In light of these worrying statistics, we spoke to Alexis Kolodziej, deputy CEO and executive director of influencing and research at Stroke Association, to explore what steps people can take to reduce their risk of stroke. High blood pressure is also a big risk factor for strokes, and plays a part in about half of all strokes, according to Stroke Association’s website. “You can get your blood pressure checked at a GP, at most pharmacies and lots of supermarkets are now starting to have blood pressure checking machines too. “People often think, oh I must have to be super active to reduce my risk of stroke, but actually, that’s not true,” says Kolodziej. “As soon as you quit, your stroke risk starts to reduce, and within five years of quitting, you can reduce your stroke risk significantly.