TUCSON, Ariz. - Earlier this month actor Luke Perry, 52, died from a stroke and although strokes typically happen to those 65 and older Tucson Medical Center doctors say they can happen to anyone.
Dr. Renee McAloney, the Stroke Prevention Program Coordinator at TMC said there are a variety of factors that can lead to a stroke.
"So a stroke is caused by either an artery or blood vessel in the brain that ruptures or more commonly from a blood clot or plaque that blocks the artery in the brain," Dr. McAloney said.
She added there are risk factors we can control, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, inactivity, diabetes even smoking and drinking but there are also those factors we can't do anything about.
"There are some risk factors that we can't control. So, we call them the non-modifiable risk factors. Which are our age, our heredity," Dr. McAloney said.
In order to better help the community identify some of these risk factors as well as when they might be in danger of a stroke TMC is holding a stroke prevention event on March 30.
The event is free and open to the public.
It will start at 9 a.m. and be held at the TMC Marshall Auditorium.
