Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US and nonfatal stroke is a leading cause of
permanent disability and economic losses due to impairment1. Adults lack the ability to
regenerate damaged brain tissue fully, often making functional recovery incomplete2, and
therefore prevention is considered the most effective strategy1. An overall healthy lifestyle,
such as not smoking, diet, exercise and optimal body weight, may be more effective in lowering
risk of cardiovascular disease(CVD), diabetes and cancer than any one single factor3–8. The
etiology of stroke may differ from other cardiovascular diseases and may not share the same
risk factors.
In this study, we examine the impact on stroke risk of a combination of healthy lifestyle
characteristics and also calculate the burden of stroke that may be attributed to these unhealthy
lifestyle choices.