Am I at risk for a stroke?

Every 10 minutes on average, a Canadian has a stroke. Could you be next?

There are many things that increase your risk of a stroke (called stroke risk factors).

Some are things you can't control:

• age over 65
• male gender (women are also at risk after menopause)
• family history of stroke
• First Nations, African, or South Asian ancestry
• personal history of a stroke or TIA ("mini-stroke")

Fortunately, there are also many things you may be able to control:

Lifestyle issues:

• being overweight
• drinking too much alcohol (more than 2 drinks per day or 10 drinks per week for women or more than 3 drinks per day or 15 drinks per week for men)
• unhealthy diet (low in fruits and vegetables and high in sodium and saturated or trans fat)
• lack of physical activity
• smoking
• stress

Medical conditions:

• atrial fibrillation
• diabetes
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol

Some people may have other risk factors not listed here.