For the first time in a decade, the American Heart Association (AHA) is updating its guidance to help people from ever having a stroke. 

Simply put, the AHA says, “preventing a first stroke may be possible with screening, [and] lifestyle changes.”

Some of the guidance remains the same, just with more specifics — including having a healthy diet, not smoking, and exercising regularly. New focuses include societal impacts like race, income, gender, and access to health care. 

Other specifics are also laid out, including the benefits of having a Mediterranean diet.

“There has been a lot of progress in stroke,” Dr. Haitham Hussein, stroke specialist and associate professor of neurology at the University of Minnesota, said. 

“We’re talking about prevention of stroke. If you think of the arteries like pipes, this is how to keep your pipes healthy and in good condition,” Dr. Hussein added about following the guidance. 

For one Minnesotan, her yearly checkups have become crucial given her history of strokes. 

“Sometimes you’re not just tired,” Alex Fitzpatrick, a multiple-stroke survivor, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. 

“Sometimes something may be wrong, and definitely nipping in the bud and catching it early is essential. It’s lifesaving,” she added. 

In 2020, after feeling fatigued and collapsing at home, she went into the emergency department the next day — given a strong suggestion from a colleague — and ended up needing to stay at the hospital for 10 days. 

“They gave me an MRI, and it turned out I had had five strokes the night before, and so they [admitted] me, and that night, I go unresponsive, and I had four more,” Fitzpatrick said.

The AHA also has guidance to help you find a healthcare provider.