According to experts, they can. The American Stroke Association and CDC both estimate that up to 80% of strokes are preventable — and most people don’t realize just how much power they actually have.
Let that sink in: Four out of five strokes could be avoided if people just knew what to stop doing. But here’s the tragic twist — stroke remains the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, and an even bigger cause of long-term disability.
That disconnect, say neurologists, is largely due to silent habits that build up damage over time.
Dr. Anthony Kim, vascular neurologist and director at the University of California San Francisco Stroke Center, puts it bluntly: “If you took a magic wand and waved it and suddenly eliminated high blood pressure from the U.S. population, there would be 60% fewer strokes.”
In this post, we’re not going to talk about magic wands. We’re going to talk about concrete actions — or more importantly, what to stop doing — based on insights from leading stroke doctors.
You might be making some of these mistakes without even realizing it.
The Silent Risk of a Sedentary Lifestyle
You don’t have to be a couch potato for your inactivity to become dangerous. Just being glued to your desk for 8 hours a day and skipping exercise can quietly raise your stroke risk.
Dr. Arthur Wang, director of endovascular neurosurgery at Tulane University, says this plainly: “One of the modifiable risk factors for stroke is having a sedentary lifestyle.”
What does that mean, exactly? It means a life with too much sitting and not enough movement — regardless of whether you “feel” healthy.
“It’s been shown that regular physical activity helps keep your blood vessels clog-free. It stops the buildup of plaque in the arteries,” Wang explains. And no, you don’t need to train for a marathon. “We generally recommend that people get 30 minutes of moderate exercise maybe five times a week.”
That could mean walking the dog, gardening, dancing, biking — whatever gets your body moving and your blood flowing.
Quick Fix: Set a timer every hour to stand and stretch. Add a short walk after meals. Small, consistent movements protect your arteries.
2. Don’t Let the ‘Silent Killer’ Win: Ignoring High Blood Pressure
Here’s where the real danger lurks: You can feel perfectly fine and still be at deadly risk.
High blood pressure — often called the silent killer — is the #1 modifiable risk factor for stroke, says Dr. Kim. It creeps up slowly, often with zero symptoms. But inside, it’s gradually damaging your arteries and increasing the odds that a clot could shut down part of your brain.
And Kim doesn’t mince words: “If there’s one factor that is the most impactful, it would be blood pressure, blood pressure, blood pressure.”
Imagine if you could cut stroke rates by over half with one fix. You can — but only if you know your numbers.
Most people don’t.
“Patients don’t feel it,” Kim warns. “You have to have it checked and monitored and treated.”
The American Heart Association recommends a blood pressure under 120/80 mm Hg. Anything higher, especially over time, needs attention.
Quick Fix: Get a home blood pressure cuff. Monitor yourself weekly and bring results to your doctor. Adjust your diet (watch sodium), cut stress, and stick to any prescribed medications.
3. Skipping Check-Ups? You Might Be Skipping Your Lifeline
You’re busy. We all are. But blowing off annual check-ups could be the most dangerous habit of all.
“These risk factors oftentimes don’t have any real symptoms,” says Dr. Wang. “You wouldn’t know your blood pressure’s high, or whether you have high cholesterol unless all of this is routinely tested or screened on a regular basis.”
What’s worse, stroke risk factors don’t just add up — they interact. High blood pressure + high cholesterol + blood sugar problems = a ticking time bomb.
Routine screening is your early warning system.
What should you check? Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar (for diabetes), and even weight trends. Your doctor can also evaluate stroke risks you can’t control, like genetics or ethnicity.
And here’s something often overlooked: Black Americans have nearly twice the risk of first strokes as white Americans. Women are also at higher risk.
Quick Fix: Book your annual physical now. Get your labs. Ask for a full cardiovascular risk assessment — even if you feel fine.
⚡ Pattern Interrupt: Most People Think Strokes Are Sudden. They’re Not.
We’ve been sold the idea that strokes come out of nowhere. One day you’re fine — the next, you’re on the floor, slurring speech and unable to move.
But that’s not how it usually works.
Stroke isn’t a lightning bolt. It’s a slow storm building over years.
The “event” may be sudden — but the damage has often been building in silence for a decade through unchecked blood pressure, ignored cholesterol, poor diet, and daily habits we convince ourselves are harmless.
Even the strokes that feel sudden are often caused by years of blood vessel narrowing, plaque buildup, and inflammation.
That cigarette five years ago? That month you didn’t work out? That extra salt every day? It adds up.
This shift in perspective is powerful: Every day you make the right choices, you pull further away from the cliff.
So let’s keep going. Let’s knock out the next four risks.
4. Still Smoking? It’s More Than Just a Lung Issue
By now, we all know smoking causes cancer. But many people still don’t realize how destructive it is to your brain.
“That definitely increases the risk of stroke,” says Dr. Kim. And it’s not just a little risk — smoking damages your blood vessels at every level.
Over time, it causes them to narrow, harden, and clog. That directly leads to stroke.
Kim breaks it down: Smoking causes blockages in blood flow to part of the brain — which is, by definition, a stroke.
Even occasional smokers or vapers aren’t off the hook. There’s no “safe” amount when it comes to blood vessel health.
Quick Fix: If quitting feels impossible, talk to your doctor about nicotine replacement therapy, medications like varenicline, or behavioral support programs. You’re not alone — but you have to take the first step.
5. Drinking Too Much? Your Brain Notices
“Just one more” can be too much — not just for your liver, but for your cerebrovascular system.
Excessive drinking has long been linked to heart disease, liver damage, and cancer — but it’s also strongly tied to increased stroke risk.
“There’s an association between excessive alcohol use and heart disease and stroke,” says Kim. And it doesn’t take as much as you might think.
Here’s what the CDC says:
- More than 4 drinks in one sitting for women, or 5 for men = excessive.
- More than 8 drinks per week for women, or 15 for men = high risk.
Even moderate drinking, over time, may elevate blood pressure — a key stroke driver.
Quick Fix: Set a weekly drink limit and stick to it. Replace your nightly drink with a mocktail or herbal tea. Monitor your intake honestly — and ask yourself if the short-term buzz is worth the long-term risk.
6. You Are What You Eat: Diet Isn’t Just About Weight
You can’t out-walk a bad diet — and when it comes to strokes, what you eat plays a central role.
A high-salt, high-sugar, high-fat diet doesn’t just show up on the scale. It shows up in your arteries.
It fuels inflammation, raises blood pressure, and contributes to atherosclerosis — the stiffening and clogging of arteries that’s behind many strokes.
Dr. Wang says the advice is pretty simple: Avoid excess saturated fat, processed sugar, and salt.
Dr. Kim agrees — and points to a more natural way of eating.
Referencing author Michael Pollan, he says: “Eat food, mostly plants, not too much.”
What does that mean? Focus on whole foods: fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. Eat lean protein. Limit processed stuff.
Quick Fix: Try the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) — proven to reduce stroke risk. Start by swapping one processed meal a day with a home-cooked veggie-heavy dish.
7. Know the Signs. Don’t Delay Treatment.
Even with all the prevention in the world, strokes can still happen. When they do, speed is everything.
The treatments that work best — like clot-busting drugs or surgical removal of blockages — have a short window of time.
That’s why recognizing the signs of stroke is critical.
Dr. Kim emphasizes the FAST acronym:
- Facial drooping
- Arm weakness
- Speech difficulty
- Time to call 911
“These are not the list of all potential stroke symptoms,” he cautions, “but any one of those factors raises the suspicion that it could be a stroke, especially if it happens suddenly.”
Some other signs include vision changes, confusion, dizziness, or loss of coordination. And strokes aren’t always painful — don’t wait to “feel worse.”
Quick Fix: Teach the FAST acronym to your family. Post it on your fridge. If symptoms strike, don’t drive yourself — call 911 immediately.
Stroke Prevention Is in Your Hands
Strokes aren’t inevitable. They’re not random bolts of fate. Most are preventable — and you have more control than you think.
Let’s recap the seven things you should never ignore:
- Avoid a sedentary lifestyle
- Monitor and manage your blood pressure
- Don’t skip routine check-ups
- Quit smoking
- Limit alcohol intake
- Clean up your diet
- Know the warning signs and act fast
These aren’t vague tips. They are direct, doctor-backed guidelines that could save your brain — and your life.
So the question is: Which of these will you start with today?
