|
Historically, stroke has been viewed as a disease associated with aging. While the majority of strokes occur after the age of 60, there are other conditions and lifestyle choices that put younger people at risk and increase the risk for older adults. Some stroke risks are within one's control, such as medical treatment and lifestyle management - especially in cases of high blood pressure or smoking - and pose the most dominant stroke risks. Other stroke risks, such as family history of stroke, cannot be controlled.
Controllable Stroke Risk Factors:
-
High blood pressure - More than 90 percent of strokes are linked to uncontrolled high blood pressure or hypertension. Hypertension poses one of the biggest stroke risks, promoting clogging of the arteries and adding to the workload of the heart and blood vessels. Fortunately, it can be controlled with diet, exercise, medication and monitoring. A major problem is that many people with hypertension simply do not take the medication prescribed by their physician
-
Heart disease - With or without high blood pressure, heart disease doubles your chance of having a stroke. The three major controllable factors for heart disease are blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking
-
Smoking - Smoking tobacco has been shown in study after study to have a direct relationship to the incidence of stroke in our population. The stroke risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked. There is a significant decrease in risk as early as two years after quitting. Five years after quitting, ex-smokers are at no higher risk for stroke than people who have never smoked
-
Obesity - If more than 40 pounds over an recommened weight, you may be straining the heart and blood vessels. Obesity also puts a person at risk for heart disease and diabetes, both of which increase the stroke risk
-
Excess alcohol - Alcohol intake has been associated with two to three times the risk for hemorrhagic stroke
-
Birth control pills - While the use of birth control pills may not present additional risk on its own, it does seem to increase risk when linked with other medical conditions or lifestyle choices. For example, the risk of stroke in women who take birth control pills appears to be enhanced by coexistent hypertension. Medical literature also suggests a possible increased stroke risk in women who take birth control pills and smoke, especially those aged 35 or older. Women who suffer migraine headaches while taking birth control pills that contain estrogen also face an increased risk of stroke
-
Atrial Fibrillation - An irregular heartbeat can increase the risk of blood clots. This problem increases with age and can be treated with blood thinners
Uncontrollable Stroke Risk Factors:
-
Age - The stroke risk doubles for every decade over age 55. The majority of strokes occur over age 60. It is relatively uncommon for anyone under the age of 35 to have a stroke
-
Gender - Stroke risk is more prevalent in men than women
-
Race - African American and some hispanic-latino American populations have a higher stroke risk than that of the white population. Some reasons for a higher incidence are the increased rate of hypertension, diabetes and obesity
-
Individual history of stroke or TIA - Once a stroke has occurred, the risk of recurrent stroke increases 10 to 20 times
-
Family history of stroke or TIA - Relatives of stroke victims probably have higher stroke risk. Some of this risk may relate to hypertension, which is common in some families
-
Diabetes - Good control of blood sugar levels is very important for the health of all diabetics, but it is not known whether this will also reduce the risk of stroke |
|
