What You Should Know About Stroke

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Are You at Risk?

Almost 80 percent of strokes are preventable, the National Stroke Association says. Of course, you can’t do much about some risk factors:

• A family history of stroke increases your risk.
• The older you get, the more your risk goes up.
• Your race can affect your risk. For example, African-Americans, especially women, are at higher risk for stroke.

Newer studies also suggest that people with rheumatoid arthritis and those who suffer from restless legs syndrome, or RLS, may be at increased risk for stroke. Researchers at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in November 2007 reported that people living with rheumatoid arthritis have a 67 percent greater risk of suffering a stroke than the general population. The long-term inflammation that occurs with rheumatoid arthritis is most likely the reason.

A study at Harvard, published in the January 2008 issue of Neurology, linked RLS to stroke and heart disease. RLS is a disorder that causes sensations in people’s legs that worsen during sleep or rest. The study found that people with RLS are twice as likely as those without it to suffer a stroke or heart disease, and those sufferers with the most frequent and severe symptoms are at highest risk.

Risk factors you can control include:

• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• excess weight or obesity
• smoking
• diabetes control
• treating atrial fibrillation