routine care and tries to make sure they’re aware of their cholesterol, blood sugar and especially blood pressure, because that is the primary modifiable risk factor for a stroke.
What are some of the factors not in their control?
Age is the biggest one. We know that for every decade after the age of 55, the risk of experiencing a stroke doubles.
The other thing is race. We’ve known for almost 60 years that people of African ancestry in this country are at substantially higher risk of experiencing, and unfortunately dying from, a stroke compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts. About half of that excess risk can be explained by lifestyle factors. But the other half, we still cannot explain.
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How does your own lifestyle line up with your advice?
I try to exercise every day. I do a little bit of modest resistance training by doing pushups. I work out on a stationary bike, as well. I don’t always succeed in doing that every day, but I try to do it at least four or five days a week.
I don’t like exercise just being routine. So, when I do exercise on my bike, I do it to music.
Hiking with my spouse is one of my big things. I love doing things in nature. And hiking, I think more than anything else, has been a way to be more physically active and also to just unplug.
Beyond the regular exercise – which is important – I incorporate a healthy lifestyle into the activities that I do. As I’m speaking to you right now, I’m standing. I have a standing desk, so I try to make sure that I stand most of the time unless there’s a compelling need to sit.
I take the staircase almost all the time unless there’s some compelling reason not to. I’m notorious for doing that in every workplace that I’ve been. But I do that all the time – and encourage my colleagues to do so, as well.
What else do you do on a daily basis?
I try to get at least five servings of fruits or vegetables in. If I’m feeling a little peckish, I nibble on almonds. I try not to do too much of that. But I do nibble, and that helps me feel a little more full.
Tapping into that Mediterranean diet, I love fish, and fish oils are very protective for the blood vessels. I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat very little meat. I do eat chicken once in a while.
I try to maintain a positive attitude. Several studies have shown that people who tend to have a more