Despite the severity of a stroke-its the third leading cause of death in the U.S. behind heart disease and cancer-recent research suggests that we have significant control over our odds of having a stroke. In a study known as INTERSTROKE, published online June 18 in the The Lancet, researchers found that 10 modifiable risk factors are associated with 90 percent of the risk of stroke. Of those, hypertension was by far the primary source of trouble, followed in descending order by smoking, waist-to-hip ratio, diet and exercise. Rounding out the list of 10 risk factors were diabetes, alcohol consumption, cardiac causes (such as heart rhythm disorders), ratio of apolipoprotein B to A1, and psychological factors of stress and depression.
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