Breaking News: Stroke Risk Update
The guidelines have changed!The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA) have teamed up to bring new guidelines for reducing the risk of a first stroke. These guidelines were just published in in the journal Stroke.So, what are the new stroke risk reduction guidelines?
- Evaluate blood pressure once a year.
- Follow a DASH or Mediterranean-style diet. Add nuts.
- Increase physical activity to at least 75 minutes of weekly vigorous exercise or 150 minutes of weekly moderate exercise.
- Quit smoking.
To arrive at these recommendations, Dr. James Meschia and his team evaluated the existing stroke prevention guidelines and explored both observational studies and randomized clinical trials.But why does this matter to your clients? Well, it all comes down to risk.According to Medical News Today, "Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the US, killing almost 130,000 Americans every year."Though age and family history are two non-controllable risk factors for stroke, most of the other risk factors can be adjusted or avoided. Alcohol consumption, atherosclerosis, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, and smoking all raise stroke risk, and all of them can be improved with diet and lifestyle changes. That's why these new guidelines are out. They're here to help people make a difference in their health and well-being.Would you like some resources to help inform your clients about ways to reduce their stroke risk? Here are some great materials...
