Reduce Your Risk > Non-Controllable Risk Factors
What are risk factors I can't change?
Family history and race
If a parent, grandparent, brother or sister has had a stroke, your risk of having one is greater. African Americans’ risk for stroke is up to four times higher than non-Hispanic whites. This is due in part to the increased rates of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity among blacks.
Get to the root of your family’s health by creating your own family health history tree.
Age
Strokes can happen to people of any age, even children — especially those with sickle cell disease. But the older you are, the greater your risk for stroke.
Sex
More men than women have a stroke each year. But at all ages, more women than men die of stroke. In 2002, more than 11,000 black females and 7,800 black males died of stroke.
Previous stroke or heart attack
If you’ve had a stroke, you’re at a much higher risk for having another one. If you’ve had a heart attack, this also raises your risk for having a stroke.
