Lifestyle and the Risk of Stroke

Stroke is one of the top ten leading causes of death in Taiwan. Most common stroke events are caused by multiple factors involving both genetic variants and environmental factors. Some diseases were reported as risk factors for stroke such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and hyperlipidemia. Many stroke survivors were left with disability and/or dementia in our population. The cost of medical support for stroke is a burden for the family and for the society as well. Epidemiologic studies suggested that lifestyle such as heavy alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking increased the risk of stroke, and there was a dose-response effect in it. In contrast, healthy diet and regular physical activities may reduce the risk. For the purpose of reminding people to pay attention to their lifestyle for preventing stroke, this paper review previous studies about the lifestyle and risk of stroke.