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    September 2020

    Women: Midlife Isn’t Too Late to Slash Stroke Risk

    Ask women their health fears, and breast cancer often tops the list. But twice as many will eventually succumb to stroke. Each year, more women than men die of stroke. What’s more, strokes are the leading cause of preventable disability in the U.S.

    The good news? Four in 5 strokes can be prevented. And a new study suggests that even if you start in midlife, you can still make a big impact.

    Measurable ways to change your life

    Strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is blocked. Starved of oxygen, brain cells die off within minutes, possibly leaving you debilitated—or worse.  

    To study stroke prevention, researchers used data from a large study of nearly 60,000 women. Starting when they were an average age of 52, participants answered a set of questions about diet, exercise, and other behaviors every few years.     

    Over 26 years of follow-up, the women’s risk of having a stroke was 4.7%. However, if they made a few lifestyle adjustments, their risk declined by one-fourth, to 3.5%.

    Your blueprint for better health

    The women’s secrets to stroke-prevention success came from these combined strategies:

    • Not smoking

    • Exercising 30 minutes or more per day

    • Gradually losing weight (if they needed to)

    • Eating a healthy diet

    What did an anti-stroke diet look like? Daily, they’d consume:

    • 5o r more servings of fruits and vegetables

    • 1 or more servings of nuts

    • 2 or more servings of whole grains

    • 5 to 15 grams—about one standard drink or less—of alcohol           

    And each week, they had:

    • 3 or more servings of fish

    • 3 or fewer servings of red meat

    • No processed meat

    These switches are simple—but lifestyle change isn’t always easy. Start by assessing where your behavior is now. Then, create an action plan of small steps to get started. Your healthcare provider can serve as a guide through this process.

     

     

    Online Medical Reviewer: Brian McDonough, MD
    Date Last Reviewed: 7/1/2020
    © 2000-2024 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
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    Southern New Mexico
    Surgery Center

    2301 Indian Wells Rd. Suite B
    Alamogordo, NM 88310
    www.snmsc.org

    Phone: 575.437.0890
    Fax: 575.437.0905
    Email: info@snmsc.org

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