High blood pressure, often driven by excess salt intake, obesity, and stress from these unhealthy habits, is the leading cause of both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, as it damages blood vessel linings and can lead to clot formation or vessel rupture.

Dietary habits rich in processed and fast foods contribute to high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, which narrows arteries and puts additional strain on the heart, further elevating stroke risk.

Inadequate sleep—less than six hours per night—has been linked to a 22% higher risk of ischemic stroke because poor sleep impairs the body's ability to repair blood vessel injury, increasing vulnerability.

Skipping routine health screenings prevents early detection of silent but serious conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, all of which significantly contribute to stroke risk if left unchecked.

Smoking damages blood vessel walls, thickens blood, and accelerates plaque buildup, increasing stroke risk by two to four times in current smokers compared to non-smokers or former smokers.

Today, experts warn that unhealthy lifestyle choices—such as a sedentary lifestyle, processed food consumption high in sodium and saturated fats, smoking, poor sleep, and skipping health screenings—significantly increase the risk of deadly strokes by damaging blood vessels.

Prolonged sedentary behavior, especially at desk jobs, disrupts metabolism, raises blood sugar and triglycerides, lowers good cholesterol, and promotes artery-clogging plaque formation, thereby increasing stroke risk.