Heeding them can save your life. A risk factor is a condition or behavior that occurs more frequently in those who have, or are at greater risk of getting, a disease than in those who don't. Having a risk factor for stroke doesn't mean you'll have a stroke. On the other hand, not having a risk factor doesn't mean you'll avoid a stroke. But your risk of stroke grows as the number and severity of risk factors increases.
Stroke occurs in all age groups, in both sexes, and in all races in every country.
It can even occur before birth, when the fetus is still in the womb. In African-Americans, the death rate from stroke is almost twice that of the white population. Scientists have found more and more severe risk factors in some minority groups and continue to look for patterns of stroke in these groups. Also called hypertension, this is by far the most potent risk factor for stroke. If your blood pressure is high, you and your doctor need to work out an individual strategy to bring it down to the normal range.