Sky Lakes Medical Center | Live Smart | Fall 2018

ATHEROSCLEROSIS. This buildup of plaque in your arteries—especially the carotid arteries in your neck—can bring on a stroke. Take charge: Some of the same steps that keep blood pressure in a healthy range can also help keep plaque from clogging your arteries. Among them: sticking to a well-balanced, reduced-sodium diet; maintaining a healthy weight; and being more physically active. Do you smoke? Then talk to your health care provider about products and programs that can help you quit. Lighting up damages your blood vessels and raises your atherosclerosis risk. Smoking cessation resources are at SkyLakes.org/QuitNow . Unhealthy cholesterol levels can cause atherosclerosis. So if your levels aren’t good, your doctor may prescribe medication to control or lower your cholesterol. Be sure to follow your doctor’s orders for taking the medication. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. This is the leading cause of all strokes—most people who have a first stroke have blood pressure that is too high. 1 2 Take charge: High blood pressure rarely causes symptoms. So get yours checked regularly. And if it’s high—now defined by the American Heart Association as 130/80 mm Hg—work with your physician to bring it down to a healthy level. The following steps can help: Know the risks of alcohol. Drinking too much makes blood pressure climb. Top honors for stroke care The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recently recognized Sky Lakes Medical Center for its active involvement in “Get With The Guidelines–Stroke” and “Target: Stroke” quality measures, a program designed to help hospitals make sure patients get the benefits of the latest treatment based on scientific guidelines. In the next 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. will have a stroke. But chances are that stroke—which might be deadly or cause a severe and lasting disability—didn’t have to happen. That’s because strokes are largely preventable with lifestyle changes and other safeguards that decrease your stroke risk. It’s true that you can’t control every risk factor that heightens the chance of a stroke, such as a family history of stroke or simply growing older. But here are three major risk factors you can control, along with proven ways to do so. 4 LIVE smart | Fall 2018 BE STROKE SMART What you can do to control three major risk factors