The major risk factors for stroke include: High blood pressure. Diabetes. Heart and blood vessel diseases: Conditions that can cause blood clots or other blockages include coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, heart valve disease, and carotid artery disease.
High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke and is the main cause for increased risk of stroke among people with diabetes.
Lifestyle factors
The way we live has a big impact on our risk of stroke. Things such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, being overweight and eating unhealthy foods can damage your blood vessels, increase your blood pressure and make your blood more likely to clot. It's never too late to make a change.
There are many risk factors related to lifestyle, including obesity, diet, alcohol intake, and lack of physical activity [4]. Underlying conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases, may also lead to stroke.
Preventing Stroke
The best ways to prevent stroke are to do the following: Keep your blood pressure controlled through lifestyle changes and/or medications. Don't smoke or stop smoking. Take steps to manage your cholesterol.
Foods high in potassium, such as sweet and white potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, prunes, melon and soybeans, can help you maintain a healthy blood pressure — the leading risk factor of stroke. Magnesium-rich foods, such as spinach, are also linked to a lower risk of stroke.
There are two main causes of stroke: a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or leaking or bursting of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). Some people may have only a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain, known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA), that doesn't cause lasting symptoms.
It's known that stress from work is bad for your health, including causing an increase in your risk for cardiovascular disease, particularly high blood pressure and heart disease. If you've wondered specifically if stress can cause a stroke, too, the answer is unfortunately, yes.
Call 9-1-1 immediately if any of these signs of stroke appear: Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg; Confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; Trouble seeing in one or both eyes; Trouble walking, dizziness, or problems with balance; severe headache with no known cause.
A blockage of a blood vessel in the brain or neck, called an ischemic stroke, is the most frequent cause of stroke and is responsible for about 80 percent of strokes.
The majority of strokes occur in people who are 65 or older. As many as 10% of people in the U.S. who experience a stroke are younger than 45.
During a median follow-up period of 11.4 years, researchers found a 32% lower risk of stroke among people who said they drank two to three cups of coffee and two to three cups of tea daily compared with people who drank neither beverage. The findings were published Nov. 16, 2021, in PLOS Medicine.
This meta-analysis of 11 816 strokes provides strong evidence that the onset of stroke symptoms has a circadian variation, with a higher risk in the early morning hours (6 am to noon), and lower risk during the nighttime period (midnight to 6 am).
(10) Get enough potassium
Potassium is abundant in fruit, vegetables, and milk products. Therefore, if you consume recommended amounts of these food groups, you should achieve an adequate intake of potassium. Good fruit choices include bananas, apricots, oranges, cantaloupe, and apples.
Drink a lot of water: You should drink at least five glasses of water per day, and this will reduce your risk of stroke by 53%, according to a recent study by Loma Linda University.
Low doses of aspirin — such as 75 to 100 milligrams (mg), but most commonly 81 mg —can be effective at preventing heart attack or stroke.
Background It is reported that 13% to 44% of all cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) occur during sleep. In addition to other well-known risk factors, snoring, sleep apnea, obesity, and daytime sleepiness have been shown to significantly increase the risk of stroke.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and diabetes are leading causes of stroke. One in 3 U.S. adults has at least one of these conditions or habits.
“But anyone, even people who are relatively young and healthy, could potentially have a stroke.” While you can't do much about risk factors related to your age, gender or family history, there are four important things you can do to lower your risk of stroke — and improve your overall health: Stop smoking.