Prevention:

High blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and other risk factors should be treated.

If you smoke, you should stop.

Treatment of TIA (transient ischemic attack, "warning strokes") may prevent future strokes.

Aspirin therapy (81mg a day or 100mg every other day) is now recommended for stroke prevention in women under 65 as long as the benefits outweigh the risks. It should be considered for women over age 65 only if their blood pressure is controlled and the benefit is greater than the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and brain hemorrhage.