What you can't change
Be aware of the things you can't change
Unfortunately, some people are more at risk of a stroke than others because of things they can't change. These include:
- family history - you're more at risk if someone in your family has had a stroke
- age - arteries harden and become furred up with age, which means older people are more likely to have strokes
- sex - In people under the age of 75, men have more strokes
than women - race - people of Asian, African and African-Caribbean origin are more at risk
- medical conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
But a stroke is not inevitable. You simply have to take steps to reduce your risk.
Links
Why a stroke happens
Smoking
Drinking alcohol
Healthy eating
Exercise
Steps to reduce your risk
Stopping stroke happening again
"People don't realise how life-changing a stroke is."Brad Francis was 29 when he had his first stroke. He had another two years later and lost both his sight and speech.