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Reduce Your Risk for Stroke: Tips and Resources The “Live to the Beat” campaign focuses on empowering Black adults to pursue heart-healthy lifestyles on their own terms—to find what works best individually and consistently— as they live to their own beat. Anyone can have a stroke at any age. But certain things can increase your chances of having a stroke. The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from a stroke is to understand your risk and how to control it. While you can’t control your age or family history, you can take steps to lower your chances of having a stroke. Learn what steps you can take to prevent stroke. What health conditions increase the risk for stroke?Many common medical conditions can increase your chances of having a stroke. Work with your health care team to control your risk. Previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)If you have already had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a “mini-stroke,” your chances of having another stroke are higher. High blood pressureHigh blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke. It occurs when the pressure of the blood in your arteries and other blood vessels is too high. There are often no symptoms of high blood pressure. Get your blood pressure checked often. If you have high blood pressure, lowering your blood pressure through lifestyle changes or medicine can also lower your risk for stroke. High cholesterolCholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made by the liver or found in certain foods. Your liver makes enough for your body’s needs, but we often get more cholesterol from the foods we eat. If we take in more cholesterol than the body can use, the extra cholesterol can build up in the arteries, including those of the brain. This can lead to narrowing of the arteries, stroke, and other problems. A blood test can tell your doctor if you have high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (a related kind of fat) in your blood. Heart diseaseCommon heart disorders can increase your risk for stroke. For example, coronary artery disease increases your risk for stroke, because plaque builds up in the arteries and blocks the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Other heart conditions, such as heart valve defects, irregular heartbeat (including atrial fibrillation), and enlarged heart chambers, can cause blood clots that may break loose and cause a stroke. DiabetesDiabetes increases your risk for stroke. Diabetes causes sugars to build up in the blood and prevent oxygen and nutrients from getting to the various parts of your body, including your brain. High blood pressure is also common in people with diabetes. High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke and is the main cause for increased risk of stroke among people with diabetes.1 Talk to your doctor about ways to keep diabetes under control. ObesityObesity is excess body fat. Obesity is linked to higher “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels and to lower “good” cholesterol levels. Obesity can also lead to high blood pressure and diabetes. Sickle cell diseaseSickle cell disease is a blood disorder linked to ischemic stroke that affects mainly Black children. The disease causes some red blood cells to form an abnormal sickle shape. A stroke can happen if sickle cells get stuck in a blood vessel and block the flow of blood to the brain. Learn more about sickle cell disease from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. What behaviors increase the risk for stroke?Your lifestyle choices can increase your risk for stroke. The good news is that healthy behaviors can lower your risk for stroke. Talk with your health care team about making changes to your lifestyle.
A smoker for years, Suzy talks about her paralysis and problems speaking and seeing after smoking caused her to have a stroke. Learn more about the health consequences caused by smoking. Learn what steps you can take to prevent stroke. Family history and other characteristics that increase risk for strokeFamily members share genes, behaviors, lifestyles, and environments that can influence their health and their risk for disease. Stroke risk can be higher in some families than in others, and your chances of having a stroke can go up or down depending on your age, sex, and race or ethnicity. The good news is you can take steps to prevent stroke. Work with your health care team to lower your risk for stroke. Genetics and family historyWhen members of a family pass traits from one generation to another through genes, that process is called heredity.
AgeThe older you are, the more likely you are to have a stroke. The chance of having a stroke about doubles every 10 years after age 55. Although stroke is common among older adults, many people younger than 65 years also have strokes.2 In fact, about one in seven strokes occur in adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 49.3 Experts think younger people are having more strokes because more young people have obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. SexStroke is more common in women than men, and women of all ages are more likely than men to die from stroke. Pregnancy and use of birth control pills pose special stroke risks for women.2 Learn more about stroke in men and stroke in women. Race or ethnicityPeople who are Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Native Alaskan may be more likely to have a stroke than non-Hispanic Whites or Asians. The risk of having a first stroke is nearly twice as high for Blacks as for Whites. Blacks are also more likely to die from stroke than Whites are.4 Which medical condition places a patient at higher risk for an embolic stroke?Risk factors include hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, dyslipidemia, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, kidney disease, sleep apnea, and heavy alcohol intake. AF may cause embolic strokes, and the risk increases with age. AF is the most common identifiable cause of embolic stroke.
What is the most common cause of cardioembolic stroke?Atrial fibrillation is the most important cause of cardioembolic stroke [20,21]. Atrial fibrillation is the commonest sustained cardiac arrhythmia. Prevalence of atrial fibrillation increases with age, reaching a peak of 5% in people over 65 years of age, and both its incidence and prevalence are increasing.
What vessel is most affected in a cardiogenic embolic stroke?Associated with a variety of malignancies, nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis has also been reported in patients with severe diseases such as septicemia and extensive burns. Mitral and aortic valves are affected most commonly, and embolic stroke is frequent.
What is cardiac embolic stroke?Cardioembolic stroke is defined as the presence of a potential intracardiac source of embolism in the absence of cerebrovascular disease in a patient with nonlacunar stroke. It is responsible for approximately 20% of all ischemic strokes.
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