Risk Factors for Stroke

List of Risk Factors for Stroke

The list of risk factors mentioned for Stroke in various sources includes:

• Age
• Race - more common in African Americans than Caucasians.
• Previous stroke
• Migraine
• Brain aneurysm
• Atherosclerosis
• Cardiovascular disease
• Previous TIA
• Family history of stroke
• Hypertension
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Cigarette smoking
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• High blood cholesterol levels
• Illicit drug use
• Pregnancy
• Childbirth
• Menopause
• Transient Ischemic attack
• Excess weight

Risk factor statistics for Stroke:

The following are statistics from various sources about the risk factors for Stroke:

• Risk for stroke amongst diabetics is two to four times higher than those without diabetes in the US (National Diabetes Statistics fact sheet, NIDDK, 2003)

Risk factors discussion:

NINDS Stroke Information Page: NINDS (Excerpt)

Stroke seems to run in some families. Family members may have a genetic tendency for stroke or share a lifestyle that contributes to stroke. The most important risk factors for stroke are hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and cigarette smoking. Other risks include heavy alcohol consumption, high blood cholesterol levels, illicit drug use, and genetic or congenital conditions. Some risk factors for stroke apply only to women. Primary among these are pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Stroke Information Page: NINDS)

Diabetes Statistics in the United States: NIDDK (Excerpt)

The risk of stroke is 2 to 4 times higher in people with diabetes. (Source: excerpt from Diabetes Statistics in the United States: NIDDK)

Stroke: NWHIC (Excerpt)

Stroke risks are higher in people who have a family or personal history of stroke and for African Americans. African American women have a higher risk of disability and death from stroke than Caucasian women do. This is partly because more African American women have high blood pressure, a major stroke risk factor. Age is also a factor: the chance of having a stroke more than doubles for each decade of life after age 55. Women who smoke or who have high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes are at greater risk of having a stroke. Hormonal changes with pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause are also linked to an increased risk of stroke. (Source: excerpt from Stroke: NWHIC)

Stroke Prevention and Treatment - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)

A stroke is a single, damaging attack, but the conditions or risk factors that lead to a stroke, such as high blood pressure, smoking, heart disease, and diabetes develop over many years. (Source: excerpt from Stroke Prevention and Treatment - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Alcohol What You Don't Know Can Harm You: NIAAA (Excerpt)

Moderate drinking can have beneficial effects on the heart, especially among those at greatest risk for heart attacks, such as men over the age of 45 and women after menopause. But long-term heavy drinking increases the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and some kinds of stroke. (Source: excerpt from Alcohol What You Don't Know Can Harm You: NIAAA)

Risks factors for Stroke: medical news summaries:

The following medical news items are relevant to risk factors for Stroke:

• 1.56 hypertension sufferers worldwide predicted by 2025
• All about obesity
• Alzheimer's protein affected by body fat
• Aspirin and Bextra combination may increase heart risk
• Aspirin precautions
• Australian Medical Association wants health warnings placed on alcohol products
• Blood protein an indicator for stroke risk
• Breast cancer drug Femara superior to Tamoxifen
• Calcium intake by pregnant women reduces offspring's risk of high blood pressure
• Children increasingly face adult diseases
• Cholesterol and thyroid link
• Co-morbidities override high blood pressure
• Common co-morbidities causing complications post-operatively
• Complications of pregnancy link to future stroke risk
• Concerns over Celebrex use mounting
• Control of blood pressure improves memory
• Dentists role in diagnosing stroke risk
• Diabetes linked to smoking
• Diabetics need to be aware of possible complications
• Diuretics are cheap and the benefits outweigh the risks
• Eating for your health
• Effects of stroke decreased with antioxidants
• Erectile dysfunction risk factors
• Fairfield County Weekly
• Familial hypercholesterolemia
• Health Canada warns consumers about various COX-2 inhibitor NSAIDs
• Heart attack survivors risk stroke
• Heart attacks prevented with new drug regime
• Heart disease influenced by poor oral hygiene
• High blood pressure associated with analgesics use
• High blood pressure may be improved by meditation
• High risk of stroke for diabetics
• High salt consumption can cause a range of health problems
• High use of steroids increases risk of heart disease
• Hypertension needs rapid attention
• Kidney stone risk increased by obesity
• Lack of sleep influences illnesses
• Liver damage implicated in high blood pressure
• Long term effects of obesity surgery examined
• Loss of limbs from artery disease
• LVH may increase the risk of adverse events in hypertensive patients
• Medication and hypertension
• Medication overdose for heart patients
• Metabolic syndrome and heart disease risk
• Metabolic syndrome mechanism defined
• Migraine sufferers face increased stroke risk
• Mirtazapine can greatly reduced depression rates in stroke patients
• More Vioxx lawsuits
• More women using natural hormones for menopause therapy
• Native Americans at significant risk for heart problems
• New results on Bextra implicates whole cox-2 inhibitor class of drugs
• New risk factors may be associated with cardiovascular disease risk
• Obesity also risk for cancer
• Obesity causing dramatic increase in diabetes
• Obesity increasing the bottom line
• Osteoporosis rates expected to increase with reduced useage of HRT
• People need to be aware of stroke symptoms and prevention
• Pfizer releases Bextra risks information
• Poor compliance of elderly with antihypertensives
• Pregnancy-induced hypertension predicts metabolic syndrome in later life.
• Prolonged use of HIV treatment leads to heart disease and stroke
• Prostate cancer recurrence linked to obesity
• Proximity to old toxic waste storage sites may be linked to increased risk of conditions such as respiratory disease
• Recent studies involving contraceptive pill risks may be flawed
• Resistant hypertension soon to be manageable
• Review of trials establishes link between HRT and stroke
• Small strokes cause of dementia
• Stroke risk detected with blood tests
• Stroke sufferers benefit from decrease in blood pressure
• Suspension of Aleve comes as a surprise
• Syndrome X in children
• Tailor made anti-hypertensive drugs to order
• The 'know how' to cholesterol
• UK government gets serious about averting high salt consumption
• Vegetarians have lower rates of hypertension than non-vegetarians
• Warning signs of a heart attack
• WHO concerned with increase incidence in stroke and heart disease
• More news »

About risk factors:

Risk factors for Stroke are factors that do not seem to be a direct cause of the disease, but seem to be associated in some way. Having a risk factor for Stroke makes the chances of getting a condition higher but does not always lead to Stroke. Also, the absence of any risk factors or having a protective factor does not necessarily guard you against getting Stroke. For general information and a list of risk factors, see the risk center.