Good morning. I can't believe it's already the first of the month! We have our monthly check in at 6pm today where we can discuss our goals for the month. Instead of the weekly challenge this is an opportunity to think about what changes you're going to make over this month. I'd suggest picking one area to measure or improve from the list below: Blood Pressure Cholesterol Blood Sugar Exercise Diet Smoking Alcohol Stress Sleep Obesity Set yourself a goal in this area and make it SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound). . Then right down your strategy and tactics to achieve it. For example, for me I want to get my cholesterol down. I checked it last week and it was still too high (LDL of 3.6) despite having reduced saturated fats and increasing exercise. Therefore for me: My SMART goal is to: Reduce my LDL cholesterol to <1.8 over the next 3 months as I believe it will significantly reduce my stroke, heart attack and dementia risk. My strategy is to use Statins. My tactics (next actions) are: 1. Contact a doctor in longevity medicine to prescribe statins for me (not a good idea to self prescribe) 2. Ensure I take them daily by using a pill box with the days of the week on it. 3. After 6 weeks arrange for repeat blood tests. 4. Repeat the above steps at an adjusted dose until I hit my target LDL of <1.8. I think it will take 1 dose adjustment to get there so I'm allowing myself 3 months to achieve the target. Write your plans for the month in the comments or join us at 6pm to talk them through. And if you have one bring your blood pressure cuff too! See you later!

Evening all 👍 Does anyone else struggle with temperature regulation,mainly of a night but also in the day. I often wake in the small hours absolutely drenched with sweat and am also prone to hot flushes at random points in the day which after feeling excessively warm ends with me feeling cold before returning to normal. Last time I checked I was a man and am not perimenopausal like my wife who suggested I may be having empathy symptoms. These symptoms have been occurring since I first had my stroke and I can often confuse this with bed wetting at times ( which is another bloody symptom 😂). Be interested to know also if anyone else has really vivid dreams and nightmares since there stroke? I had really bad delerium after my open heart surgery/ stroke but this has carried on almost two years later,but thankfully only during sleep! I no longer believe Vladimir Putin has a spy with a dirty bomb trying to kill me nor have I seen it spoken to my imaginary friend little Eddie for quite some time 😂.

Good afternoon. I have some exciting news. My colleague Dr Ali Sheikh is hosting a stroke prevention seminar on Friday the 30th January at Aintree hospital, Liverpool 9am to 5pm. There will be some high profile speakers talking about stroke prevention. We'd love it if you can attend. I think there will be face to face and online options. We're also looking for 2 stroke survivors to talk briefly and share their story with the audience of anyone is willing to volunteer. Have a great evening. Nik

Good afternoon. Just a quick reminder that we've got an online catch up at 6pm. You can join through the calendar section in the app. Hope to see you there!

I hope none of us smoke, but if you do this one's is for you. If there’s one lifestyle change that delivers immediate and lifelong protection against stroke, it’s stopping smoking. Smoking is one of the top 10 modifiable factors that explain over 90% of all strokes worldwide. Nicotine and tobacco smoke damage blood vessels, accelerate plaque build-up, thicken your blood, and increase your risk of clots — the perfect storm for a stroke. The Good News? The benefits start within minutes. 20 minutes: Blood pressure and heart rate begin to normalise 2–12 weeks: Circulation and lung function improve 1 year: Stroke risk drops by around 50% 5 years: Stroke risk approaches that of a lifelong non-smoker Why this matters for you Every cigarette increases stroke risk, but stopping shifts the trajectory rapidly. No other intervention reduces risk quite as quickly or as powerfully across the brain, heart, and vascular system. If you're trying to quit You don’t have to do it alone. Nicotine replacement, prescription supports, and structured coaching all significantly increase success rates — and the payoff is enormous. You can get this for free anywhere in the UK. Just Google stop smoking and your nearest town or city. Your brain deserves better. Your future self will be grateful you made this choice today.