Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in western populations, with up to 40% of survivors not expected to recover independence from severe disabilities. This equates to an immense financial burden on health systems worldwide. Hence further education is required to inform individuals of the risks to promote secondary prevention strategies in future generations. Stroke is a heterogeneous, multifactorial disease regulated by modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors. Modifiable factors include a history of high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease. Nonmodifiable factors include age, sex and race. Other less-well documented risk factors include geographic location, socioeconomic status and alcoholism. Approximately 80% of stroke events could be reduced by making simple lifestyle modifications. Further studies are required to clarify the role and interplay of the risk factors outlined to give a more comprehensive understanding of stroke and to aid and drive the development of more effective stroke prevention programs, in high risk groups.