Risk Factors
 
Risk factors are conditions and behaviors that occur more frequently in those at a higher risk of getting a disease. These are factors that cannot be changed with lifestyle or medical intervention.

• Age. Strokes occur in all age groups, although studies have shown that the risk of stroke doubles for each decade between 55 and 85 years of age. But don’t be fooled  -- strokes also occur in early childhood or adolescence.
• Gender. It used to be that more men than women had strokes, but women tended to die first. It was thought that men survived their first strokes because they live shorter lives. Therefore, their first strokes were at a younger, more robust age for recovery than is the case for women.

Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that strokes are a growing health threat for middle-aged women. The reasons are thought to be increasing rates of obesity – women’s waists have grown by an average of two inches in the past 10 years; vitamin D sulfate deficiency – lack of sun exposure may be an underlying cause of arterial plaque buildup, a risk factor for strokes; and the rising prevalence of high blood sugar.

• Ethnic group. Stroke is more common and deadly in African-Americans than in any other ethnic group in the U.S. It is twice as high as that of Caucasians. African Americans often have sickle-cell anemia, which causes a narrowing of the arteries and disrupts blood flow.
• Family history. Strokes seem to run in families. Some families have a genetic tendency for stroke risks such as diabetes and high blood pressure. One must keep in mind that there is a common lifestyle among family members that may contribute to this dynamic.