It's important to know your stroke risk factors

Know your stroke risks

A stroke, a cardiovascular disease, affecting the arteries leading to and within the brain, occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain gets either blocked by a clot or bursts.

When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so it starts to die and therefore can't properly control its respective part of the body.

A stroke can be mild or severe, depend on several factors including the location of the obstruction and how much brain tissue is affected. However, because one side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body, a stroke affecting say the left side will result in neurological complications on the body's right side.

Some stroke risk factors are hereditary, others are a function of natural processes. For example, your stroke risk is greater if a parent, grandparent, sister or brother has had a stroke. As a race, blacks have a much higher risk of death from a stroke partly because they have higher risks of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

Your chance of having a stroke just about double for each decade of life after age 55. Stroke also is more common in men than in women, however, more than half of total stroke deaths occur in women. Use of birth control pills and pregnancy pose special stroke risks for women.

The risk of stroke for someone who has already had one is many times greater than that of a person who has not. Transient ischemic attacks are "warning strokes" that produce strokelike symptoms but no lasting damage. TIAs are strong predictors of stroke. A person who's had one or more of these attacks is almost 10 times more likely to have a stroke than someone of the same age and sex who hasn't.

Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke. If you've had a heart attack, you're at higher risk of having a stroke, too.

While you can't change your genes or stop aging, you can modify your lifestyle and environment to help guard against stoke.

Control your blood pressure and diabetes, quit smoking, eat healthier to reduce risk of heart disease and high cholesterol. Get physically active to fight off obesity.

For more information on stroke risk factors and treatments, head to www.strokeassociation.org.

Try this recipe: Experience the essence of the Mediterranean right in your own home with Sirloin With Tomato, Olive and Feta Topping. It's a low-salt option for everyone assessing their risks.

Sirloin with Tomato, Olive, and Feta Topping

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 pound boneless top sirloin steak, all visible fat discarded, cut into 4 pieces

2 cups grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Vegetable oil spray

In a large airtight plastic bag, combine the garlic, oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice and pepper. Add the steak and turn to coat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 8 hours, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the tomatoes, olives, feta and red wine vinegar; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Drain the steaks. Discard the marinade.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray (being careful not to spray near a gas flame). Cook the steaks for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until the desired doneness. (Or grill or broil 5 to 6 inches from the heat as directed.)

To serve: Place each steak on a plate. Spoon the topping over each serving.

Serves four.

Nutrition values per serving: 187 calories, 6.5 g fat (2 g saturated), 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 26 g protein, 48 mg cholesterol, 145 mg sodium.

"American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook" (2006 Clarkson Potter)