HMN 2025: How Experts spotlight key steps to scale back stroke threat throughout consciousness month

May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and as a part of on a regular basis consciousness, Mayo Clinic well being care professionals recommend lowering stroke threat and understanding the indicators. A stroke occurs each 40 seconds within the U.S., and the chance of stroke will increase with age, in accordance with the National Institutes of Health.

Preventing a stroke is a vital facet of well being care, as about 80% of all strokes are preventable. The focus is on managing threat components to scale back the long-term threat of stroke.

A stroke outcomes from a blocked or torn blood vessel that decreases blood circulation to the mind. In the U.S., stroke is a number one explanation for dying and incapacity.

“Because about 80% of all strokes are preventable, we actually give attention to prevention,” says Dr. Stephen English, a Mayo Clinic neurologist.

Tips for decreasing stroke threat embrace sustaining blood stress underneath 130/80 and protecting ldl cholesterol and blood glucose at acceptable ranges.

“(Other modifiable dangers embrace) issues like smoking cessation, remedy of sleep apnea with a CPAP machine, and another potential therapies,” he says. “We wish to make it possible for the chance components are mitigated to assist scale back the long-term threat of stroke.”

There are threat components for stroke that can not be modified. These embrace age, intercourse, race and household historical past.

“There are 4 nonmodifiable threat components we sometimes take into consideration. The first is age, so age better than 55; males; those that have a household historical past of prior stroke; after which individuals which can be of African American descent,” says Dr. English.

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