Regardless of ones age or family history, a stroke doesnt have to be inevitable. But there are many other stroke risk factors that one can control, provided he or she is aware of them, Nurdin said here on Tuesday.
If someone knows that a particular risk factor is sabotaging his health and predisposing him to a higher risk of stroke, he can take at least five steps to alleviate the effects of that risk, he said.
He said that the first step is to have blood pressure checked regularly. The second step is to avoid consuming foods with high cholesterol.
According to him, high blood pressure is a huge factor, doubling or even quadrupling ones risks of developing a stroke if not under control. High blood pressure is the biggest contributor to the risk of strokes in both men and women.
He said people should avoid high-cholesterol foods such as burgers, cheese and ice creams, because high cholesterol can lead to hardening of the arteries.
The third step is to keep ones blood sugar under control, because high blood sugar can damage blood vessels over time, making clots more likely to form inside them.
Nurdin added that the fourth step is through the examination of Body Mass Index (BMI) as an indicator to determine whether one is classified overweight or not.
The fifth step is calculating the abdominal circumference that shows levels of abdominal fat associated with increased risk of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease.
"Ideal abdominal circumference for men is under 90 centimeters, and for women, it is under 80 centimeters," Nurdin said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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