Risk Factors
- Age: 30% of all cerebral vascular accidents occur before the age of 65 and 70% occur after the age of 65. The risk of having a CVA doubles for every decade past 55 years of age.
- Hypertension: increased systolic blood pressure increases the risk of having a stroke in both genders, all ages, hemorrhagic, artherothrombotic, and lacunar.
- Gender: Stokes occur 30% more in men than women.
- Family History: Increased risk of having a stroke with genetic family history of stoke.
- Diabetes Mellitus: Increases the risk of having a thromboembolic stroke by two or threefold compared to individuals without diabetes. Diabetes predisposes an individual to cerebral ischemia by accelerated atherosclerosis of the large vessels.
- Cardiac Disease: Individuals with heart disease have twice the risk of stroke.
- Atrial Fibrillation: Increases the risk of stoke by 17 times.
- Smoking: Cigarette smoking increases the risk of stroke in all ages and genders. The degree of risk is directly related to the number of cigarettes smoked. Cessation of smoking reduces the risk.
- Increased Hematocrit: Increased viscosity increases the risk of stroke when hematocrit exceeds 55%.
- Elevated Fibrinogen: Increases the risk of forming blood clots.
- Drug Abuse: Drugs that have been associated with stroke include methamphetamines, norepinephrine, LSD, heroin, and cocaine.
- Hyperlipidemia: Elevated cholesterol levels increase the risk of atherosclerosis.
- Oral contraceptives: high estrogen oral contraceptives has been reported to increase the risk of stroke in young women. Risk is strongest in women over 35 years of age who are smokers.
(Tsementiz, 2000)