Reduce Your Risk of Another Heart Attack or Stroke

COVID-19 pandemic highlights importance of maintaining healthy routines

After a heart attack or stroke, as many as 1 in 4 survivors will have another one. However, lifestyle changes and working closely with your doctor to manage your health may minimize the risk of a repeat event. Sticking to secondary prevention routines – by eating healthy, being active, and taking medications as prescribed – is important as cases of COVID-19 increase.

“A heart attack or stroke is a very scary experience, and people try to avoid revisiting that difficult time,” said neurologist Lee Schwamm, MD, chair of the American Stroke Association and professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School “Unfortunately, the risk of a repeat stroke is high, and lifestyle changes to reduce a person’s risk are almost always necessary to reduce those odds.”

Up to 80% of second clot-related strokes and heart attacks may be prevented by making healthy choices. Consider these tips from the American Stroke Association’s secondary heart attack and stroke prevention initiative, sponsored nationally by Bayer.

Blood Pressure: Work with your doctor to ensure you’re maintaining a healthy blood pressure level below 130/80. High blood pressure is both a leading cause and major risk factor for stroke and heart attack.