Prevention of Stroke

There are many ways of preventing a stroke including:

•    Controlling hypertension
•    Lowering the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat in the diet
•    Quitting smoking
•    Controlling diabetes
•    Maintaining a healthy weight
•    Eating a nutritious diet
•    Practicing moderation in drinking alcohol
•    Avoiding illicit drugs

If you have had an ischemic stroke or Transient ischemic attack (TIA), the doctor may recommend certain medication to prevent another occurrence of a stroke. These include:

•    Anti-platelet medication. Cells in the blood that cause clots are called platelets. Anti-platelet medication helps in making these cells difficult to clot. The most commonly used drug that is an anti-platelet is aspirin.
•    Anticoagulants. These drugs also prevent clotting in the blood. There are some that are extremely fast acting and may be used during hospitalization. Others are slow acting and may be used over long-term treatment and rehabilitation.