A stroke can happen to anyone, regardless of age, race or gender. The chances of having a stroke are higher if you have certain risk factors. Up to 80 percent of strokes can be prevented if you understand personal risk and how to manage it.
There are two types of stroke risk factors: Controllable and Uncontrollable. Controllable risk factors are those you can do something about, by making lifestyle changes and working with your doctor to manage certain medical conditions. Controllable Risk factors include:
Uncontrollable Risk Factors are things you cannot change, such as:
To become more familiar with your risk factors for a stroke, discuss them with your doctor, who can help you assess your risk factors and help manage/treat any of the controllable risk factors.