Prevention

Anyone can have a stroke, but certain factors place you at a higher risk.

Some factors cannot be changed, while others are linked to lifestyle factors that you can control.

Inherent Risk Factors

• Risk of stroke increases as we age.
• Men are more likely to have strokes than women, but more women die from strokes.
• If your parent, grandparent or sibling had a stroke, you are more likely to have one.
• African-Americans have a greater risk of stroke than Caucasians because of an increased risk of high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.
• If you had a stroke before, you are at greater risk to have another.

Reduce the Risk of Stroke

Steps you can take to help prevent a stroke include:

• Control diabetes
• Control blood pressure
• Eat a healthy diet
• Exercise regularly
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Lower LDL cholesterol
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Quit smoking