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Many risk factors can lead to a stroke, but the magnitude of the risk from some of them These conditions or behaviors may have a stronger association with severe stroke compared to mild stroke, according to a new study.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the world, according to a November 2018 studycausing around 5.5 million deaths annually.

“A stroke occurs when the central nervous system is injured from a vascular cause, so it could be from a blockage, which accounts for about 80 percent of strokes in the United States, or a ruptured blood vessel, which is a hemorrhage, and that accounts for 20 percent of strokes in the United States,” said Dr. Steve Messe, a professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the study.

Some risks associated with stroke are high blood pressure (high blood pressure), atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and smoking, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study, which was published Wednesday in the journal Neurology, reviewed data collected between 2007 and 2015 as part of the INTERSTROKE study. According to the study, patients were recruited from 142 centers in 32 countries and given standardized questionnaires to measure risk factors.

The researchers looked at 13,460 stroke patients and divided the cases according to whether they suffered from a severe or non-severe stroke, which they classified using a six-point scale that measures the patient’s degree of disability.

“This study looked at the association between modifiable risk factors with severe and mild-moderate stroke. Three risk factors – high blood pressure, smoking and atrial fibrillation (which is an irregular heart rhythm) were linked to a higher risk of severe stroke compared to mild-moderate stroke,” said Dr. Catriona Reddin, the author of the first study, by e-mail. “This underscores the importance of managing these risk factors along with other stroke risk factors.”

Previous research linked obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol with strokes, which is consistent with the findings of this new study.

“Our study highlights that some risk factors are particularly important for severe stroke. We hope that hearing the results of our study can highlight the importance of managing stroke risk factors,” said Reddin, a specialist in geriatric medicine at University Hospital Galway and a researcher at the University of Galway in Ireland.

High blood pressure is a risk that most people underestimate, and since 50 percent of Americans have high blood pressure, it’s an important risk factor to consider, said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of prevention and cardiovascular health at National Jewish Health in Denver, who was not involved in the study. (Freeman is also the medical advisor for WeWard, an activity-tracking app that also incentivizes users to move, allowing them to accumulate points that can be redeemed for prizes or charitable donations. He didn’t received no financial compensation.)

High blood pressure, also known as high blood pressure, can result from an unhealthy lifestyle or from certain health conditions such as diabetes or obesity. The condition can also occur during pregnancy.

High blood pressure can affect heart tissue and the conduction system, leading to atrial fibrillation or an irregular heartbeat, Cleveland Clinic.

Smoking is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease and can cause blood to clot and block blood flow to the heart and brain.

“It’s not just tobacco smoke, but marijuana smoke or even really bad air pollution can significantly increase vascular events and risk,” Freeman said.

Focusing on eating plants, exercising more, stressing less, loving more and getting enough sleep can help reduce your risk of stroke, according to Freeman.

Reducing salt in your diet, avoiding foods high in cholesterol and eating fresh fruit and vegetables can help lowering blood pressure.

Staying active can also lower your blood pressure and help you maintain a healthy weight. In fact, people who are more active have a 25% to 30% lower risk of stroke than people who are less active, according to the study. American Heart Association.

Exercise has also been found to reduce the negative effects of stress, including increases in blood pressureby stimulating the production of endorphins.

However, if you suspect you or someone around you is having a stroke, call 911 immediately and get to the emergency room as soon as possible, Messe said. Stroke treatment is time sensitive, so it’s important to move quickly.

You can use the acronym FAST to identify the warning signs of a stroke, according to American Heart Association.

· Face: Smile. Is part of your face drooping?

· Arms: If you raise both arms, does one arm move down?

· Speech: Do you have difficulty speaking? Is your speech slurred?

· Time: If you see any of these signs, call 911 immediately.