometrial cancer is the largest subgroup, has increased 1.25 times in all age groups throughout the 2000s. After presentation, an endometrial sample, which is easily obtained through office endometrial biopsy, can confirm the diagnosis, and further testing is then done to guide the course of treatment. Learn more about management guidelines for endometrial cancer. When fertility-sparing therapies are used in correctly selected patients, there is no significant adverse impact on survival. Specifically, patients with stage 1 endometrial cancer treated with fertility-sparing progestin therapy had comparable 5-year survival rates to those treated with hysterectomy, but comparable survival outcomes were not seen in those with higher-stage disease. According to National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, patients must meet all of these criteria to be candidates for fertility-sparing treatment: grade 1 histology, disease limited to endometrium, absence of suspicious metastases, no contraindications to therapy or pregnancy, and counseling that this is not the standard of care. Learn more about management approaches to endometrial cancer.