What is a Stroke? | Stroke Signs | Risk Factors | Facts

Risk Factors

The following risk factors will increase the chances to develop stroke, and all modifyable:

• Asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (stroke chance increases by 10.5%) 

• TIA (stroke chance increases by 10-15%) 

• H/O Stroke (stroke chance increases by 30-40%) 

• Hypertension:  (stroke increases by 2-4 times): More ...

• Diabetes:  (stroke increases by 2-4 times): More ...

• Cigarette smoking:  (stroke increases by 2-3 times)

• Alcohol: Heavy drinking 

• Obesity

• Abnormalities of serum lipids 

• Cardiac lesion: More ...

• Hematological disorders

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Stroke register: 

Experience from the eastern province of Saudi Arabia

• Population of 750,000 inhabitants  (545,000 Saudi citizens)

• The crude incidence rate for first-ever strokes was 29.8/100,000/year. When standardized to the 1976 US population, it rose up to 125.8/100,000/year.

• Ischemic strokes (69%)

• Systemic hypertension (38%)

• Diabetes mellitus (37%)

• Heart disease (27%)

• Smoking (19 %)

• Family history of stroke (14%)

• Previous transient ischemic attacks (3%)

• Carotid bruits (1%)

• SAH was extremely rare (1.4%)

• The 30-day case fatality rate is 15%

al-Rajeh S.  King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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Reducing Your Risk of Stroke

As a leading cause of heart disease which can lead to stroke, high cholesterol is a controllable condition through diet, exercise and, in some cases, medications.

Certain medical conditions greatly increase your likelihood of having a stroke (or another stroke).  Working  with your doctor, you may need to begin specific medical treatment to control these risks:

• Previous stroke or "mini-stroke" (transient ischemic attack, TIA).
  Depending on the most likely cause of your stroke, your doctor may prescribe specific medication or consider surgery to remove fatty deposits in your carotid artery.

• High blood pressure.
  Hypertension is one of the leading risks for heart disease and stroke.  Your physician may advise dietary or lifestyle changes, or specific medications to lower your blood pressure.

• Diabetes.

• High blood sugar can increase your risk, so you should work closely with your doctor to manage it.

• Heart disease: Particularly heart beat irregularities (atrial fibrillation), disease of the heart valves, congestive heart failure, or recent heart attack.  If you have one of these conditions, your physician may prescribe medications to thin your blood and/or reduce your cholesterol level.   

Other risk factors for stroke can be controlled by life style choices you make:

• Smoking: Tobacco use is a major preventable risk factor for stroke and heart disease.  Even if you have smoked for years, you can still reduce your risk by quitting now.

• Obesity, elevated cholesterol, and elevated lipids: Reduce your dietary intake of saturated fats and cholesterol.

• Physical inactivity.

• Excessive alcohol intake.

• Illegal drug use.

There are some risk factors you can't control:

• Increasing age: Stroke is more common in people over 60 years of age.

• Male sex: Men and women both have strokes, although stroke is more common at younger ages in men.

• Heredity and Race: Stroke is more common in people whose close relatives have had stroke at an early age.  African-Americans and Hispanic Americans are at higher risk than white Americans.  This may be due in part to high blood pressure and dietary differences.