The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association have updated the organizations' stroke prevention guidelines to include gender-focused insights and GLP-1 recommendations. The new guidelines were published Oct. 21 in Stroke.
The "2024 Guideline for the Primary Prevention of Stroke" is intended to replace previously published guidelines from 2014.
Here are eight things to know from the updated guidelines:
- GLP-1s are recommended to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke in patients with diabetes or cardiovascular disease, or at a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
- Two or more antihypertensive medications are recommended for patients who require pharmacological treatment of hypertension, as opposed to one.
- Pregnancy-related stroke can be prevented through the management of hypertension and treatment of blood pressure. The new guidelines include a screening tool to evaluate vascular risk factors.
- Screening for endometriosis, premature ovarian failure and early-onset menopause are recommended as these conditions are associated with an increased risk for stroke.
- Transgender women taking estrogens for gender affirmation are at an increased risk of stroke. Physicians should evaluate vascular risk factors to reduce the risk of stroke.
- Patients should be screened for social determinants of health.
- The guidelines recommended regular healthcare visits, adequate exercise and emphasized the benefits of a Mediterranean diet.
- Recommendations for treatment of patients with antiphospholipid syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus are included in the guidelines.
Read the full updated guidelines here.