Based on the recommendations issued by the American Heart Association and its division, the American Stroke Association; healthy habits and appropriate treatments can help prevent stroke.

The guidelines are published in the rapid access issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Stroke is a life-changing event and the third leading cause of death and a major source of disability in the United States.

"Stroke remains a major public health problem. Its human and economic toll is staggering," said Larry B. Goldstein, M.D., the guidelines' lead author and chair of the association's Stroke Council. The estimated direct and indirect cost of stroke in 2006 is $57.9 billion.

The American Heart Association believes that stoke can be prevented and they are studying ways to accomplish just that. Here are some new recommendations for "well-documented" stroke risk factors:

• Refer patients with rare genetic causes of stroke for genetic counseling,
• Treat high-risk diabetic patients with statins,
• Increase intake of potassium and reduce salt intake to lower blood pressure in people with hypertension,
• Start transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound screenings for children with sickle cell disease at age 2 and consider transfusion therapy for those found to be at high stroke risk,
• Evaluate adult sickle cell patients for known stroke risk factors and manage them according to stroke prevention guidelines.

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