This is week’s challenge is to choose one of 3 things that “future you” will thank you for. Pick one of: 1️⃣ Do one short burst of intensity Not a full workout. Not a huge time commitment. Just one moment in your week where you push a bit harder than usual: Brisk walk up a hill Climb a few flights of stairs Short fast-paced walk Only if your at a place in your recovery where this is safe. 💡 Why this matters: Cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂ max) is one of the strongest predictors of survival we have. Even small doses of intensity can move the needle and significantly reduce stroke risk. 2️⃣ Check something you’ve been avoiding Be honest—there’s probably something you know you should check but haven’t. The longer you put it off the more it's slowly eating away at your health. This week, pick one: Blood pressure Weight or waist circumference Step count / activity levels Cholesterol Track your meals 💡 Why this matters: You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Most stroke risk builds silently—knowing your baseline is step one. 3️⃣ Go to bed 30 minutes earlier (twice this week) Just twice! 💡 Why this matters: Sleep affects: Blood pressure Blood sugar Appetite Energy to exercise It’s one of the most powerful—and most ignored—health levers. Just a couple of early nights can set you up to be much healthier. It's but about perfection. Not a complete lifestyle overhaul. Just 3 small actions that shift your trajectory very slightly in the right direction. 👇 Your Turn Comment below with: Which 1 thing you’re committing to this week. Future you is watching 👀

This week's tip was inspired by my 5 year old son. I was watching him happily devour a load of grapes and strawberries—then casually tell me he prefers them to sweets. Okay, so eating grapes by the box load may not be perfectly healthy, but It got me thinking about other things we could swap to better alternatives. 💡Embedding a small change that you stick with for years will be far more powerful than any short-term fad diet or exercise regime. And that’s where healthy swaps come in. 🔄 This week’s challenge: Make ONE simple swap Pick something easy. Something realistic. Something you’ll actually stick to. Here are a few ideas: 🍓 Swap sweets or chocolate → fruit 🥕 Swap crisps → carrots, peppers & hummus 🥜 Swap biscuits → a handful of nuts 🥙 Swap processed snacks → roasted chickpeas 🍞 Swap white bread → wholegrain or sourdough 🚲 Swap driving --> Cycling or walking 🛋️ Swap sitting on a sofa watching TV --> A short walk listening to a podcast or sitting in a squat position watching TV Why this matters: These small changes help to: • Stabilise blood sugar • Reduce excess calories • Improve cholesterol and blood pressure • Lower long-term risk of stroke and heart disease And crucially—they all add up. 💬 Your turn What’s ONE swap you’re going to try this week? Message in the comments below —I’d love to see what you come up with 👇

Good evening. I wonder if I could ask for your thoughts please? I'm aiming to set up an online clinic focused on Stroke and Dementia Prevention. Unfortunately, this would be a private clinic separate from my NHS work. I've pulled together a report/proforma that I plan to use with clients to take the through their stroke and dementia risks as on the link below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTp72Maeq1FEED1ok41CyxmxJ-AkWY4Mu4uZl44tuAy6Qk4AMwZiflMVI3iNNUut-1QO9tJBqe3eL9h/pub Please could I ask for your feedback and thoughts? What do you think I could add to this? Is it easy to read and understand? If you were going to such a clinic, with all you know now, what would you want from the clinic? Also, please feel free to use the form for yourself and your family to look at your own risk factors. Thanking you in advance.

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!

A question please. Does anyone else have regular botox injections in their affected side, to help combat nerve pain and spasticity? I've been having them for 2 years now every 4 months or so, and do find they help. Just wondered whetherothers have them and find them helpful. Your colleague Dr Colin Pinder has a clinic at clatterbridge, so I see him there. Hope everyone has had a good start to the year and is doing as well as possible. Happy weekend all and keep smiling Andy