Age 35 years was chosen as the lower end for the sample because the incidence of stroke among African Americans age 35–44 years is three times greater than Whites of comparable age (Kleindorfer et al., 2006). The age range of the 48 participants was 38–88 years with a mean age of 68.6 years. Forty percent of the women were married and 40%
were widowed. More than half (53.6%) of the women had a college or graduate degree. Stroke risk factors reported by participants included hypertension (83%), elevated cholesterol or triglycerides (42.6%), diabetes (14.9%), and heart disease (12.8%). Prior stroke or transient ischemic attack was reported by approximately one-fifth (21.3%) of the sample.