Perceived risk for developing stroke among older adults

Background. Persons who perceive their risk for stroke accurately may be more likely to engage in prevention practices to reduce their risk. Methods. In 2004, 800 adults aged 45 years and older in two counties participated in a telephone survey to assess their perceived risk for stroke and their history of stroke risk factors. Results. Overall, 39% of respondents perceived themselves to be at risk for having a stroke. In the multivariate analyses, younger age, current smoking, and a history of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and stroke/TIA were independently associated with perceived risk for stroke. Respondents with atrial fibrillation were no more likely to report being at risk for stroke compared to respondents without atrial fibrillation. Perceived risk for stroke increased as the number of risk factors increased. However, 46% of respondents with three or more risk factors did not perceive themselves to be at risk. Conclusions. Many adults with multiple risk factors do not perceive themselves to be at risk for stroke. Clinical and public health efforts are needed to increase awareness of the risk for stroke.