We provide comprehensive stroke prevention care that reduces your risk by combining individualized risk assessment, targeted testing, lifestyle interventions and evidence based medical management. Our goal is early detection of stroke risk factors and sustained control of the conditions that lead to stroke.
What stroke prevention includes
Stroke prevention at The NY Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease begins with a clear answer to one question, who is at risk and why. We evaluate your overall cardiovascular profile, identify stroke specific risks such as atrial fibrillation, uncontrolled blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol and diabetes, and then build a coordinated plan that matches your situation and priorities.
Typical components of a stroke prevention plan include risk scoring, focused testing, medication review and optimization, lifestyle counseling on diet and exercise, and scheduled follow up to measure progress. Our approach balances medical treatments with practical, sustainable changes so patients can reduce risk over the long term.
Benefits of targeted stroke prevention
- Clear identification of personal stroke risk and the relative contribution of blood pressure, cholesterol, atrial fibrillation and diabetes.
- Advanced testing to find silent problems that raise stroke risk, such as cardiac arrhythmia or subclinical atherosclerosis.
- A tailored plan that combines lifestyle steps and medicines chosen for safety and proven benefit.
- Coordination with your primary care physician and other specialists to keep care consistent and measured.
- Ongoing monitoring so therapy is adjusted as your risk profile changes.
Our process for preventing stroke
- Initial risk assessment. We start with a comprehensive medical history, medication review and focused questions about stroke warning signs, family history and lifestyle. We calculate validated risk scores to make informed decisions.
- Targeted testing. Testing may include blood work for lipids and diabetes, EKG and ambulatory heart rhythm monitoring for atrial fibrillation, cardiac imaging when appropriate, and coronary calcium scoring or coronary CT angiogram if arterial disease is suspected.
- Individualized plan development. Based on findings, we recommend a plan that can include blood pressure management, cholesterol lowering strategies, anticoagulation decisions for atrial fibrillation, and structured lifestyle support for diet, weight and activity.
- Shared decision making. We review benefits, risks and alternatives with you. For decisions such as starting statin therapy or anticoagulation, we explain the tradeoffs and how those choices affect stroke risk.
- Implementation and follow up. After starting therapy we set measurable goals, order follow up testing, and schedule regular visits to track blood pressure, lipids and rhythm. Therapy is adjusted to reach target goals and minimize side effects.
Watch out: Irregular heartbeat that comes and goes can be easy to miss on a single EKG. If you have palpitations, unexplained lightheadedness, or intermittent breathlessness, ambulatory rhythm monitoring can reveal atrial fibrillation that increases stroke risk and may require specific treatment.
What good stroke prevention looks like
Good prevention reduces measurable risk factors, not just symptoms. Examples include sustained blood pressure below recommended targets, LDL cholesterol levels that match your risk category, properly managed diabetes, and, when atrial fibrillation is present, an appropriate anticoagulation plan. Good care also means clear documentation, communication with your primary care physician, and timely repeat testing so changes are detected early.
We use practical markers to define success, such as reduction in 10 year cardiovascular risk estimates, stable or improving imaging results, and patient reported improvements in daily function and confidence managing risk.
Common tests and tools we use
Our clinic uses evidence based tests to uncover and quantify stroke risk. Depending on your situation, these may include standard labs for cholesterol and glucose, high sensitivity cardiac biomarkers, EKGs, ambulatory heart rhythm monitors, echocardiography, coronary CT angiogram and coronary calcium scoring. We interpret results in the context of your overall health and prior records.
When tests point to a specific problem, we coordinate referrals or additional imaging. For example, if atrial fibrillation is detected we consult on anticoagulation decisions, and if coronary atherosclerosis is found we integrate treatment with cholesterol management and lifestyle measures.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you assess my individual stroke risk?
We use a combination of validated risk calculators, a focused history, blood tests, and targeted cardiac testing such as EKG or ambulatory monitoring. We also consider family history, age, smoking status, blood pressure control, cholesterol numbers and diabetes control to produce a comprehensive assessment.
Which tests detect atrial fibrillation that might increase stroke risk?
Intermittent atrial fibrillation can be missed on a single EKG. We use ambulatory rhythm monitors that record continuously for days to weeks, and in select cases extended monitoring, to capture episodes that require attention.
Will I always need medication to prevent stroke?
Not always. Some patients reduce risk with lifestyle changes alone when their calculated risk is low. Many patients benefit from medications such as blood pressure drugs, statins for cholesterol, or anticoagulants when atrial fibrillation is present. Decisions are individualized and made with shared decision making.
How do you approach cholesterol and statin therapy for stroke prevention?
We evaluate LDL cholesterol in the context of overall cardiovascular risk and use current evidence based recommendations to decide on therapy. For many patients at increased risk, statin therapy reduces the chance of stroke and other cardiovascular events. We discuss expected benefits, potential side effects and monitoring plans.
Do you work with my primary care physician and other specialists?
Yes. We coordinate care with primary care physicians, endocrinologists and neurologists when needed, to ensure treatment plans are consistent and follow up testing is shared across teams.
Why choose The NY Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease
We focus on prevention, continuity of care and patient education. Led by Dr. Bradley Radwaner, our practice combines more than 30 years of clinical experience with advanced testing and individualized plans. We emphasize measurable goals and ongoing monitoring so you and your referring physicians can see progress and adjust treatment when needed.
Our team treats adults from across the New York metropolitan area and works with patients who are middle aged, over 45, have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of cardiovascular disease. We bring specialist expertise together with collaboration across primary care and specialty providers.
Service area
Care is available to adults across Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey and the greater New York metropolitan area. For local information and directions see our location page on this site.
Learn more about our main practice location on the center location page: The NY Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease location.
Related services and topics
Stroke risk often overlaps with other areas of heart health. To understand linked care options see our preventive cardiology service overview at Preventive Cardiology, and our focused approach to cholesterol at Cholesterol Management. For testing described on this page, read about coronary imaging and CT scans at Coronary CT Angiogram. For practical strategies and patient education, see our topic page on Stroke Prevention Strategies.
Learn more and find us locally
Check our Google Business Profile to read patient reviews, see location details and get directions. To explore more clinical information and services, review related pages on this site, including our preventive cardiology services and topic pages.
Services and specialties at The NY Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease