I had a cryptogenic stroke. how can I reduce my risks of future…

All my blood work , BP and calcification score were all fine.

Hi Antman

Thank you for reaching out on EnableMe, it is great to hear you are looking at ways to reduce your future stroke risk. It can be really difficult to know what to do when you don't have a specific cause for your stroke. It is good to hear that you know the results of your blood tests and those that might be relevant to stroke risks. This is so important for everyone who has experienced a stroke, and for those who have not.

There are a number of people who have unexplained or cryptogenic strokes. It’s estimated that 25-30% of ischemic strokes are cryptogenic or unexplained. It is still really important to know the risk factors for stroke. A stroke risk factor is something that makes us more likely to have a stroke.

Certain health conditions and some lifestyle choices can put us at a higher risk of having a stroke. Almost 80% of strokes can be prevented, so knowing what the risk factors for stroke are, and working on these, can reduce the likelihood of having another stroke. You can read more about stroke risk factors and prevention on our website here.

There are 9 modifiable risk factors for stroke, and they include:

High blood pressure
Irregular heart beat (atrial fibrillation or AF)
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Smoking
Poor diet
Lack of exercise
Being overweight
Excessive alcohol intake.

There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of having a stroke an these include:

Talk with your Gp about your health and possible stroke risks (although it sounds like you have already done this which is great to hear)
Make sure your blood pressure, blood cholesterol or diabetes are well managed
Be physically active and exercise regularly, think about doing 30 minutes of exercise on most days per week
Avoid being overweight by keeping to a healthy diet, getting some exercise and limit alcohol consumption
Avoid cigarette smoke. If you smoke, seek help to stop now
Learn to recognise the warning signs of a stroke and call 000 (triple zero) at the first sign of a stroke.

If you would like to give us a call on StrokeLine, we would be more than happy to talk with you more about what you can do to keep healthy and reduce your risk of another stroke. You can call us on Ph. 1800 787 653, or email us on strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au. We are available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. It can be a worrying time when you do not know what caused your stroke.

Kind regards

Siobhan (StrokeLine)

Hi Antman,

Here are some more comments from the community

John Jenny Max Wentworth

If this helps Ant , i had a ischaemic stroke , blood clot in the brain , the Neuros couldn't find a reason until they checked my heart internally . I had & still have a hole in my heart . If you haven't already maybe get your heart checked . The hole in my heart is called a Patent Foramen Ovale ( PFO).

Suzana Vasic

Had 4 cryptogenic strokes in 7 years with all meds regularly taken, had huge amounts of tests of all kinds, heart, had an inplant put in my chest called loop recorder a tiny usb, still nothing, no answers....not knowing is the hardest

Maureen MacDonald

From what I've learnt weight, water intake n stress n heredity play a big part

Yana Jade

I had a cryptogenic stroke. 12 months ago in my sleep. The hardest part is not knowing the cause. No hole in my heart, all the regular tests came back fine. The last thing I looked into was a sleep study. Found I have moderate sleep apnoea. I had pneumonia at the time of the stroke so the combination may have caused it. Other than that I can only do what I can control to prevent having another stroke, reduce salt, healthy diet and exercise, stay on my meds, rest, sleep. Listen to your body and don’t overdo it.

Kathy Chan

Have your doctors tried look for AF? It can also be a cause of your stroke.

You can get tiny implantable monitors that sends your cardiac rhythm to cardiologists to look for AF; and if found, get treated accordingly to minimise your recurrent stroke risk.

Jacqui Madigan

Hi there, I had this almost 10 months ago and the not knowing why has been hard! My doctors have me on daily aspirin and I think that will be for life now as they can’t find a cause. I’m almost certain mine was pregnancy related, but no answers and every test you can imagine has been done. Hang in there!

Glenys McLaughlin

Have you been tested for a PFO? It’s a type of hoke in your heart that can lead to strokes.

Mark Davy

I had a cryptogenic stroke leading to expressive aphasia. The CT showed another 3 previously. No obvious reason. Carrying the implant monitor, investigating AF. Not knowing is most concerning