Risk Factors

Risk Factors
Some of the risk factors for stroke are beyond your control and can't be changed. These include:

Genetics. Having a family history of stroke
Age. Being 55 or over
Gender. Slightly more than half of all strokes occur in men, but more than 60% of stroke deaths occur in women, possibly because women tend to be older when they have strokes
Medical history. Having had a prior stroke, TIA, or heart attack

But many more risk factors are within your ability to change or control, including:

High blood pressure. The most important controllable risk factor for stroke
Smoking
Diabetes
Atherosclerosis (narrowing and stiffening of the arteries due to the buildup of plaque, a fatty material, inside the arterial walls)
Atrial fibrillation (an abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, which can cause clots to form in your heart)
Other heart disease
High cholesterol levels
High blood pressure
Overweight. Especially abdominal fat. One study found that people with excess belly fat (waist measurements greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men) were four times more likely to have a stroke than people with typical waistlines
Lack of exercise
Overconsumption of alcohol
Use of cocaine or amphetamines
Vasculitis (inflamed blood vessels)
Birth control pills. Particularly if you smoke

Additional major risk factors for hemorrhagic stroke include: