To help prevent a stroke:

• Get screened for high blood pressure every 1 - 2 years, especially if you have a family history of high blood pressure.
• Have your cholesterol checked. If you are high risk, your LDL "bad" cholesterol should be lower than 100 mg/dL. Your doctor may recommend you try to reduce your LDL cholesterol to as low as 70 mg/dL.
• If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease, make sure you follow your doctor's treatment recommendations.
• Follow a low-fat diet.
• Quit smoking.
• Exercise regularly: 30 minutes a day if you are not overweight; 60 - 90 minutes a day if you are overweight.
• Do not drink more than 1 to 2 alcoholic drinks a day.

Aspirin therapy (81mg a day or 100mg every other day) is now recommended for stroke prevention in women under 65 as long as the benefits outweigh the risks. It should be considered for women over age 65 only if their blood pressure is controlled and the benefit is greater than the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and brain hemorrhage. Ask your doctor if aspirin is right for you.

Your doctor may also recommend that you take aspirin or another blood thinner if you have had a TIA or stroke in the past, or if you currently have an irregular heart beat (such as atrial fibrillation), mechanical heart valve, congestive heart failure, or other risk factors for stroke.