Video: How you can cut your stroke risks in half By Mayo Clinic Staff Share Facebook Twitter Print details Think your stroke risk is fixed by your family history? Think again. The things you do every day can affect your risk by over 50%. Watch for 6 tips that can help you cut your risk of stroke. Show transcript How you can cut your stroke risks in half Treat high blood pressure. It's the single most important risk factor you can control. Eat more plants. Fruit and veggie lovers have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Add some to each meal. If you smoke, stop. Good news: It's never too late. Risks begin to drop within two months after you go smoke-free Get diabetes under control. Keeping blood glucose under control really does make a difference when it comes to stroke risk. Add movement to every day. Even a brisk walk, most days of the week for 20-30 minutes. Moving daily brings risks way down. You can change your risk. You can’t control factors like age, race or genes. Use that for motivation and commit to what you can control. Guidance from the experts at Mayo Clinic.Get more healthy action tips delivered daily when you download the Mayo Clinic App. Show references Stroke risk factors. American Stroke Association. https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/stroke-risk-factors. Accessed April 20, 2022. Stroke. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/stroke. Accessed Aug. 8, 2019. Furie KL, et al. Overview of secondary prevention of ischemic stroke. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Aug. 8, 2019. Hennekens CH. Overview of primary prevention of coronary heart disease and stroke. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Aug. 8, 2019. How cardiovascular and stroke risks relate. American Stroke Association. http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/LifeAfterStroke/HealthyLivingAfterStroke/UnderstandingRiskyConditions/How-Cardiovascular-Stroke-Risks-Relate_UCM. Accessed Aug. 8, 2019. VID-20466649