Stroke is a common disease among the elderly. Here are four things to do to reduce the risk of stroke:

Stroke is divided into ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. It is a disease with high mortality, high recurrence rate and high disability rate. As people age, their risk of stroke increases. Aging is inevitable, but people can reduce the risk of stroke by changing some behavioral habits.

1. Lowering blood pressure

Hypertension is one of the causes of stroke. If long-term hypertension is not treated, the risk of stroke will increase by one to four times. It is recommended that middle-aged and elderly people measure their blood pressure regularly. If they find that their blood pressure is high, they should contact a doctor in time to keep their blood pressure within a reasonable range.

Specific measures: 1. Control salt intake. The daily salt intake for adults should not exceed 6g. When buying snacks, choose low-sodium snacks. 2. Eat less saturated fat foods, such as butter and lard; eat more unsaturated fat foods, such as olive oil and soybean oil. 3. Eat vegetables and fruits every day, and eat fish twice a week. 4. Quit smoking and drinking.

2. Weight loss

Obesity and its complications (hypertension and diabetes) increase the risk of stroke. Obese patients are advised to lose weight and keep their body mass index (BMI) below 25.

Specific methods: 1. Control your diet and reduce your daily calorie intake, with the daily calorie intake not exceeding 1500-2000 calories. 2. Increase your exercise volume through running, playing ball and other activities every day.

3. Pay attention to vascular health

Blood vessels are channels that transport blood, and healthy blood vessels help reduce patients' risk of stroke.

Specific measures: 1. Keep warm in winter and avoid catching cold. 2. Drink more warm water and eat less spicy and greasy food. 3. Have regular physical examinations, and pay attention to adding a neck color Doppler ultrasound to observe the condition of the neck.

4. Quit smoking

Smoking increases the risk of atherosclerosis. The accumulation of plaques in the carotid arteries affects the blood supply to the brain and increases the risk of ischemic stroke.

Specific approach: divert attention and persist in quitting smoking