How to Prevent a Second Stroke

Do you know that if you've had one stroke, you're more at risk for another?¹⁶

While you can't control the fact that you've already had a stroke, there are many risk factors for stroke you can control, and often these factors are a matter of life and death.

• Monitoring controllable risk factors, like blood pressure and cholesterol, can help reduce your risk of second stroke
• Maintaining a low-sodium, low-fat diet; exercising regularly; and drinking alcohol in moderation can also reduce risk
• Lastly, if you smoke, QUIT! Uncontrollable risk factors, like age, gender, race and family history cannot be changed but paying close attention to controllable risk factors can help reduce the impact of those you can't control¹⁷

By taking care of yourself and reducing controllable risk factors, you can save a life – it may be yours.

Preventing a recurrent stroke (a second or third stroke) can also be helped with the right medical treatment. Antithrombotic medications, which prevent the formation of blood clots, are the most commonly used treatments to prevent a second stroke. There are two types of antithrombotics (an-tee-throm-BOT-ik):

Anticoagulants (AN-TEE-koh-AG-yuh-luh nt) – reduce the clotting property of blood and have been shown to prevent cardioembolic TIAs and stroke (e.g., strokes caused by a clot originating in the heart, usually caused by an underlying cardiac disease)

Antiplatelets (AN-TEE-PLEYT-lit) – reduce platelet activity to prevent the formation of clots associated with ischemic strokes; they are recommended for non-cardioembolic stroke (also know as thrombotic stroke, in which a clot forms in the blood vessel)¹⁸

• Non-cardioembolic strokes are most commonly ischemic and a daily regimen of antiplatelet medications is recommended to prevent a second stroke¹⁸