Strokes often get mistaken as “just a normal part of aging.” It’s true that the risk of stroke increases as you age, but it does not necessarily mean that strokes are an unavoidable part of your golden years.
“Up to 80 percent of strokes can be prevented, which is huge,” says Carolyn Brockington, MD, neurologist at Mount Sinai Hospital. “You do that by identifying your own risk factors and changing them or modifying them appropriately.”
Dr. Brockington is a neurologist and director of the Stroke Center at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West Hospital in New York City.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Preventing stroke: What you can do.
Harvard Health Publishing. (2022). 7 things you can do to prevent a stroke.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2023). Brain basics: Preventing stroke.
National Stroke Association. (2015). Lifestyle risk factors.
National Stroke Association. (2021). Risk factors under your control.
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