Health Topics for Aging

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Geriatric Assessment Clinic

Stroke risks in older adults

People are more at risk of having a stroke as they get older. To help prevent a stroke, identify and minimize your risks. Risks that cannot be changed include, age, family history, race, and having had a stroke.

Many risks can be changed. High blood pressure is the most important risk factor for stroke. It is important to keep your blood pressure under control. Follow your healthcare provider's instructions for all medication that has been prescribed to lower your blood pressure. Stop smoking. Smoking damages blood vessels in many ways. Women who use birth control pills and smoke greatly increase their chance of stroke.

People with diabetes are at greater risk of a stroke. It is important for people with diabetes to control their blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels are controlled with medicines, diet, exercise, and weight loss, if overweight. Heart disease is another risk for stroke. People being treated for heart disease need to follow all the recommendations that their healthcare provider may suggest to control their disease. This may include losing weight, exercising, and taking aspirin as well as other medications like cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Warning signs of a stroke are risks also. Warning signs are called transient ischemic attacks or TIAs. They are like mini strokes. TIAs are the same as a stroke, but usually last only a few minutes to an hour or two. These signs include sudden:

• vision changes in one or both eyes, such as double vision or loss of vision
• difficulty speaking or understanding
• difficulty moving or controlling an arm, leg, or one side of the body
• weakness or numbness of an arm, leg, or one side of the body
• headache without a known cause
• facial weakness or difficulty swallowing and
• unusual behavior with no apparent cause, such as confusion or personality changes

Get immediate emergency medical treatment for anyone who has these symptoms, even if they quickly go away. If it is a TIA, treatment is needed to prevent a stroke in the future. A stroke must be treated within a few hours, so there is less brain damage. Immediate treatment can make a huge difference.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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