- Increasing age: People over age 55 are at greater risk of a stroke.
- Gender: More men than women have strokes in certain age groups, but more women actually die from stroke.
- Race: African-Americans and Hispanics have a higher risk of death and disability from stroke.
- Heredity: A family history of stroke can increase your risk.
- Previous Stroke: History of a previous stroke may increase stroke risk by up to 10 times.
- Previous episode of Transient Ischemic Attack or TIA ("mini-stroke")
- Heart Disease
- Atrial Fibrillation and Carotid Artery Disease: An abnormal heart rate or rhythm. This type of irregular heartbeat occurs for 15 percent of all strokes.
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| Risk factors you can change: |
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High Blood Cholesterol:
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance in your body. Cholesterol comes only from animal products or animal by-products such as beef, chicken, eggs, milk, etc. A high level of cholesterol in the blood (240 mg/dL or higher) is a major risk factor for heart attack and also increases your risk of having a stroke. High levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. People with a low level of HDL cholesterol (<40 mg/dL) have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. A high LDL level (more than 160 mg/dL or 130 mg/dL or above (if you have two or more risk factors for heart disease) reflects an increased risk of heart disease. That's why LDL cholesterol is often called "bad" cholesterol.
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High Blood Pressure (hypertension):
Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Your blood pressure is the highest when the heart contracts (while it is pumping blood). This is called systolic pressure. When the heart is relaxing it is called diastolic pressure. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic pressure are equally important. The systolic measurement is on the top and the diastolic is on the bottom (i.e. 120/80). High Blood Pressure causes the heart to work harder, putting you at an increased risk for heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney and eye problems. There are no symptoms to identify high blood pressure and therefore many people are unaware that they have it. The only way to detect high blood pressure is to have it checked regularly. |
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| Diastolic |
| <80 |
| 80 - 89 |
| 90 - 99 |
| 100 or greater |
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Got high blood pressure and want to learn how to control it?
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet can help you lower your blood pressure by eating more fruits and vegetables, and less sodium. Learn more here. |
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Smoking:
Quitting smoking lowers a person's risk of heart disease greatly, even after many years of smoking.
Learn more about the impact of smoking on stroke.
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Diabetes:
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder affecting the body's ability to make or use insulin. Insulin is the hormone that transports glucose (blood sugar) from digested nutrients into the body's cells for energy and growth. There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. When the body cannot produce insulin, this is called type 1 diabetes. In order to control their blood sugar, the patient must use insulin injections. In type 2 diabetes, the body produces insulin but is unable to process it and/or use it correctly in most cases this may be controlled by diet and exercise. If you are diabetic, following your doctor's recommendations helps you maintain control and lessens your risk for stroke.
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Physical Inactivity:
Regular physical activity helps reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. You can gain health benefits from doing moderate-intensity physical activity for a total of 30 minutes a day on most days.
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Obesity:
Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Only smoking exceeds obesity in contributing to the total U.S. death rates. The percentage of overweight or obese persons in Utah and the U.S. has increased dramatically over the past 10 years. Adults who are obese are also at a greater risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems and endometrial, breast, prostate and colon cancer.
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| Contributing Factors for Stroke: |
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| Researchers continually discover other factors that seem to relate to stroke. The following are a few of these factors: |
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