COMMON RISK FACTORS FOR STROKE

There are three categories of risk factors for stroke. They are those related to:

• disease conditions including family history
• lifestyle issues such as smoking behaviour
• social determinants such as poverty

A factor that cuts across all these categories is age. Stroke risk approximately doubles with every decade after 55, and studies predict that with the aging population, strokes may increase up to 30% over the next 15 years.

Although the incidence of stroke is higher for men, a greater percentage of women than men die from stroke. In 1999, 8.5% of all female deaths in Canada were the result of stroke compared to 5.6% for men.

Further, some ethnic groups, such as South Asians and Eastern Europeans, are more at risk for heart disease, and Chinese are more at risk for strokes. There is concern that Aboriginal peoples may have greater stroke risk due to higher prevalence of diabetes along with other risk factors.

Stroke prevention is about reducing - or eliminating - these risks. The charts on the following pages describe the common stroke risk factors.

• Disease Condition Chart
• Lifestyle Chart
• Social & Other Determinants Chart