8021
0
Posted on Jul 31, 2008, 8 p.m.
By Jeanelle Topping
High blood pressure is the single most important factor for stroke, research suggests.
High blood pressure is the single most important factor for stroke, research suggests.
Andrea Lane, spokesperson for the Stroke Association, said that monitoring blood pressure is "vital" to reduce risk.
"On a day to day basis, it's things like eating a healthy diet, taking exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking, that help us control our blood pressure," she advised.
According to the Stroke Association, an estimated 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke every year - one person every five minutes.
Most people affected are over the age of 65, but anyone can have a stroke, including children and even babies. Statistics show that around 1,000 people under 30 have a stroke each year.
Stroke is the third most common cause of death in both the UK and the US. It is also the leading cause of adult disability among Britons and Americans.
More than 250,000 people in the UK live with disabilities caused by stroke.
According to the US National Stroke Association, 80 per cent of strokes are preventable.
