For the very first time in a decade, both the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association have updated their stroke prevention guidelines.

In particular, the American Stroke Association's new primary prevention guidelines urge healthcare professionals to screen people for stroke risk factors, including high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, high blood sugar, and obesity.

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Until now, stroke patients would often be treated at a local hospital. But now with the development of stroke centers, patients can be transferred to these facilities and treated with clot-busting drugs or an intervention similar to what's used for heart attack victims.

That's according to world-renowned cardiologist and director of preventive medicine at the Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic in Florida Dr. Chauncey Crandall. He is also the editor of the monthly newsletter Dr. Crandall's Heart Health Report and author of multiple books including "The Simple Heart Cure: The 90 Day Program to Stop and Reverse Heart Disease."

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"We can save the brain from having damage, and the patient can leave that hospital often without any issues from that stroke," Crandall tells Newsmax's "Newsline."

He says that the medical establishment has found that strokes can now be treated much like heart attacks.

In terms of risk factors for stroke, he notes the largest of those is underlying untreated hypertension. Others include diabetes, obesity, and inactivity.

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"These are all risk factors that can be treated to prevent strokes," Crandall says. "We do not have to die from a stroke or have issues with the stroke. We can have victory if we follow through with the correct treatment protocol."

He also offers a stroke kit, which is a complete guide to understanding, preventing, and then acting against strokes, arming individuals with the knowledge to take control of their own health.

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