Stroke can happen anywhere to anyone. In the U.S., someone has a stroke every 40 seconds. And Mayo Clinic experts say knowing the risk factors of stroke can help prevent long-term disability and even death. Learn more.

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"Close to 90% of all strokes are preventable," says Dr. Felix Chukwudelunzu, a Mayo Clinic neurologist.

The first step in stroke prevention is recognizing the risk factors.

"There are those that are modifiable and those that are nonmodifiable. Certain nonmodifiable would be age," says Dr. James Klaas, a Mayo Clinic neurologist.

The older you are, the greater the chance of having a stroke.

Stroke risks

"If you're above the age of 65, you're more likely to have a stroke than someone in their 20s or 30s, for example," says Dr. Chukwudelunzu.

Another nonmodifiable risk factor is family history of stroke — especially a first-degree relative.

"In terms of the modifiable risk factors, what we'd be looking for is high blood pressure — is probably the most significant — then we look for high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, amongst others," says Dr. Klaas.

Maintaining physical activity and watching what you eat are both important factors in stroke prevention.

"We know that people that eat, for example, high-salt diet, they are more likely to have high blood pressure than people that don't. So dietary changes can also help reduce chances of a stroke," says Chukwudelunzu. "Identifying these risk factors and making sure that they're being treated appropriately goes a long way into preventing that stroke from happening in the first place."

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