Email4

Risk Factors for Stroke

Are You at Risk for Stroke?

Each year, 750,000 Americans suffer a stroke, and four million people in the United States are currently living with the effects of stroke. It is our nation's third leading cause of death and number one reason for adult disability. Ironically, many strokes can be prevented. Are you at risk for stroke? Identify the risk factors that apply to you to find out.

Uncontrollable Stroke Risk Factors
Yes Age: Are you over age 55?
No The chances of someone having a stroke go up with age. Two-thirds of all strokes happen to people who are over age 65. Stroke risk doubles with each decade past age 55.

Yes Gender: Are you male?
No Males have a slightly higher stroke risk than females. However, because women in the U.S. live longer than men, most stroke survivors over age 65 are women.

Yes Family History: Does your family have a history of stroke?
No Although actual risk varies, people with family history of stroke are at risk for stroke themselves.

Yes Personal History of Diabetes: Do you have diabetes?
No People with diabetes have a higher stroke risk. This may be due to circulation problems that diabetes can cause. You can manage this risk factor for stroke by following your doctor's recommendations to control your diabetes.

Yes Race: Are you of African-American or Hispanic descent?
No African-Americans and some Hispanics have two to three times the stroke risk of most other racial groups. This may be due to diet, a greater incidence and severity of high blood pressure and diabetes.

Having one or more uncontrollable risk factors does not necessarily mean you will have a stroke. It does mean that you should pay special attention to the lifestyle factors and treatable medical disorders that you are able to control to lessen your overall risk.

Controllable Stroke Risk Factors (Lifestyle Factors that Increase Stroke Risk)
Yes Smoking: Do you smoke?
No Smoking doubles your risk for stroke. It speeds up hardening of the arteries, increases the chance for blood clots to form and raises blood pressure. The good news is that if you quit smoking today, your stroke risk from this factor may decrease significantly.
Yes Alcohol: Do you consume more than two alcoholic beverages a day?
No Studies show that drinking alcohol in moderation - up to two drinks per day - may reduce your risk for stroke by almost one-half. However, consuming more than two drinks per day may increase your risk for stroke by as much as three times. Since alcohol is a drug which can interact with medication you are taking, the National Stroke Association recommends that you discuss alcohol consumption with your doctor. Drinking alcohol can lead to other health and lifestyle problems, so if you don't drink, don't start.
Yes Weight: Are you overweight?
No Excess weight puts a strain on the entire circulatory system. It also makes people more likely to have other stroke risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. Your doctor can recommend a weight reduction program that includes changes in diet and exercise.

By adapting a healthy lifestyle, you can significantly decrease your risk for stroke.

Controllable Stroke Risk Factors (Treatable Medical Conditions that Increase Stroke Risk)
Yes High Blood Pressure: Is your blood pressure consistently more than 135/85?
No Having high blood pressure, or hypertension, makes you four to six times more likely to have a stroke. It is the single most controllable stroke risk factor. Hypertension affects approximately 50 million American adults or about one-fifth of the U.S. population. Your doctor may recommend to treat your condition with a combination of the following: a low-salt diet, adding moderate amounts of potassium to your diet, losing weight, stopping smoking, exercise and medication.
Yes Atrial Fibrillation: Do you have an irregular heartbeat?
No Atrial fibrillation, also known as AF, is a particular type of irregular heartbeat that affects more than two million Americans. Atrial fibrillation can increase your stroke risk four to six times. AF can be treated by cardioversion - a procedure in which an electrical stimuli is used to restore your heart's normal rhythm. When this does not work, treatment concentrates on preventing the formation of blood clots. This is done through medication.
Yes Heart Disease and High Cholesterol: Do you have heart disease? Is your cholesterol level more than 200?
No Heart disease is an important risk factor for stroke. Plaque that builds up in the arteries can break away and migrate to the brain. This plaque can get caught in the narrow blood vessels of the brain causing a blockage that results in stroke.
High cholesterol is an indirect risk factor for stroke because it can put you at greater risk for heart disease. A cholesterol level of more than 200 is considered high. If you don't know what your cholesterol level is, find out. If you do have high cholesterol, work with your doctor to develop a plan to lower it. Simple lifestyle changes in diet and exercise may lower your cholesterol. Though many people can control their cholesterol levels through diet and exercise, some cannot and need medication prescribed by their physician.

Yes Previous TIA or Stroke: Have you already had a TIA or stroke?
No Transient ischemic attacks, also called TIAs or mini-strokes, are brief episodes of stroke symptoms that usually last for only a few minutes. Unlike strokes, TIAs do not result in permanent brain damage. TIAs should never be ignored. More than one-third of all people who experience TIAs will go on to have a stroke. If you have already had a stroke, you may be up to 10 times more likely to have another.
If you experienced any of the following symptoms, you may have had a TIA and are at a greater risk for having a stroke: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; or sudden severe headache with no known cause. If you see or experience any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. Stroke is a medical emergency. Treatment can be more effective if given quickly.

Regular visits to the doctor can help diagnose these problems and help prevent a stroke before it happens. These stroke risk factors can be managed by lifestyle changes and/or medical care.

Prevention is Your Key to a Stroke-Free Life

Detection and management of stroke risk factors is the best way to lower your personal risk for stroke. If you answered yes to any of the questions on this form, you may be at increased risk for stroke. If any of the controllable risk factors listed apply to you, the National Stroke Association recommends a visit to your doctor to discuss your individual risk and develop a treatment plan.

For more information on risk factors for stroke, please access the National Stroke Association Web site or call NSA at 1-800-STROKES (1-800-787-6537).

Uncontrollable Stroke Risk Factors
	Yes	Age: Are you over age 55?
	No	The chances of someone having a stroke go up with age. Two-thirds of all strokes happen to people who are over age 65. Stroke risk doubles with each decade past age 55.
	Yes	Gender: Are you male?
	No	Males have a slightly higher stroke risk than females. However, because women in the U.S. live longer than men, most stroke survivors over age 65 are women.
	Yes	Family History: Does your family have a history of stroke?
	No	Although actual risk varies, people with family history of stroke are at risk for stroke themselves.
	Yes	Personal History of Diabetes: Do you have diabetes?
	No	People with diabetes have a higher stroke risk. This may be due to circulation problems that diabetes can cause. You can manage this risk factor for stroke by following your doctor's recommendations to control your diabetes.
	Yes	Race: Are you of African-American or Hispanic descent?
	No	African-Americans and some Hispanics have two to three times the stroke risk of most other racial groups. This may be due to diet, a greater incidence and severity of high blood pressure and diabetes.

Controllable Stroke Risk Factors (Lifestyle Factors that Increase Stroke Risk)
	Yes	Smoking: Do you smoke?
	No	Smoking doubles your risk for stroke. It speeds up hardening of the arteries, increases the chance for blood clots to form and raises blood pressure. The good news is that if you quit smoking today, your stroke risk from this factor may decrease significantly.
	Yes	Alcohol: Do you consume more than two alcoholic beverages a day?
	No	Studies show that drinking alcohol in moderation - up to two drinks per day - may reduce your risk for stroke by almost one-half. However, consuming more than two drinks per day may increase your risk for stroke by as much as three times. Since alcohol is a drug which can interact with medication you are taking, the National Stroke Association recommends that you discuss alcohol consumption with your doctor. Drinking alcohol can lead to other health and lifestyle problems, so if you don't drink, don't start.
	Yes	Weight: Are you overweight?
	No	Excess weight puts a strain on the entire circulatory system. It also makes people more likely to have other stroke risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. Your doctor can recommend a weight reduction program that includes changes in diet and exercise.

Controllable Stroke Risk Factors (Treatable Medical Conditions that Increase Stroke Risk)
	Yes	High Blood Pressure: Is your blood pressure consistently more than 135/85?
	No	Having high blood pressure, or hypertension, makes you four to six times more likely to have a stroke. It is the single most controllable stroke risk factor. Hypertension affects approximately 50 million American adults or about one-fifth of the U.S. population. Your doctor may recommend to treat your condition with a combination of the following: a low-salt diet, adding moderate amounts of potassium to your diet, losing weight, stopping smoking, exercise and medication.
	Yes	Atrial Fibrillation: Do you have an irregular heartbeat?
	No	Atrial fibrillation, also known as AF, is a particular type of irregular heartbeat that affects more than two million Americans. Atrial fibrillation can increase your stroke risk four to six times. AF can be treated by cardioversion - a procedure in which an electrical stimuli is used to restore your heart's normal rhythm. When this does not work, treatment concentrates on preventing the formation of blood clots. This is done through medication.
	Yes	Heart Disease and High Cholesterol: Do you have heart disease? Is your cholesterol level more than 200?
	No	Heart disease is an important risk factor for stroke. Plaque that builds up in the arteries can break away and migrate to the brain. This plaque can get caught in the narrow blood vessels of the brain causing a blockage that results in stroke. High cholesterol is an indirect risk factor for stroke because it can put you at greater risk for heart disease. A cholesterol level of more than 200 is considered high. If you don't know what your cholesterol level is, find out. If you do have high cholesterol, work with your doctor to develop a plan to lower it. Simple lifestyle changes in diet and exercise may lower your cholesterol. Though many people can control their cholesterol levels through diet and exercise, some cannot and need medication prescribed by their physician.
	Yes	Previous TIA or Stroke: Have you already had a TIA or stroke?
	No	Transient ischemic attacks, also called TIAs or mini-strokes, are brief episodes of stroke symptoms that usually last for only a few minutes. Unlike strokes, TIAs do not result in permanent brain damage. TIAs should never be ignored. More than one-third of all people who experience TIAs will go on to have a stroke. If you have already had a stroke, you may be up to 10 times more likely to have another. If you experienced any of the following symptoms, you may have had a TIA and are at a greater risk for having a stroke: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; or sudden severe headache with no known cause. If you see or experience any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. Stroke is a medical emergency. Treatment can be more effective if given quickly.