May is American Stroke Month

Did you know that as many people in the U.S. have a stroke every year as have a heart attack? One every 40 seconds. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked, causing brain cells to die from lack of oxygen-rich blood. Unfortunately, it is a leading cause of long-term disability as well as death.
 
The good news is, it is preventable! Sometimes we forget that what we do now, while we are young (it’s all relative) will make a difference in our health tomorrow. We can all reduce our risk of stroke. The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association have put together a handy stroke prevention checklist here, and summarized tips with Life’s Simple 7 to protect you from stroke:
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        1.        Don’t smoke
          2.        Be physically active
          3.        Eat a  healthy diet
          4.        Maintain a healthy weight
          5.        Control cholesterol
          6.        Control blood pressure
          7.        Control blood sugar
 
Just One Thing to do: Reduce your risk of stroke by picking one of Life’s Simple 7 to work on now!