Ischemic stroke

• Fact: Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide and the leading cause of adult disability.
• Proportion of risk that’s in your genes: 17 percent
• What you can do: People who lead a healthy lifestyle have an 80% lower risk for stroke than those who do not. One of the most important steps to take is to keep blood pressure under control.
• Did you know? Over their lifetime, women have a slightly higher risk of stroke than men.

Every year, 795,000 people in the U.S. suffer a stroke – on average, one stroke every 40 seconds. The majority of strokes (87%) are of the ischemic type, meaning that they are caused by an interruption of blood flow to the brain.  Most strokes occur in people who are over the age of 65, but many risk factors start developing earlier.

Overall stroke rates have declined in recent decades, likely because of improved awareness and control of stroke risk factors, such as high blood pressure. Unfortunately, though, stroke rates among teenagers and younger adults have been rising.

If you learn that you are at increased risk for stroke because of your genetic makeup, there are multiple proven and promising ways to lessen your chances of having a stroke.  Making healthy lifestyle modifications – increasing your activity level, adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, controlling your cholesterol -- can make an enormous difference, as can working with your doctor to improve your cardiovascular health.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA), sometimes called a “mini stroke,” is a temporary interruption of blood flow to the brain that causes the same symptoms as stroke, but the symptoms go away within a few minutes or hours. Having a TIA is a major risk factor for a future ischemic stroke. Several of the other medical conditions covered in the Navigenics results, such as atrial fibrillation and diabetes, can also increase the risk of stroke.