During May, the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, wants you to ask yourself: “Do I know enough to prevent a stroke?”
“The more risk factors you have, the greater the odds that you will have a stroke,” said Pierre Fayad, M.D., a spokesperson for Operation Stroke of Greater Omaha, an initiative of the American Stroke Association.
“You can’t control some of these, such as increasing age, family health history, race and gender,” said Dr. Fayad, chairman of UNMC’s department of neurological sciences. “But you can change or treat many risk factors and make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk.”
People who are at greater risk of stroke include:
- Those 55 years or older. The chance of having a stroke more than doubles for each decade of life after age 55. However, stroke happens to people of all ages. Twenty-eight percent of stroke victims are under the age of 65.
- People with a family history of stroke or heart disease.
- Those with high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases your chances of suffering a stroke by six times.
- People who have suffered a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) or “mini stroke.” TIAs produce stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage.
- African Americans. They have a much higher risk of disability and death from a stroke than whites, in part because blacks have a greater incidence of high blood pressure.
- Those with a moderate or marked increased red blood cell count. The reason is that more red blood cells thicken the blood and make clots more likely.
- Smokers. The nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke damage the cardiovascular system in many ways. The use of oral contraceptives combined with cigarette smoking greatly increases stroke risk.
- Heart disease and/or vascular disease sufferers. People with heart problems have more than twice the risk of stroke as those whose hearts work normally. Heart attack is also the major cause of death among stroke survivors.
- Diabetics. While diabetes is treatable, having it increases a person’s risk of stroke. People with diabetes often also have high cholesterol and are overweight, increasing their risk even more.
- Excessive drinkers. Excessive drinking (an average of more than one drink per day for women and more than two drinks per day for men) and binge drinking can raise blood pressure, contribute to obesity, high triglycerides, cancer and other diseases, cause heart failure and lead to stroke.
- Drug abusers. Intravenous drug abuse carries a high risk of stroke from cerebral emboli. Cocaine use has been closely related to strokes, heart attacks and a variety of other cardiovascular complications. Some of them have been fatal even in first-time cocaine users.
To learn more about stroke, visit the American Stroke Association’s Web site at StrokeAssociation.org or call 1-888-4-STROKE.