Epidemiological surveys have shown that a number of factors are closely related to the occurrence of stroke, also known as stroke risk factors. They are divided into two categories: those that cannot be interfered with, such as age, genes, and heredity, which are called non-interferable factors; and those that can be interfered with, and if these factors can be effectively intervened with, the morbidity and mortality of cerebrovascular disease can be significantly reduced.
Non-intervenable risk factors
Age
Age is an important independent risk factor for stroke. The incidence of stroke increases with age, increasing 1-fold every 10 years after age 55. The majority of all strokes occur over 65 years of age. Stroke incidence: elderly > middle-aged > young.
Gender
The incidence of stroke is approximately 30% higher in men than in women. Incidence in each age group: males > females.
Family history
Family history of cerebrovascular disease is a factor in predisposition to stroke. A family history is defined as <60 years of age at the time of stroke or heart disease in the immediate family of both parents.
Race
The incidence of stroke varies by race, with a higher incidence of stroke in people of color than in white people.
In addition, social factors, such as lifestyle and environment, may also play a role.
Intervenable factors
Hypertension
Hypertension is a well-recognized, strong, important, and independent risk factor for stroke. The Cerebrovascular Risk Factor Intervention Trial of 37,661 urban residents aged 35 years and older in seven major cities in China showed that stroke incidence increased with systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both the intervention and control cohorts.
Heart disease
Heart valve disease, non-rheumatic atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, and heart failure from various causes increase the incidence of stroke (especially ischemic), especially stroke caused by embolism due to atrial fibrillation.
Diabetes mellitus
Studies have shown that patients with abnormal glucose tolerance or diabetes are exponentially more likely to have a stroke than the general population. People with diabetes are 1.7 times more likely to have a stroke than normal people of the same age in the same region.
TIA
A transient ischemic attack (TIA), like a stroke, occurs when the patient’s brain does not receive adequate oxygen and blood supply. TIA is a warning sign that a patient is at risk of stroke. 20% of patients with cerebral infarction have a history of TIA and need to be treated with emergency medical care.
Smoking and alcohol abuse
Domestic and international studies have shown that the risk of stroke is related to the amount and duration of smoking. According to an 18-year follow-up study in Framingham, men who smoked heavily had almost three times the risk of stroke as non-smokers. In contrast, the incidence of stroke in alcoholics is four to five times higher than in the general population, especially for the development of hemorrhagic strokes.
Hyperlipidemia
Hyperlipidemia is a “potential killer” that silently eats away at people’s health and even their lives. The “bad cholesterol” in blood lipids is like the oil soup in the dumpling filling, “it accumulates and turns the arteries into dumplings with thin and oily skin, which can easily break.” It increases blood viscosity and accelerates the onset of cerebral atherosclerosis.
Other risk factors for stroke: diet (high intake of salt and meat, animal oil, etc.), overweight, drug abuse, oral contraceptives, blood disorders and abnormal blood rheology, etc.
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