What are the primary prevention strategies for reducing the burden of stroke?
Primary prevention is an important strategy for reducing the burden of stroke. An international case-control study of 6000 individuals found that 10 potentially modifiable risk factors explained 90% of the risk of stroke.8 As detailed in the sections that follow, stroke-prone individuals can readily be identified and targeted for effective interventions. This guideline summarizes the evidence on established and emerging stroke risk factors and represents an update of the last American Heart Association (AHA) statement on this topic, published in 2011.9 Targets for stroke prevention have been reordered to align with the AHA s public health campaign for ideal cardiovascular health known as Life’s Simple 7.10