How to Prevent a Stroke

Lower Your Cholesterol

A total cholesterol level of more than 200 mg/dL puts you at higher risk for stroke. “About half of all strokes are caused by plaque in the carotid arteries,” says Richard Lee, M.D., surgical director of the Center for Atrial Fibrillation at Northwestern School of Medicine in Chicago. Those are the arteries that supply the brain with blood. Elevated cholesterol can lead to plaque formation. If diet and exercise don’t bring your numbers down, talk to your doctor about prescription cholesterol-lowering drugs, called statins.