A stroke can occur when blood supply to the brain is interrupted.
It can happen without any warning signs.
For many people, unhealthy lifestyle habits and genetics may contribute to stroke.
Cemal B. Sozener, M.D., M. Eng., co-director of the Comprehensive Stroke Program at Michigan Medicine, suggests that there are eight big risk factors for stroke everyone should know.
Heart disease
Carotid or peripheral artery diseases can both cause narrowed arteries and increase stroke risk. Patients with diseases are required to treat the conditions to avoid stroke.
Additionally, irregular heart rhythm such as atrial fibrillation could raise stroke. In this disease, the top chambers may not pump in a coordinated fashion.
This can increase the risk of a blood clot.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure is a dangerous risk factor for stroke. If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to blockage and calcification in blood vessels over time.
This eventually can stop blood flow to the brain. Since high blood pressure has no clear symptoms, many patients are not diagnosed or don’t visit their doctors in time to reduce stroke risk.
Diabetes
It is known that diabetes is a big risk factor for stroke.
Many patients with diabetes also have other health conditions, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
All of these things can put these people at a higher likelihood of stroke.
Obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and unhealthy diets
An unhealthy lifestyle like excess body weight, a lack of physical activity and eating junk food can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
These things can increase the risk of a stroke.
Smoking tobacco
Research has shown that smokers have blood that’s stickier and more likely to clot than people who don’t smoke.
Such health conditions may block blood flow to the heart and brain.
In addition, smoking can make blood vessels thick and narrow and inhibit the body’s optimal circulation.
Age and sex
Stroke risk increases as people get older, but this doesn’t mean young people are immune to stroke. Most stroke patients are over the age of 50.
In addition, women suffer more strokes than men due to gender-specific factors such as pregnancy and birth control pills.
Ethnicity
Some backgrounds are more commonly linked with stroke.
For example, black people and Hispanic people have been shown to have higher risks of stroke.
This may be because social and environmental factors hinder access to basic medical care. Previous research has shown that high blood pressure is more common in blacks, and diabetes is more common in Hispanics.
Family history and prior stroke
Studies have found that stroke survivors and people with a sibling, parent or grandparent who has had a stroke may have a greater risk.
For these people, it is important to talk with their doctors to prevent stroke early.
Copyright © 2019 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
