Stroke Risk Assessment

Stroke Risk Assessment Scorecard

Curious about your own risk for stroke? This scorecard from the American Stroke Association® can help determine your risk. It’s important to note, some stroke risk factors such as age, family history, race, gender and prior stroke cannot be changed. Follow the directions below to get started, and speak with your health care professional about how you can reduce your risk of stroke if you scored higher in the “higher risk” column or if you are unsure of your risk.

Did you know that 80% of strokes are preventable?

To lower your risk for a first stroke, follow these guidelines from the National Stroke Association:

• Know your blood pressure and work with your doctor to prevent or reduce high blood pressure.
• Find out if you have atrial fibrillation.
• If you smoke, take steps to quit. Try our smoking cessation program, Quit With WakeMed.
• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.
• If you have diabetes, work with your doctor to find the right medication, and make lifestyle changes.
• Include exercise in the activities you enjoy in your daily routine.
• Find out if you have high cholesterol.
• Enjoy a lower sodium (salt), lower fat diet.
• Ask your doctor if you have circulation problems.

Learn to recognize the symptoms of stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden difficulty seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Use the acronym B.E. F.A.S.T. to remember:

B – BALANCE – Watch the person walk. Is the person losing coordination or balance?

E – EYES – Ask about eyesight. Is the person having trouble seeing out of one or both eyes?

F – FACE – Ask the person to smile. Does their face droop down on one side or look uneven?  

A – ARM – Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?  

S – SPEECH – Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase such as “the sky is blue.” Do the words sound strange or slurred?  

T – TIME – Time is critical. If you notice any of the symptoms of stroke, call 911 immediately.

Do not drive yourself or the person to the hospital. Paramedics can begin to help stop a stroke in the field. The longer the brain is starved of oxygen, the greater the chances of death or permanent disability.