Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffKnowing your risk factors and living healthfully are the best things you can do to prevent a TIA. Included in a healthy lifestyle are regular medical checkups. Also:
- Don't smoke. Stopping smoking reduces your risk of a TIA or a stroke.
- Limit cholesterol and fat. Cutting back on cholesterol and fat, especially saturated fat, in your diet may reduce buildup of plaques in your arteries.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. These foods contain nutrients such as potassium, folate and antioxidants, which may protect against a TIA or a stroke.
- Limit sodium. If you have high blood pressure, avoiding salty foods and not adding salt to food may reduce your blood pressure. Avoiding salt may not prevent hypertension, but excess sodium may increase blood pressure in people who are sensitive to sodium.
- Exercise regularly. If you have high blood pressure, regular exercise is one of the few ways you can lower your blood pressure without drugs.
- Limit alcohol intake. Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. The recommended limit is no more than one drink daily for women and two a day for men.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight contributes to other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Losing weight with diet and exercise may lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol levels.
- Don't use illicit drugs. Drugs such as cocaine are associated with an increased risk of a TIA or a stroke.
- Control diabetes. You can manage diabetes and high blood pressure with diet, exercise, weight control and, when necessary, medication.
References
- NINDS transient ischemic attack information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tia/tia.htm. Accessed Dec. 28, 2010.
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA). American Stroke Association. http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/AboutStroke/TypesofStroke/TIA/TIA-Transient-Ischemic-Attack_UCM_310942_Article.jsp. Accessed Dec. 28, 2010.
- Kistler JP, et al. Definition of transient ischemic attack. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 27, 2010.
- Aminoff MJ, et al. Nervous system disorders. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment. 50th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=12696&searchStr=transient+ischemic+attack. Accessed Dec. 28, 2010.
- Kistler JP, et al. Etiology and clinical manifestations of transient ischemic attack. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 27, 2010.
- Furie KL, et al. Secondary prevention of stroke: Risk factor reduction. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 27, 2010.
- Stroke risk factors. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4716. Accessed Jan. 5, 2011.
- Goldstein LB, et al. Guidelines for the primary prevention of stroke. Stroke. 2011;42:517.
- Kistler JP, et al. Initial evaluation and management of transient ischemic attack and minor stroke. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 27, 2010.
- Cucchiara B, et al. Transient ischemic attack. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2011; 154(1):ITC1.
- Kistler JP, et al. Secondary prevention for specific causes of ischemic stroke and transient ischemic stroke. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 27, 2010.
- Stroke treatment. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4724. Accessed Jan. 7, 2011.
- Cholesterol and stroke. National Stroke Association. http://www.stroke.org/site/DocServer/Cholesterol_and_Stroke_2_6-09.pdf?docID=3024. Accessed Jan. 18, 2011.
Find Mayo Clinic on