What are the risk factors for stroke?

Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:

The risk factors for stroke are:
• High blood pressure (hypertension) puts vessels under undue pressure, damaging their integrity and making them more prone to clots, hardening or rupture.
• Diabetes doubles the risk factor for stroke because people with diabetes tend have the conventional cluster of risk factors that increase risk for heart disease – large waist circumference, obesity, abnormal cholesterol and hypertension – and high sugar and possibly insulin resistance, where insulin produced by the body becomes less effective in transporting glucose in and out of cells, may be additional risk factors that stand on their own.
• Atrial fibrillation, a type of heart rhythm disorder, is conducive to making clots that can travel throughout the bloodstream and up to the brain.
• Carotid stenosis is the narrowing and hardening (atherosclerosis) of the carotid arteries in the neck, the blood's main highway to the brain.
• Smoking tobacco
• High LDL blood cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia)
• Prior stroke or Transient ischemic attacks (a third of people who have a TIA will go on to have a stroke in the future)
• Alcohol and drug use (particularly cocaine, amphetamines, heroin)
• Certain medications such as blood thinners (for hemorrhagic stroke) and hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives
• Diets low in fruit and vegetables and high in salt and fat
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Central obesity (waist circumference larger than 35 for women and 40 for men)
• Family history of stroke

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More Related Answers from Dr. Mehmet Oz

The risk factors for stroke are:• High blood pressure (hypertension) puts vessels under undue pressure, damaging their integrity and making them more prone to clots, hardening or rupture.• Diabetes doubles the risk factor for stroke... More

Dr. Celeste Robb-Nicholson answered:

Risk factors for stroke include:

Age. The risk of stroke increases with each decade of life.
Family history. Having a close relative with heart disease or a history of stroke increases stroke risk.
Ethnicity. African-American women have a greater risk of having a stroke, and of dying from one, than white women.
A previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Women who have a stroke between ages 40 and 69 have a 22% chance of having another within five years of the first. Women who have a TIA are also at greater risk of stroke.
High blood pressure. Hypertension, which is linked to ruptured blood vessels, is the most important risk factor for hemorrhagic stroke as well as a major contributor to strokes caused by blood clots.
Smoking. Women who smoke have an increased risk of stroke, which climbs even higher if they use oral contraceptives.
Unfavorable cholesterol profile. Low HDL cholesterol levels (below 40 mg/dL) are a stronger risk factor for women than for men.
Physical inactivity. Lack of exercise, which is directly linked to an increased risk of heart disease, contributes to obesity and other risk factors for stroke.
Obesity and overweight. Being overweight increases stroke risk as well as risk for heart disease.

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More Related Answers from Dr. Celeste Robb-Nicholson

Risk factors for stroke include: Age. The risk of stroke increases with each decade of life. Family history. Having a close relative with heart disease or a history of stroke increases stroke risk. Ethnicity. African-American women have a greater... More

Dr. Natalia Rost answered:

The odds of having a stroke more than double every 10 years after age 55. More than two-thirds of strokes involve people over 65. If you have a stroke, the risk of dying from it also increases with age: 88% of deaths from stroke are in people 65 and older.

Women have about 55,000 more strokes than men each year, and women make up about 60% of stroke deaths. Race is another risk factor. African Americans, for example, are almost twice as likely to suffer a stroke as are whites.

Although you can't change your age, gender, or race, you can take steps to reduce other risk factors for stroke, especially ischemic stroke, which results from an interruption in blood flow through an artery supplying a specific area of the brain. The most common risk factors for both ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, unhealthy cholesterol levels, obesity, and cigarette smoking. All of these factors affect the health of your blood vessels -- increasing the risk not only of stroke, but also of heart disease. That's why medications and other steps you take to reduce the risk of an ischemic stroke will also benefit your heart.

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More Related Answers from Dr. Natalia Rost

The odds of having a stroke more than double every 10 years after age 55. More than two-thirds of strokes involve people over 65. If you have a stroke, the risk of dying from it also increases with age: 88% of deaths from stroke are in people 65 and... More

Intermountain Healthcare answered:

Anyone can have a stroke. But studies show that you are more likely to have a stroke if you have these risk factors:

High blood pressure
Cholesterol problems (high low-density lipoprotein [LDL] or triglycerides, or low high-density lipoprotein [HDL])
Diabetes
Smoking
Atrial fibrillation or other heart disease
Atherosclerosis (fatty buildup in your arteries)
Obesity
Physical inactivity
Drug or alcohol abuse
Use of birth control pills (greater risk if you're over age 35 or if you smoke)
Ethnicity (African Americans and Hispanics have a higher risk)
Family or medical history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) (you or someone in your family has had a stroke or TIA in the past)
Age (the older you are, the higher your risk)

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More Related Answers from Intermountain Healthcare

Anyone can have a stroke. But studies show that you are more likely to have a stroke if you have these risk factors: High blood pressure Cholesterol problems (high low-density lipoprotein [LDL] or triglycerides, or low high-density... More

SCAI answered:

Among the factors that increase the risk of stroke, some are out of our control. Those we inherit from our parents are beyond our control. Others can be controlled by making healthy lifestyle choices and working with your doctor.

Risk Factors You Cannot Control

Family history. If your family members had a stroke, your risk of having one is higher.
Race. If you are of African American heritage, you are at higher risk of stroke than someone of Caucasian descent.
Gender. Men are more likely to have a stroke than women, but women account for more deaths due to stroke than men.
Age. The older you are, the higher your risk for stroke. A previous stroke, TIA or heart attack. Your chance of stroke is higher if you had one or if you have had a heart attack.

Risk Factors You Can Control or Treat

High blood pressure. Medical science points to high blood pressure as most important risk factor we can control to lower the risk of stroke.
Cigarette smoking. Giving up tobacco helps lower the risk of stroke. Studies found the combination of oral contraceptives and smoking greatly increases the risk of stroke.
Diabetes. Diabetes contributes to the risk for stroke.
High cholesterol. People with high blood cholesterol have an increased risk for stroke. Having a low HDL cholesterol level has been identified as a risk factor for stroke in men. More data is needed to determine its impact on the risk of stroke in women.
Diet. Eating foods that contribute to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and overweight increases the risk of stroke.
Physical inactivity. Not getting regular exercise can contribute to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes and heart disease, all risk factors for stroke.
Disease of the arteries. A build-up of plaque inside the walls of your arteries, in your heart, your legs and especially in the carotid arteries in the neck-carry blood to the brain, can increase the risk of stroke. Heart disease. The presence of heart disease and atrial fibrillation (AF) raises the risk of stroke. In AF, because the heartbeat is fast and irregular, blood can pool and clot in the heart. This raises the risk that a clot will break loose, travel to the brain and cause a stroke.
Sickle cell disease. People with sickle cell disease, which is inherited, are at higher risk for stroke.

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