For example, if you smoke, quit. If you drink alcohol, do it in moderation. Eat healthfully, watch your fat and cholesterol intake, exercise regularly and be sure to watch your waistline. See a doctor regularly, control high blood pressure and, if you are diabetic, get needed treatment. There are other risk factors you can't control.
Stroke can strike anyone, but certain people face higher risks.
If any of these factors apply to you, it is even more important that you minimize the factors you can control. Although stroke can occur at any age, your risk increases as you grow older. For people over age 55, the incidence of stroke doubles in each successive decade. Men are at a 19 percent greater risk than women. But, more women die of stroke than men.