7 Simple Steps To Stay Healthy
Thursday, June 12, 2008 by Web Mistress
Don't smoke
The habit roughly doubles the likelihood of having a stroke.
Get regular exercise
If you keep your circulatory system in shape, your blood pressure stays low — slashing stroke risk.
Watch your numbers
Your doctor should check your blood pressure every other year and cholesterol levels every 5 years (more often if your numbers are high). When you get your cholesterol tested, ask your doctor to also check your levels of highly sensitive C-reactive protein, or hs-CRP. Raised levels signal inflammation; an hs-CRP over 3 mg/l means an increased stroke risk, no matter how low your cholesterol, says Paul Ridker, MD, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Pick produce
Two large studies have found that each daily serving of fruits or vegetables trims stroke risk by 6 percent.
Frequent the fish counter
A 2005 Harvard study concluded that people who ate fish even occasionally were about 12 percent less likely than seafood avoiders to suffer strokes. Eat fish at least once a week or ask your doctor if it makes sense to take a fish-oil supplement daily, researchers suggest.
Talk before taking hormones
If you're considering the Pill or hormone therapy for menopause, make sure your doctor knows your habits and history — especially if you smoke or have had a blood clot (or if a family member has had one).
Ask about aspirin
A 10-year study of nearly 40,000 women found that taking a low-dose aspirin (100 mg) every other day reduced the risk of stroke by 17 percent. Women over age 65 should consider a daily low-dose aspirin, says Ridker, who led the study.
The habit roughly doubles the likelihood of having a stroke.
Get regular exercise
If you keep your circulatory system in shape, your blood pressure stays low — slashing stroke risk.
Watch your numbers
Your doctor should check your blood pressure every other year and cholesterol levels every 5 years (more often if your numbers are high). When you get your cholesterol tested, ask your doctor to also check your levels of highly sensitive C-reactive protein, or hs-CRP. Raised levels signal inflammation; an hs-CRP over 3 mg/l means an increased stroke risk, no matter how low your cholesterol, says Paul Ridker, MD, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Pick produce
Two large studies have found that each daily serving of fruits or vegetables trims stroke risk by 6 percent.
Frequent the fish counter
A 2005 Harvard study concluded that people who ate fish even occasionally were about 12 percent less likely than seafood avoiders to suffer strokes. Eat fish at least once a week or ask your doctor if it makes sense to take a fish-oil supplement daily, researchers suggest.
Talk before taking hormones
If you're considering the Pill or hormone therapy for menopause, make sure your doctor knows your habits and history — especially if you smoke or have had a blood clot (or if a family member has had one).
Ask about aspirin
A 10-year study of nearly 40,000 women found that taking a low-dose aspirin (100 mg) every other day reduced the risk of stroke by 17 percent. Women over age 65 should consider a daily low-dose aspirin, says Ridker, who led the study.
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