You may think that a stroke — which is caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain or by a brain bleed — only happens to older people. Well, think again. From 2011 to 2022, the rate of stroke jumped by almost 15% in people ages 18 to 44.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say the increase in strokes among younger adults correlates with the increasing number who suffer from obesity. Younger people are also almost twice as likely to have high blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke, as they used to be.

In addition, the opioid epidemic has put younger people at increasing risk.

This is a trend you don't want to follow. Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to protect yourself from a stroke.

Common stroke risk factors include high blood pressure, being overweight or obese, being sedentary, excess alcohol consumption, use of methamphetamines or cocaine, smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, diabetes, high LDL cholesterol, sleep apnea, and COVID-19 infection.

Clearly, the oft-repeated advice to move more, eat less, sleep better, upgrade your nutrition, avoid saturated fat, drink less (or not at all), dodge smoke, and get vaccinated against COVID-19 are steps you can take. And you don't have to do them all at once.

Start slow and find a buddy or a posse to help support you in your effort to reduce your stroke risks.