Causes of a Stroke
Anyone can have a stroke — but knowing your risk factors means you can do something about it.
Know Your Risk
The biggest risk factor for having a stroke is high, uncontrolled blood pressure. An abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation (AFib) can also drastically increase the risk of a stroke.
However, most strokes don't have a single cause — rather, many factors combine to increase the chance of a stroke over time. These contributing factors are called risk factors. The more risk factors you have, and the more serious each one is, the greater your chance of having a stroke. Risk factors for heart disease and stroke are similar, since most of them cause blood vessels to narrow, stiffen, and weaken.
The good news: up to 80% of strokes can be prevented through healthy living and medical treatment. Even small improvements can make a real difference.
~500%
Higher Stroke RiskAtrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common sustained abnormal heart rhythm. It causes the two upper chambers of the heart to quiver instead of beating effectively, so blood isn't fully pumped out — leading to pooling that can cause clots. These clots can travel to the brain, block an artery, and interrupt its blood supply, triggering a major and often fatal stroke.
AFib increases the risk of a potentially disabling or deadly ischaemic stroke by nearly 500%.
Watch: How AFib Causes StrokeBeyond Your Control
Some risk factors are out of your control but can still make stroke more likely. You can't change these — but being aware of them helps you control what you can.
Strokes become more likely with age, as arteries naturally stiffen and narrow over time.
Women are slightly protected against strokes before menopause, but their risk increases afterwards.
Rare inherited forms of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythm, or clotting disorders can increase stroke risk.
If your father or brother had heart disease or a stroke before age 55, or your mother or sister before 65, your own risk may be increased.
Poverty can increase stress, anxiety, and depression, while making healthy choices and good medical care harder to access — making it an important risk factor in its own right.
Within Your Power
Up to 80% of strokes can be prevented by healthy living and medical treatment. Tap any one to learn more.
