Dameron Hospital | Health Outlook | Fall 2020

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. This is the leading cause of all strokes — most people who have a first stroke have blood pressure that is too high. Take charge: High blood pressure rarely causes symptoms. So get yours checked regularly. And if it’s high — now defined by the American Heart Association as 130/80 mm Hg — work with your doctor to bring it down to a healthy level. Steps like this can help: Eat a well-balanced, salt-smart diet. Focus on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry and fish, and nuts and legumes. Avoid palm and coconut oils. And cut down on salt, which can raise blood pressure. Most of the salt we eat comes from processed foods, such as canned goods and soup. So check labels to see how much sodium — an ingredient in salt — a food has before buying it. Try not to eat more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. If you have high blood pressure, you may need to eat even less sodium. Know the risks of alcohol. Drinking too much makes blood pressure climb. Move more. Aim to get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderately intense aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, each week, along with two or more days a week of muscle- strengthening activities. But for safety’s sake, check with your doctor before significantly increasing your activity level. Watch your weight. As your weight creeps up, so can your stroke risk. Take any blood pressure medicine exactly as prescribed. But remember: Medicine is never a substitute for any lifestyle changes your doctor also advises. 2 3 ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (AFIB). This irregular heartbeat significantly raises your stroke risk. If you have it, you’re five times more likely to have a stroke than someone without it. Take charge: Tell your doctor if you’ve noticed a racing, fluttering or irregular heartbeat or if you’ve been feeling short of breath or light- headed. If you are diagnosed with AFib, you may need anticoagulant medicine or other treatments to reduce your stroke risk. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for AFib. So keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range can also help prevent AFib. Additional sources: American Stroke Association; National Institutes of Health; National Stroke Association Sources: American Stroke Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention controllable risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure. 1 25 % people in the U.S. have a stroke every year. 795,000 MORE THAN EVERY 40 seconds someone in the U.S. has a stroke. of strokes happen in people who’ve had a stroke before. NEARLY of all strokes are ischemic strokes, in which blood flow to the brain is blocked. 87 % The No. About DID YOU KNOW STROKE IS THE FIFTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE U.S.? DameronHospital.org • Health Outlook  11