Many of the risk factors for stroke—hypertension, high levels of blood fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides (hyperlipidemia), obesity, smoking, diabetes, and physical inactivity—can be controlled, often by lifestyle changes. High blood pressure can be treated medically but is also amenable to such lifestyle changes as salt restriction, weight loss, and increased levels of activity. In addition, there is evidence that some specific dietary changes offer a form of protection that minimizes brain damage after a stroke. For example, an especially antioxidant-rich diet has been shown in animals to reduce by 50 percent or more the brain damage caused by stroke.