Know The Risk Factors - Preventing Stroke: Stroke

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Know the risk factors

You can't control some risk factors, such as age. But you can reduce or eliminate other risk factors through lifestyle changes or medical treatment.

The risk factors you cannot control:

• Age: People over 55 are at higher risk of stroke than are younger people.

• Race: People of African descent have a higher risk of stroke.

• Family medical history: Your risk of stroke is higher if someone in your immediate family has had a stroke.

• Heart disease: Your risk of stroke is higher if you have had a heart attack or if you have certain other heart conditions, such as atrial fibrillation. (However, you may be able to reduce your risk by taking medications and making lifestyle changes to keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels within healthy ranges.)

• Diabetes: Your risk of stroke is higher if you have diabetes. (But you may be able to reduce your risk: See "Control diabetes.")

• Migraine: Having migraine headaches doubles your risk of having a stroke.

Risk factors you can control:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)

• High cholesterol

• Smoking

• Obesity

• Physical inactivity

• Heavy alcohol consumption

• Diet high in salt and saturated fats

• Use of hormone-based contraceptives and hormone therapy for menopause.

It's important to be aware that as many as half of all strokes cannot be explained by high blood pressure, diabetes, and the other established causes. Therefore, doctors strongly suspect that there are other risk factors not yet identified. Even so, you can take steps to protect yourself, based on the risk factors that are known.

Last updated:	September 05, 2008