Nearly 900,000 Canadian adults have experienced a stroke — a disease that affects blood flow to, and within, the brain and damages brain cells. With June being Stroke Month, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada is raising awareness about the disease, its risk factors and myths.
And, while many factors influence stroke risk — including things you can’t change, like genetics, age and sex — certain lifestyle changes can lower your risk of stroke. In fact, 80 per cent of strokes are preventable.
However, according to a 2023 poll, 7 in 10 Canadians don’t understand the risk factors for stroke and heart disease. It can be hard to fix what you don’t understand.
With this in mind, Yahoo Canada spoke to Dr. Nishita Singh. She’s a stroke neurologist, assistant professor at the University of Manitoba and the Heart and Stroke and Research Manitoba chair in clinical stroke research. Here, Singh shares her advice on how to decrease stroke risk by making lifestyle changes and embracing healthy habits.
Anyone can have a stroke
First, an important reminder: “Stroke can happen at any age, and the risk of stroke increases as people get older,” Singh says. While 80 per cent of all strokes happen to those over the age of 60, it’s important to note that younger people can — and do — have strokes.
How to decrease stroke risk
“It’s really important that you keep your heart and brain healthy,” Singh says. “That’s what would prevent stroke and heart disease, and it all begins with understanding your risk and knowing what you can do to manage them.”
[Simple habits] can make a remarkable difference when it comes to decreasing your risk of stroke and heart disease in the future.Dr. Nishita Singh
The good news is, healthy lifestyle behaviours can be very effective in lowering your stroke risk.
“These simple habits are, of course, easier for some than others,” the doctor continues. “But they can make a remarkable difference when it comes to decreasing your risk of stroke and heart disease in the future.”
5 ways to decrease stroke risk, according to a doctor
Be physically active
Singh and other doctors advise patients to aim for 10,000 steps per day. If you’re not doing any kind of physical activity each day, Singh says you should start — whether you’re in your 20s or 60s — or even older.
“It’s never too late to start any kind of physical activity,” she says.
Can’t hit 10,000 steps? That’s OK. Any exercise is better than nothing, Singh notes.
“There is a cumulative benefit when it comes to physical activity, so even if you start with 2,000 steps a day or 5,000 steps a day, that’s also good,” she explains.
As a benchmark, the Heart and Stroke Foundation suggests people get in 150 minutes of exercise per week, which is about 20 minutes each day. And it doesn’t have to be hitting the gym or lifting weights. Singh says it can be as simple as walking.
Stop smoking
Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for both heart disease and stroke, Singh says. “It is also one of the most challenging things to do at a personal level when it comes to quitting.”
Smoking causes stickiness in your blood cells, making them clump together more easily — and more likely to form clots. Smoking can also lead to deposition of cholesterol plaques, which can cause narrowing of the arteries in the heart, the brain and throughout your body. “That can lead to symptoms of heart disease, heart attack or stroke,” Singh explains.
The same goes for e-cigarettes and vaping.
If you’re thinking about quitting, Singh says it doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing” mindset.
“Just start with taking baby steps — there’s a cumulative benefit there as well,” she says.
Limit alcohol intake
Experts generally recommend limiting alcohol intake for heart health. In fact, the World Heart Federation says that even moderate alcohol consumption can harm cardiovascular health, and Health Canada’s guidelines to limit alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per week align with this.
“There’s a lot of recent data which actually strongly supports that no alcohol is the best way to protect yourself from heart disease or stroke,” Singh says. “Currently, you should abstain from alcohol completely to prevent any further risk.”
Eat a healthy diet
It’s one of the most commonly asked questions Singh gets: What exactly should I be eating as part of a healthy diet?
“It’s really about conscious eating and conscious lifestyle measures,” she says. Generally, Singh tells patients that eating healthy means not getting takeout from fast food joints every day.
“No deep fried foods, no alcohol, no smoking, no ultra-processed foods, and no or minimal red meat,” she adds.
Similar to smoking, Singh explains that the extra oil in deep-fried foods deposits in the walls of blood vessels and contributes to the narrowing of arteries. “It can ultimately lead to decreased blood flow and make these organs unhappy and cause symptoms and heart disease and stroke,” she says. She also says researchers are currently studying how ultra-processed foods can affect your risk of heart disease and stroke.
So, what should you eat?
“Eat as much natural, organic, green, healthy, leafy greens, vegetables and fruits [as possible] and get all of that in your system while you’re exercising and having a smoke-free, alcohol-free life,” the doctor says.
Maintaining a healthy weight is another way to lower your risk of stroke.
Start slow
It’s worth noting, Singh says, that these changes don’t have to happen overnight.
“Even if you take small, incremental steps, your risk of stroke will lower over time as you pursue a healthier lifestyle,” she says.
Signs and symptoms of stroke
More than three in 10 Canadians cannot name any of the signs of stroke, according to the latest Heart and Stroke poll results. It’s important to recognize the signs of stroke so you can act quickly. FAST is a simple way to remember the signs of stroke:
Face – is it drooping?
Arms – can you raise both?
Speech – Is it slurred or jumbled?
Time to call 9-1-1 right away.
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