Risk factors of stroke

Stroke is dangerous and deadly, but you can control and treat several risk factors for it. High Blood Pressure High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a leading cause of stroke and the most significant controllable risk factor. Smoking The nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke damage the cardiovascular system and pave the way for a stroke. The use of birth control pills combined with cigarette smoking can greatly increase the risk of stroke. Smoking may double stroke risk for African Americans The risk of stroke more than doubles for African Americans who smoke compared to their nonsmoking peers, according to a Diabetes If you have Type 1 or 2 diabetes, control your blood sugar. Diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for stroke. Many people with diabetes also have high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and are overweight — increasing their risk even more. While diabetes is treatable, the presence of the disease still increases your risk of stroke. Diet Diets high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol levels. Those high in sodium (salt) can increase blood pressure. And those with high calories can lead to obesity. But a diet containing five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day may reduce the risk of stroke. These diets helped women with diabetes cut heart attack, stroke risk Diabetes afflicts one-quarter of Americans 65 and older. An estimated 68% of these patients will die of heart disease, and 16% wil...

Stroke prevention can start today. Protect yourself and avoid stroke, regardless of your age or family history. What can you do to prevent stroke? Age makes us more susceptible to having a stroke, as does having a mother, father, or other close relative who has had astroke. You can't reverse the years or change your family history, but there are many other stroke risk factors that you can control—provided that you're aware of them. Knowledge is power. If you know that a particular risk factor is sabotaging your health and predisposing you to a higher risk of stroke, you can take steps to alleviate the effects of thatrisk. How to prevent stroke Here are seven ways to start reining in your risks today to avoid stroke, before a stroke has the chance tostrike. 1. Lower bloodpressure High blood pressure is a huge factor, doubling or even quadrupling your stroke risk if it is not controlled. High blood pressure is the biggest contributor to the risk of stroke in both men and women. Monitoring blood pressure and, if it is elevated, treating it, is probably the biggest difference people can make to their vascularhealth. Your goal: An ideal goal is maintaining a blood pressure of less than 120/80. But there may be good reasons why you and your doctor will not want your readings to be this low. For some, a less aggressive goal (such as no higher than 140/90) may be more appropriate. How to achieveit: • Reduce the salt in your diet to no more than 1,500 milligrams a day (about a half...

Share on Pinterest Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images The following lifestyle factors can increase the risk of stroke. A lack of physical activity If people do not exercise, they may develop health conditions that increase the risk of stroke, such as: • high • high • • Less healthy eating habits To help lower the risk of stroke, a person should avoid eating a diet that is high in: • • • trans fats • cholesterol High stress levels A The authors state that they did not find a significant association between stress and hemorrhagic stroke. Learn more about how to manage stress and anxiety: • • • Smoking Smoking can increase a person’s risk of stroke by Tobacco smoke contains many • Smoking can cause damage to the blood vessels and heart. • Nicotine can raise a person’s blood pressure. • Carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry. Learn more about how to quit smoking: • • • Drinking too much alcohol Drinking too much alcohol can raise a person’s blood pressure and increase the levels of triglycerides in the blood. This can increase the risk of stroke. The Learn more about how to stop drinking too much alcohol: • • • Obesity has associations with higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, and another type of cholesterol called triglycerides. It can • decrease levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which people sometimes call “good” cholesterol • increase blood pressure • increase the risk of diabetes Learn more about obesity and h...

The Urgent Need for Health Equity Everyonehas an optimal, just opportunity to be healthy. But this is not the reality for many people of color and others whose health suffers because of social factors beyond their control. People suffer when they lack access to quality care, nutritious food and other basic health needs Mounting 'social determinants' could magnify stroke risk The cumulative effect of several social factors can more than double the risk of stroke in people under 75, according to new research that examined the impact of living in a poor or rural area, having low education or income level, lacking health insurance or being Black. Environment, culture, other social determinants play big role in heart health Social determinants of health are factors that influence where and how people live, learn, work and play. They provide context to a person's life and can play just as big of a role in affecting health as medications and physical lifestyle changes. Stroke patients more likely to die in rural hospitals than in urban ones Compared with stroke patients living in cities, researchers found those treated at rural hospitals were about half as likely to receive clot-busting medication; about one-third less likely to undergo a thrombectomy procedure to remove a stroke-causing clot; and more likely to die of any type of stroke before leaving the hospital (6.9% versus 5.8%).

Cerebrovascular disease refers to a group of disorders that affect the blood vessels and blood supply to the brain. Blood clots and stroke are types of cerebrovascular disease. If a blockage, malformation, or hemorrhage prevents the brain cells from getting enough oxygen, brain damage can result. Cerebrovascular disease can develop from a variety of causes, including: • • • embolic arterial blood clot, which is a blood clot in an artery of the brain • cerebral venous thrombosis, which is a blood clot in a vein of the brain Cerebrovascular diseases include In this article, we explain the statistics, symptoms, types, and treatments for these serious health problems and how to prevent them. Share on Pinterest Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images In the United States, cerebrovascular disease is the Around Strokes can occur at any age, but they are more likely to affect people over 65 years old. In 2009, Black people are • • • • more weight or • • consuming too much • • However, the ASA also states that Death rates from strokes have • language barriers • access to healthcare • education levels • income levels • access to transportation A person can make lifestyle changes to help prevent the risk of stroke and maintain regular discussions with their doctor for further advice. The symptoms of cerebrovascular disease depend on the location of the blockage and its impact on brain tissue. Different events may have different effects, but common symptoms include: • a severe and sudden • pa...