According to the Mississippi State Department of Health Office of Vital Records, 1,948 Mississippians died of a stroke in 2020. A stroke occurs when blood traveling to the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts.
The ABCs of stroke prevention is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s educational campaign that encourages people to know which steps to take to reduce the likelihood of having a stroke.
Aspirin: Talk to your doctor about whether aspirin is right for you.
Blood pressure: Control your blood pressure.
Cholesterol: Manage your cholesterol.
Smoking: Quit smoking, or don’t ever start.
Amy Winter, the director of the Office of Tobacco control at MSDH, reports that smoking is a leading cause of stroke. Smoking lowers your good cholesterol while also making your blood sticky. This deadly combination is perfect for causing strokes.
“Secondhand smoke is also dangerous,” said Kathryn Allman, director of the Mississippi Tobacco-Free Coalition of Choctaw, Montgomery and Webster counties. “Nonsmokers who breath secondhand smoke are 25-30% more likely to have a stroke. Quitting smoking protects you and your loved ones. MSDH has people and programs to help you quit.”
For information about the dangers of cigarettes, visit www.healthyms.com/tobacco. For help with quitting visit www.quitlinems.com, or call the Mississippi Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).
