MONDAY, Oct. 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) — In a clinical guideline issued by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association and published online Oct. 21 in Stroke, updated recommendations are presented for the primary prevention of stroke.

Cheryl Bushnell, M.D., from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and colleagues conducted a systematic review to update guidelines for the primary prevention of stroke.

The authors note that to identify and achieve opportunities to promote brain health, every person should have access to and regular visits with a primary care health professional. In the approach to prevention of incident stroke, screening for and addressing adverse social determinants of health are important; in care settings where at-risk stroke patients may be evaluated, screening for social determinants of health is recommended. The Mediterranean diet pattern has been shown to reduce the risk for stroke, especially when supplemented with nuts and olive oil; low-fat diets have limited impact on reducing risk. For cardiovascular health and stroke risk reduction, physical activity is essential; an increased risk for stroke is seen in association with prolonged sedentary behavior. For patients with diabetes and high cardiovascular risk or established cardiovascular disease, glucagon-like protein-1 receptor agonists are recommended.

“Implementing the recommendations in this guideline would make it possible to significantly reduce the risk of people having a first stroke,” Bushnell said in a statement. “Most strategies that we recommend for preventing stroke will also help reduce the risk of dementia.”

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and medico-legal industries.

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