Use the following guidelines to help reduce your risk of stroke.
As with any health concerns, you'll want to talk to your doctor. There are some unmodifiable risk factors for stroke such as*:

• Age:
  Incidence of stroke more than doubles each decade after age 55.
• Sex:
  Incidence of stroke is approximately 30% higher for men than women, but more women die from stroke.
• Race:
  Stroke is most common in people of African American, Hispanic and Asian-Pacific Islander decent. The incidence of stroke among African-Americans is almost double that of white Americans, and twice as many African- Americans who have a stroke die from the event compared to white Americans.

Hispanics and Native Americans have stroke incidence and mortality rates more similar to those of white Americans. In Asian-Americans stroke incidence and mortality rates are also similar to those in white Americans, even though Asians in Japan, China, and other countries of the Far East have significantly higher stroke incidence and mortality rates than white Americans. This suggests that environment and lifestyle factors play a large role in stroke risk.

• Family History: having a family history of stroke increases your risk of having one. Members of a family might have a genetic tendency for stroke risk factors, such as an inherited predisposition for hypertension or diabetes. The influence of a common lifestyle among family members could also contribute to familial stroke.

However, about 80% of strokes can be prevented!

*Adapted from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) website.