5 tips for women to reduce risk of stroke

The effects of a stroke can be devastating and the damage irreversible. If you're an older woman, you may be able to reduce your risk of stroke by half. There is no magic bullet: The steps to prevention are maintaining a healthy lifestyle comprising five factors.

Swedish researchers studied 32,000 women with an average age of 60 for 10 years. Those who adhered to the five healthy lifestyle habits cut their risk of stroke by 54 percent. The good habits are:

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products

Regular physical activity

No more than moderate alcohol consumption

No smoking

Maintaining a healthy body weight

Those who followed some of the lifestyle recommendations, but not all, cut their risk somewhat compared to women who followed none of the healthy lifestyles. The study was published in the scientific journal Neurology.

For more information on strokes and their prevention, go to nwsdy.li/aanstroke.