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A large number of strokes could be prevented – say new guidelines aimed at saving lives and helping people. Stroke has been the fourth leading cause of death in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than half a million Americans get the deadly, life-threatening condition every year.

However, doctors say up to 80 per cent of strokes can be preventable with better nutrition, exercise, and identification of risk factors.

The first new guidelines on stroke prevention in ten years from the American Stroke Association – a division of the American Heart Association - include recommendations for people and doctors that include a better understanding of who gets strokes and why, along with new drugs that help reduce risk.

The guidelines aim to help reduce the risk for stroke apart from keeping you fit and healthy, motivating you to consume a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and stop smoking – all of which are the first-line risk factors for the condition. However, doctors say it may not always be easy to sustain.

Doctors say a stroke happens when blood flow to your brain gets blocked or there is sudden bleeding in the brain. It deprives your brain of oxygen, which leads to brain damage, causing difficulty and issues with thinking, talking, walking, also sometimes, death.

Strokes are of two types – the one that occurs because blood flow to the brain is blocked is called an ischemic stroke. The brain cannot get oxygen and nutrients from the blood.

According to the Heart Association, a healthy diet helps control several factors that spike stroke risk - including high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and obesity.

The group suggests eating foods in the highly popular Mediterranean diet like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and olive oil, which keep cholesterol levels down. Limit your consumption of red meat and other major sources of saturated fat and instead, get your protein from beans, nuts, poultry, fish, and seafood.

It is also great to limit highly processed foods and drinks with a lot of added sugar, which reduces your calorie intake, thereby helping you keep your weight in check.

Even walking for just 10 minutes can “drastically” reduce your risk of stroke, according to the new guidelines. Regular workouts and exercise also lower blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke.

The Heart Association also recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobics or 75 minutes of vigorous activity every week.

It is important to keep your weight in check, and diet and exercise can help do that. However, a new class of drugs that drastically reduce weight has been approved by regulators, which provide new tools to reduce stroke risk since guidelines were last updated.

According to the guidelines, these now include Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound for those with obesity or diabetes.

For the first time, new guidelines also recommend screening patients for other factors that could increase stroke risk, including sex and gender and non-medical factors like economic stability, access to health care, discrimination, and racism. Through this, the doctors will be able to point to resources for low-cost health care and can give ideas about how to be active without breaking your savings for a gym membership.

The guidelines also now recommend doctors should screen for conditions that could increase a woman's risk for stroke, like high blood pressure during pregnancy or early menopause.

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