Published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke last week, the study evaluates seven health factors that can cut your risks: be active, control cholesterol, eat a healthy diet, manage blood pressure, maintain a healthy weight, control blood sugar, and don’t smoke. Researchers calculated stroke risk among nearly 23,000 black and white Americans aged 45 and older.
"We used the assessment tool to look at stroke risk and found that small differences in health status were associated with large reductions in stroke risk," said Dr. Mary Cushman, senior author and professor of medicine at the University of Vermont in Burlington.
During five years of follow-up, 432 strokes occurred among the subjects. All seven factors played an important role in predicting stroke risk, but the most important factor was blood pressure, the findings showed.
"Compared to those with poor blood pressure status, those who were ideal had a 60 percent lower risk of future stroke," Cushman said.
Researchers also found that those who didn’t smoke or quit smoking more than one year prior to the beginning of the study had a 40 percent lower stroke risk.
Access: http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/early/2013/06/06/STROKEAHA.111.000352
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