May is National Blood Pressure Month. High blood pressure or hypertensions is a leading cause of stroke and Brevard Medical Equipment wants you to be aware of the risk factors for stroke and who is at greatest risk.

While high blood pressure is a major stroke contributor, there are many other causes of stroke. Some are preventable, but some are not. What are some of those risks?

Race and ethnicity play a big role. Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islanders have higher risk than Caucasians while African Americans have twice the risk of stroke when compared to Caucasians.

People with a family history of stroke are at a higher risk. If a family member has had a stroke, everyone in the family has a higher risk of stroke. Talk to your family and ask about what ailments run in the family.

What gender has higher stroke risk? Women suffer more strokes each year than men. One of the main reasons is because women live longer than men and stroke occurs more often at older ages. Annually, about 55,000 more women than men have strokes in the United States. Women are twice as likely to die of a stroke as breast cancer.

Stroke risk increases with age. After the age of 55, stroke risk doubles for every decade a person is alive. As we mentioned before, that is why women have more strokes than men.

If you have had a stroke already, you are more likely to have another one. About 5 to 14 percent of the people who have a stroke this year will have a second one and add to the damage. Preventing another stroke needs to be a top priority.

Remember that the more factors you have to add together, the greater your stroke risk and the greater your efforts to prevent stroke need to be.

If you have a loved one recovering from a stroke, Brevard Medical Equipment carries equipment and supplies including dressing aids, walkers and wheelchairs to help make life easier.