Unhealthy Lifestyle Doubles Your Risk of Having a Stroke

Leading an unhealthy lifestyle more than doubles the risk of stroke, experts warned today following a study on more 20,000 people.

Researchers found that people who drank too much alcohol, ate too few fruit and vegetables, took little exercise and smoked were far more likely to suffer a stroke.

Men and women aged 40 to 79 with no known history of stroke were recruited for the study, carried out in Norfolk, U.K.

Between 1993 and 1997, they completed a detailed health and lifestyle questionnaire and underwent regular, thorough health examinations by trained nurses.

They were then followed for about 11 years to assess their chances of developing a stroke.

People were regarded as having unhealthy behaviors if they smoked, were inactive, drank too much and ate little fruit and vegetables.

Meanwhile, people displayed healthy behaviors if they were non-smokers, were active, had a moderate alcohol intake (one to 14 units per week) and ate at least five servings of fruit and vegetables each day.

Overall, there were 599 strokes during the study period.