High Blood Pressure Increases Your Risk for Stroke

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke. About 780,000 Americans will have a new or recurrent stroke this year — and about 150,000 of them will die. Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S. It’s also a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Many people mistakenly think of stroke as an "old person’s disease." But thousands of strokes occur in people under age 65.

The good news is you can protect against stroke. To do this:

Know your risk factors.
Reduce your risk factors, including high blood pressure.
Learn the warning signs of stroke.
Know what to do if you notice warning signs.

What is a stroke?
Stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease. It affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain can’t get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it starts to die.

Clots that block an artery cause ischemic strokes. This is the most common type of stroke. Ischemic strokes account for about 87 percent of all strokes.

Ruptured blood vessels cause hemorrhagic strokes.

When part of the brain dies from lack of blood flow, the part of the body it controls is affected. Strokes can cause paralysis, affect language and vision, and cause other problems.

What is a TIA?
A TIA (transient ischemic attack) is a "warning stroke." A TIA can occur days, weeks or months before a major stroke. TIAs are very strong predictors of stroke risk — they signal about 15 percent of strokes. After a TIA, the 90-day risk of stroke is 3 percent to 17.3 percent and is highest within the first 30 days. TIAs occur when a blood clot temporarily clogs an artery, and part of the brain doesn’t get the blood it needs. The warning signs are the same as for stroke. Like stroke, TIA symptoms occur rapidly, but they last a relatively short time. More than 75 percent of TIAs last less than five minutes. The average is about a minute. Unlike stroke, when a TIA ends, the blood clot resolves itself and the symptoms disappear, leaving no permanent effects.

Learn more about risk factors for stroke.

This content is reviewed regularly. Last updated 04/22/08.